© Nathan Mandell U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Ann Rondeau speaks to Kellogg students about crisis management during a recent "leadership luncheon" in Evanston. She is one of the several leadership experts participating in ongoing programming sponsored by Kellogg and its student clubs.

Kellogg School students are recognized as innovators and leaders, and that trend continues with a new student-led initiative that celebrates leadership as an important Kellogg ideal.

On May 15, Kellogg will host a ceremony to present the inaugural “Kellogg Award for Distinguished Leadership.” Named in honor of Dean Emeritus Donald P. Jacobs and sponsored by McKinsey & Company, the award underscores the value Kellogg places upon leadership. Jim Kimsey, founding CEO and chairman of America Online (AOL), has been selected as the award recipient.

While the award may be new, the Kellogg School’s emphasis on leadership is a longstanding hallmark. Now, through the efforts of the Office of the Dean and the Kellogg Business Leadership Club (BLC), the new annual award continues branding Kellogg as a leadership innovator, said Dan Nettesheim, BLC president and co-chair.

“The timing of this award is a perfect complement to Dean Jain’s vision of ‘scholarship, partnership and leadership,’” said Nettesheim ’02. “It also provides another opportunity for Kellogg and its students to develop unique relationships with social and business leaders.”

Candidates for the award were solicited from dozens of nominations made by Kellogg School faculty, students, alumni and administration. Eligible candidates included business and community leaders from around the world. A Kellogg committee researched the nominees to make a final selection based upon the individual’s professional accomplishments, civic involvement and embodiment of Kellogg ideals such as integrity and team spirit.

Kimsey’s selection was based upon his proven leadership with AOL, as well as his military service and involvement with many nonprofit organizations, including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Opera and Innisfree, a community for adults with mental disabilities. Kimsey has also donated $10 million to the Kennedy Center and founded an orphanage in Vietnam. He is founder and president of Kimsey Foundation and serves as a board member for Thayer Capital and Capital One Financial Corp.

BLC students noted that the award, while extraordinarily significant, is only one expression of Kellogg’s leadership commitment. In addition to the award, BLC is creating a cohesive Leadership Development Program that incorporates all the Kellogg School’s unique leadership knowledge.

“We want to make the leap from creating awareness of exceptional leadership to developing exceptional leadership,” said Nettesheim.

To that end, BLC is partnering with the U.S. Naval Training Center at Great Lakes to design an event where Kellogg students gain hands-on leadership experience using “Battle Stations,” the simulation program that is the capstone of the Navy’s recruit training.

“Although Kellogg already provides numerous opportunities for leadership development, both in the classroom and through its clubs, this event represents a novel way for students to increase their leadership abilities in a stressful environment without many of the risks they will face once leaving school,” said Stu Brown ’02, BLC co-chair.

More broadly, said Prescott Logan ’02, BLC’s content chair, the club will continue exploring ways to provide additional opportunities for both classroom-based and experiential leadership lessons.

BLC members cited a number of reasons for the Kellogg School’s powerful leadership curriculum, including Kellogg’s team-oriented culture that encourages collaborative learning among a diverse community of talented students, faculty and administrators.

— MG