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25 May 2017

Harvard Business School Honors Six Graduates with Alumni Achievement Award

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(Top Row): David Bradley, Bayo Ogunlesi, Ilene Lang, Jack Brennan
(Bottom Row): Angie Hicks, John McArthur
Photo: Susan Young

BOSTON—Harvard Business School yesterday afternoon conferred its most important honor, the Alumni Achievement Award, on six distinguished graduates as part of the Class Day ceremony for the MBA Class of 2017, who will receive their degrees on Commencement Day today.

This year’s Award recipients are David G. Bradley (MBA 1977), chairman of Atlantic Media, a portfolio of media platforms that he built after purchasing the Atlantic in 1999; John J. Brennan (MBA 1980), chairman emeritus of the Vanguard Group, a pioneer in the mutual fund industry known for its focus on investors; Angie Hicks (MBA 2000), cofounder and chief marketing officer of Angie’s List, a website platform where some five million members review local service providers; Ilene H. Lang (MBA 1973), retired president and CEO of Catalyst, a research and advisory firm focused on bringing women into business leadership roles; John H. McArthur (MBA 1959, DBA 1963), Dean of Harvard Business School from 1980 to 1995 and a member of its faculty since 1962; and Adebayo O. Ogunlesi (JD/MBA 1979), chairman and managing partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), an independent infrastructure investment firm focusing on energy, transportation, and water.

The mission of Harvard Business School is to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Every day more than 80,000 HBS graduates strive to make these words a reality in a wide array of organizations that affect the lives of millions of people around the globe. Since 1968, the School has honored a number of outstanding men and women to receive the Alumni Achievement Award.

Throughout their careers, these distinguished graduates have contributed significantly to their companies and communities while upholding the highest standards and values in everything they do. As such, they represent the best of the School’s alumni body. Exemplary role models, they inspire all those who aspire to have an impact on both business and society.

More detailed information on each of the recipients follows below and in this link to the booklet prepared especially for the occasion:

David G. Bradley
Before Atlantic Media, Bradley founded, built, and sold two research firms: the Advisory Board Company and the Corporate Executive Board Company. A graduate of Swarthmore College, he holds a JD from Georgetown University. Bradley and his wife, Katherine, cofounded CityBridge, a nonprofit that brings best practices to Washington, DC, public schools.

John J. Brennan
Brennan joined Vanguard in 1982, was elected the firm’s president in 1989, served as CEO from 1996 to 2008, and became chairman of the board in 1998, a post he held until 2009. A Dartmouth College graduate, he is chairman of Vanguard Charitable and chairs the board at the University of Notre Dame.

Angie Hicks
Hicks launched Angie’s List in 1995 after graduating from DePauw University. She has spent the last two decades expanding the company, which went public in 2011. She serves as an executive sponsor of the Angie’s List Foundation, which supports nonprofits in Indianapolis, where the company is based, and was a cofounder of the Governor Bob Orr Indiana Entrepreneurial Fellowship Program.

Ilene H. Lang
Lang joined Catalyst as its president in 2003 and served as CEO from 2008 to 2014. After launching two retail businesses in the 1970s, Lang played leadership roles in several high-tech companies, including serving as founding CEO of the search engine AltaVista. A graduate of Radcliffe College, she now advises corporations and nonprofits.

John H. McArthur
Beyond his fifteen years as Dean, McArthur has held numerous directorships and consulting posts in business, government, education, and healthcare organizations around the world. In 1997, Harvard University established the John and Natty McArthur University Professorship in honor of him and his wife, and two years later HBS dedicated McArthur Hall, a residence hall for Executive Education participants. A graduate of the University of British Columbia, McArthur received the Harvard Medal in 2016 for his service to and impact on the University.

Adebayo O. Ogunlesi
Ogunlesi founded Global Infrastructure Partners in 2006 after spending 23 years at Credit Suisse and its predecessor firms. Upon earning degrees from both HBS and Harvard Law School, he served as a law clerk to US Supreme Court Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall and then joined the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore. A native of Nigeria, Ogunlesi is a graduate of Oxford University.

Contacts

Jim Aisner
jaisner+hbs.edu
617-495-6157

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