Nitin Nohria – Dean of Harvard Business School
Fresh out of a highly competitive engineering school in Mumbai, 22-year-old Nitin Nohria aspired to pursue his interest in business, earn an MBA in America, then return home to become an entrepreneur. Neither happened. Instead, he applied to the Ph.D. program at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and was accepted. Once at MIT, Nohria realized that in management education he had found his true passion. After completing the program, he turned down offers from several business schools and joined the faculty at HBS, beginning a distinguished two-decade academic career that culminated in his appointment, beginning July 1, as the School’s tenth Dean at age 48. He serves as the tenth and the current dean of Harvard Business School. He is also the George F. Baker Professor of Administration.
Nitin Nohria (born February 9, 1962) is an Indian-born American academic. He was born in Nohar, Rajasthan, India. Nohria finished his schooling from St. Columba's School in New Delhi. His father, Kewal Nohria, was the former Chairman of Crompton Greaves in India and was an influence upon Nohria's decision to embark upon a career in business.
A specialist in organizational behavior and leadership, Nohria has coauthored or coedited sixteen books and written dozens of journal articles and case studies. Nohria previously served as co-chair of the HBS Leadership Initiative and sat on the executive committee of the University's interfaculty initiative on advanced leadership. Nohria is working with fellow HBS professor Rakesh Khurana, the World Economic Forum and the Aspen Institute to create a business oath, like the MBA Oath, that might be used globally. In a Harvard Business Review piece published in October 2008, Khurana and Nohria linked the connection between professionalism of a profession and the profession's ability to deliver value to society.
Nitin Nohria, Dean of the Harvard Business School, talks about leadership, case studies, and efforts to help women succeed at the school. On May 4, 2010, Drew Gilpin Faust, President of Harvard University, appointed him Dean of Harvard Business School, effective July 1, 2010. He is the second HBS Dean, after John H. McArthur, born outside the United States and the first Dean since Dean Fouraker in the 1970s to live in the Dean's House on the HBS campus. This month we have included 2 videos which can be viewed to be inspired by Nitin Nohria.