by John D. Macomber - Publications - Faculty & Research

John D. Macomber

John Macomber is a Senior Lecturer in the Finance unit at Harvard Business School. His professional background includes leadership of real estate, construction, and information technology businesses. At HBS, Mr. Macomber's work focuses on climate adaptation and the... View Details

Keywords: building materials; construction; energy; green technology; infrastructure industry; real estate; transportation; utilities; waste management; insurance industry

25 Jan 2013
Research & Ideas

Why a Harvard Finance Instructor Went to the Kumbh Mela

I'm in a winter coat and hat in the January pre-dawn cold and dark, standing on sandbags on a riverbank in the middle of Uttar Pradesh, India. Pilgrims and the faithful and the respectful come to the river this morning by the hundreds,... View Details

Keywords: by John D. Macomber; Construction; Real Estate

John D. Nichols

Though not a name brand, Illinois Tool Works, a manufacturer of component industrial parts, has been recognized by Wall Street and Fortune for superior financial and management performance. Much of that credit is due to Nichols. He... View Details

Keywords: Fabricated Goods

John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

The company Rockefeller started at age 23, Standard Oil, came to hold a virtual monopoly on the American oil industry. He maintained control of Standard Oil until its eventual break-up by the U.S. government. The company was so successful... View Details

Keywords: Utilities & Energy

24 Sep 2014
Op-Ed

The ABCs of Addressing Climate Change (From a Business Perspective)

It's Climate Week in New York City. The schedule features a UN Climate Summit, a People's Climate March, the Clinton Global Initiative, substantial criticism of the whole endeavor, and plenty of agitated interaction. There is a lot of noise here. How can businesses cut... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Energy; Utilities

15 Feb 2017
Op-Ed

What Africa Can Teach the United States About Funding Infrastructure Projects

African municipalities can’t afford to waste money this way. Solar panels on the Garden City Mall, Nairobi, Kenya financed by CrossBoundary Energy. Credit: John Macomber Highly... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Construction

04 Apr 2018
Research & Ideas

Smart Cities are Complicated and Costly: Here's How to Build Them

Chombosan Much promotion of smart cities assumes that municipalities will take a proactive, top-down, technology-first approach to urban progress. Thus far, these initiatives look for some forward-thinking city official (or immensely deep-pocketed private investor) to... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Construction; Green Technology

04 Dec 2013
Research & Ideas

The Fantastic Horizon: How to Invest in a New City

Senior Lecturer John Macomber writes about his recent investigative visits to nascent privately-funded municipalities in Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA—Two days before... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Construction; Real Estate

06 Nov 2012
Op-Ed

Stop Talking About the Weather and Do Something: Three Ways to Finance Sustainable Cities

The wrath of Hurricane Sandy has illuminated a fundamental question: How do we ensure that our cities are resilient in the face of inevitable future disasters? A destroyed city is not a sustainable city. I'm making the case that it's time to stop complaining about... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Construction; Real Estate; Energy; Utilities

08 Nov 2024
Op-Ed

How Private Investors Can Help Solve Africa's Climate Crisis

African people, businesses, and nations are becoming increasingly stressed by climate-related perils like droughts, river flooding, extreme heat, and rising sea levels. This is leading not only to the destruction of assets but also challenges to lives and... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Green Technology; Energy

December 2014 (Revised March 2018)
Case

John D. Rockefeller: The Richest Man in the World

By: Tom Nicholas and Vasiliki Fouka

By the late nineteenth century scale and managerial hierarchies had extended to several major industrial sectors of the U.S. economy. Although the precise mechanisms often varied, this process mainly involved horizontal integration, some form of legal or administrative... View Details

Keywords: Horizontal Integration; Wealth; Business History; Vertical Integration; Consolidation; Personal Development and Career; Energy Industry; United States

Citation

Educators

Purchase

07 Sep 2019
Op-Ed

Even for Non-Believers, These Are the Next Steps on Climate Change

uncover opportunity in resilience? What are implications for the most vulnerable populations that can’t or don’t want to move to Minnesota or even to Orlando? Answering these questions is the next step in climate action. About the Author View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber

03 Jun 2020
Research & Ideas

Who Guarantees Your Workplace Is Safe for Return?

School of Public Health and director of the Healthy Buildings program there. John Macomber is a senior lecturer in the Finance Unit at Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses in real estate and... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber and Joseph Allen; Real Estate

25 Feb 2013
News

Among millions, a blank slate

Keywords: Professors Tarun Khanna, John D. Macomber; Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools; Educational Services; Health, Social Assistance; Information; Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations; Personal Services; Market Research, Photo, Translation, Veterinary and Other Services; Professional Services

01 Sep 2007
News

Alfred D. Chandler Jr. Remembered

during the 1950s, Chandler assisted Alfred P. Sloan Jr. with his famous autobiography, My Years with General Motors. In 1963, Chandler became chairman of the history department at Johns Hopkins University, where he edited the papers of... View Details

19 Nov 2012
Research & Ideas

LEED-ing by Example

LEED is government policy, government tenants might expect LEED certification from their landlords. "The characteristics of a government tenant can break down important contractual and business barriers to LEED adoption," says John View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Construction; Real Estate; Energy; Utilities

19 May 2010
News

D. Alfred N. & Lynn Manos Page Prize for Sustainability Issues in Business Curricula

24 Jul 2013
Op-Ed

Detroit Files for Bankruptcy: HBS Faculty Weigh In

mountain of pension costs. John Macomber, Robert Pozen, and Eric Werker—offer their views on some down-the-road scenarios. Beyond A Bailout By: Senior Lecturer John Macomber... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber, Robert C. Pozen, Eric D. Werker & Benjamin Kennedy; Auto