Howard Stevenson

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT HOWARD STEVENSON

Howard H. Stevenson’s extraordinary career has impacted the lives of many of the world’s most accomplished people, organizations and businesses. An iconic professor and administrator at Harvard for 40 years, Stevenson has held many key leadership positions and is a historic figure in the field of entrepreneurship. He is credited by many as the individual who changed the meaning of an entrepreneur—from a single person starting a company to one with a particular mindset, outlook and behavior that can be applied to organizations of all sizes. Stevenson captured this concept by coining what has been hailed as the “best definition of entrepreneurship ever”—\"the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources currently controlled.” Stevenson has published over 200 books, cases and articles focusing on entrepreneurship as an ongoing process, rather than one limited to start-ups. He has taught thousands of Harvard MBAs and doctoral students and ran the HBS Young Presidents’ Organization for two decades. He has served as Harvard’s Vice Provost, the Dean of HBS Publishing, the Chair of National Public Radio and the founding President of the Baupost Group (a $30 billion hedge fund). Many say Stevenson’s lifetime of work has been essential to economic growth, job creation and an inspiration to spur managers in large corporations to innovate. He has been described by Arthur Rock, Steve Jobs’ mentor, as “the individual whose thinking changed not a company or even an industry, but the entire field of management itself.” Stevenson’s perspectives on how to chart success and satisfaction as an individual—and his lessons on entrepreneurial leadership—are featured in the best-selling book titled, Howard’s Gift: Uncommon Wisdom to Inspire Your Life’s Work, written by a former student and Harvard colleague, Eric Sinoway.Stevenson and Sinoway started The Center for Entrepreneurial Thinking to provide resources for established organizations to operate more entrepreneurially amid unprecedented global change.