Harvard Business School Club of New York Pays Tribute To Business And Philanthropic Leaders; Raises Scholarship And Community Assistance Funds

NEW YORK, May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --The Harvard Business School Club of New York (HBSCNY), the largest alumni chapter of Harvard Business School (HBS), last night honored five leaders in business and social enterprise at its 48th Annual Leadership Dinner. 

Glenn Hutchins (JD-MBA ’83) and Adebayo Ogunlesi (JD-MBA ’78) were recognized for distinguishing themselves through exemplary leadership in the world of business and for their extraordinary contributions to their communities. Steve Klinsky (MBA ’79 & JD '81) and Maureen Sherry were recognized for excellence in social enterprise. Michael R. Bloomberg (MBA '66) was recognized for his outstanding accomplishments as an entrepreneur and philanthropist. Alexander Navab (MBA ’91) Head of Americas Private Equity, KKR, served as chair for the dinner, which took place at the American Museum of Natural History.

The annual event raises funds that are devoted to scholarships for New York students and HBSCNY's social enterprise programs specifically focused on the New York area, including Community Partners and the Skills Gap Program. The Community Partners Program enables HBS alumni in the New York area to strengthen local nonprofits through pro-bono consulting. HBSCNY’s Skills Gap Program gives need-based grants to interns at city community colleges working in NYC early-stage companies.  Scholarships provided by the Club include the HBSCNY Fellowship Fund at HBS and multiple full scholarships for local non-profit leaders to attend the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management Course at HBS.

“This fundraising event is designed to inspire other alumni to raise their commitment to philanthropic endeavors by learning from exceptional examples in our business community,” said Hemali Dassani, president of HBSCNY. The event also recognizes and raises funds for HBSCNY’s popular Community Partners program, which helps to improve business skills of non-profits in our area.”

Glenn Hutchins, Co-founder, Silver Lake Partners, received HBSCNY’s Business Statesman Award.  In addition to co-founding Silver Lake Partners, Mr. Hutchins and his wife, Debbie, founded the Hutchins Family Foundation, which has supported the Hutchins Center for African and African-American Research at Harvard University; the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at The Brookings Institution; and the Chronic Fatigue Initiative, which conducts basic research into the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. Hutchins is chairman of the board of SunGard Data Systems, Inc., a director of AT&T, NASDAQ OMX, Harvard Management Company, the Center for American Progress, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the Economics Club of New York and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and vice chairman of The Brookings Institution, and is an owner and member of the executive committee of the Boston Celtics basketball team. 

Adebayo Ogunlesi, Chairman & Managing Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), received HBSCNY’s Leadership Award for his distinguished career in investment banking and his commitment to the community. Bayo Ogunlesi is Chairman and Managing Partner and a Founding Partner of GIP, a leading private equity firm. Mr. Ogunlesi spent 23 years in senior leadership roles at Credit Suisse. Previously, Mr. Ogunlesi was an attorney with the New York law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore. He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Thurgood Marshall, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He is the lead director of Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., and a member of the board of directors of Callaway Golf Company, Kosmos Energy Holdings, and Terminal Investment Limited SA. Mr. Ogunlesi serves on the board or provides strategic support to a wide variety of non-profit organizations including New York Presbyterian, St. Bernards School, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Smithsonian Museum of African Art, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Young Women Leadership Network and NY Needs You.

Steve Klinsky, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Mountain Capital, LLC and Maureen Sherry received HBSCNY’s John C. Whitehead Social Enterprise Award in recognition of their profound commitment to social enterprise. Mr. Klinsky founded the Gary Klinsky Children’s Centers after school program; the Sisulu-Walker Charter School, which is the first charter school to open in New York State; the Constance Klinsky Clinics in Central African Republic in 2009; the Great Oaks Foundation in 2010 and Great Oaks charter schools in 2011; the Harvard Law School Professorship of Practice for Leadership and Progress in 2012; and the Modern States Education Alliance, to make college education affordable for all. He is, or has been, a director or trustee of the Kennedy School’s Public Education Policy Group; the Harvard Law School Dean’s advisory committee; the Center for Education Innovation (CEI-PEA); Nightingale Bamford School; Sloan Kettering Special Projects Committee; Second Stage Theater; Brooklyn Community Services; and the Private Equity Growth Capital Council. Mr. Klinsky was co-founder of Goldman Sachs & Co.’s original leveraged buyout group (1981-1984), and a partner of Forstmann Little & Co. from 1984 until leaving to found New Mountain in June 1999. 

Maureen Sherry Klinsky, writer and tutor in inner city schools, is an active board member of the Al Smith Foundation, Great Oaks Foundation, Peconic Baykeeper, and Stonybrook’s Oceans and Marine Atmospheric Science Dean's Council, the GKCC division of the Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service. While Maureen is passionate about public school reform and environmental issues, her biggest project is raising, together with her husband, their four children.

Michael R. Bloomberg, Founder of Bloomberg LP and three-term mayor of New York City received HBSCNY’s Entrepreneurship Award for his unparalleled accomplishments to both entrepreneurship and philanthropy. Bloomberg’s primary business enterprise, Bloomberg LP, has grown to be one of the most successful business information companies in history. As a philanthropist, Bloomberg has given away more than $3.3 billion. His foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, employs a unique data-driven approach to its five main focus areas: public health, education, the environment, the arts, and government innovation. Bloomberg also leads a number of bi-partisan coalitions that are taking action on urgent national issues, including illegal guns, immigration reform, infrastructure investment, and climate change. In 2014, Bloomberg was appointed to be a U.N. Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change.

Bloomberg was elected mayor of New York City less than two months after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Under his leadership, the city rebounded faster and stronger than expected. His administration cut crime by 32 percent, raised high school graduation rates by 40 percent and reduced the city’s carbon footprint by 19 percent. His economic policies, which supported entrepreneurs, small businesses, and emerging industries such as tech and bioscience, all helped to spur record job growth. 

About the Harvard Business School Club of New York (HBSCNY)
HBSCNY was founded in 1920 and is the largest Harvard Business School alumni club worldwide.  The mission of HBSCNY is to enhance the value of the Harvard Business School network for the benefit of New York area alumni, HBS and the Community. HBSCNY hosts over 100 educational programs per year for HBS alumni and other interested individuals. The Club contributes to the greater NYC community by providing pro bono management and strategy consulting to nonprofits in the greater New York area through its Community Partners program.  The Club also helps build skills within NYC area businesses by connecting local businesses with educational institutions as a part of the HBS U.S. Competitiveness Initiative, and supports the venture capital and entrepreneurial community through its support of the HBS Angels Association of New York and the HBS New Venture Competition.  http://www.hbscny.org/

HBSCNY Media Contacts:
[email protected]
(212) 947-5544

SOURCE Harvard Business School Club of New York

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