Former Goldman Sachs chair to speak on leadership
LAWRENCE — Robert S. Kaplan, professor at Harvard Business School, former vice chairman of The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and University of Kansas alumnus, will visit the Lawrence campus for a public lecture and to meet with students and faculty Nov. 17-18.
Kaplan will be featured in a Dole Forum event on leadership scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at the Dole Institute of Politics. The program will include a book sale and signing of Kaplan’s new book, “What to Ask the Person in the Mirror,” with free copies for the first 200 KU students. It is free and open to the public. The event is co-sponsored by the KU School of Business and Jewish Business Club at KU.
“Rob has extraordinary leadership experience in business, public policy and politics,” said Bill Lacy, director of the Dole Institute. “It’s great to have him back at the Dole Institute talking about practical techniques for becoming a better leader.”
Kaplan also will speak to KU students in the Grid Iron Room of the Burge Union 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 18, in conjunction with 2011 Global Entrepreneurship Week. The first 50 KU students in attendance will receive a free copy of his new book. The lecture is sponsored by KU’s Entrepreneurship Club and Center for Entrepreneurship.
Later that day, Kaplan will meet with business students, faculty and staff at 2 p.m. in 506 Summerfield Hall.
Kaplan is a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, chair of campaign planning for the HBS Capital Campaign and co-chairman of Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, a global venture philanthropy firm.
Prior to joining Harvard Business School in September 2005, Kaplan served as vice chairman of The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. with oversight responsibility for the Investment Banking and Investment Management Divisions. He was also a member of the firm’s Management Committee and served as co-chairman of the firm’s Partnership Committee and chairman of the Goldman Sachs Pine Street Leadership Program. During his career at the firm, he also served in various other capacities, including Global Co-Head of the Investment Banking Division (1999 to 2002), head of the Corporate Finance Department (1994 to 1999) and head of Asia-Pacific Investment Banking (1990 to 1994). He became a partner in 1990.
Kaplan is the founding co-chair of the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Advisory Board. He is also co-chair of the Board of Project A.L.S., co-chairman of the board of the TEAK Fellowship, co-chair of the Executive Committee for Harvard University Office of Sustainability Greenhouse Gas Emission Implementation Planning and is a member of the Boards of the Harvard Medical School, Harvard Management Company (served as acting president and chief executive officer, November 2007 to June 2008), the Ford Foundation and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Previously, Kaplan was appointed by the governor of Kansas as a member of the Kansas Healthcare Policy Authority Board (2006-2010) and also served as a member of the Investors Advisory Committee on Financial Markets of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Kaplan is a member of the Board of the State Street Corporation, is a senior adviser to Indaba Capital Management LLC, is an advisory director of Berkshire Partners LLC and is chair of the Investment Advisory Committee of Google Inc. Previously, he was a member of the board of Bed, Bath and Beyond Inc. (1994-2009). He also serves in an advisory capacity for a number of companies.
Kaplan received an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1983 and a bachelor’s from the University of Kansas in 1979.
Prior to attending business school, he was a certified public accountant at Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co in Kansas City.