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From the
Dean
Dear
Kellogg School Alumni and Friends,
As one
of our featured alumni observes in this edition of Kellogg
World, success alone should not satisfy us; we also must
ensure that our efforts prove significant.
This significance
involves making a positive difference for others, and serving
to enhance those social institutions that touch many people's
lives. Without translating our personal success into results
that matter in our communities, we have achieved but part
of our potential. We can do more.
This edition,
focused on the power of philanthropy, offers ways for you
to play an even more valuable role in our community at the
Kellogg School. Many of you have been generous supporters
of our efforts through the years, and we are sincerely grateful
for this partnership. In our goal to remain among the world's
best business schools, however, we require the full talents,
enthusiasm and philanthropy of all our alumni.
Make no
mistake: Our objective is not merely to retain a particular
ranking, as rewarding as such designations are for Kellogg
and its graduates who benefit from this recognition. What
we are most determined to do is make ever-more-valuable contributions
to the world's top organizations — whether in the corporate,
nonprofit or public spheres — by producing leaders whose
ability and ethics are unparalleled.
For us
to succeed, and be significant, we need your help.
In the
coming months, we will be providing you with additional insight
into our plans for the journey ahead at our school —
and the part you play in this exciting vision. For now, we
invite you to begin learning about our efforts by reading
Be true to your school
in this magazine.
We hope
you also enjoy reading about some of your alumni peers who
have been making contributions to the Kellogg School, while
achieving professional success. Their perspectives and ideas
about leadership appear in Why
alumni give back.
Indeed,
one of our successes that we believe imperative to continue
is leadership on a global scale. We are working with our scholars,
alumni and corporate friends to ensure that we maintain the
optimal curriculum to deliver cutting-edge excellence for
all our students. In particular, we will be taking steps to
establish Kellogg centers of excellence around the world in
strategic locations. Doing so not only will build our international
brand, but will enable us to make even more meaningful contributions
to organizations everywhere. Our success, and its significance,
will also be yours to share, especially since so many of you
will be instrumental in helping us take the Kellogg School
to this next level.
We are
excited about this journey, and about our partnership with
you.
My recent
personal journeys to advance the Kellogg School's mission
have taken me to nearly every continent on Earth. I intend
to share more with you about these trips in an upcoming Kellogg
World, but let me for the moment say that I have had the
honor to carry the Kellogg brand into meetings and events
with top leaders from South America, Asia, Africa and Europe
over the past six months.
During
these travels, as you may have heard, my family and I were
mere feet from the beach in Phuket, Thailand, when the tragic
tsunami struck in December. Though we were fortunate to escape
unscathed, many others did not. Such events foreground the
importance to appreciate each day and to redouble our efforts
to use our talents wisely, giving back to others as we strive
to improve society for all.
My family
and I are especially grateful to our friends at the Sasin
Graduate School of Business Administration at Chulalongkorn
University in Thailand. The Kellogg partnership with Sasin
dates back to 1982, with many fine accomplishments between
us. But friendship is never tested so much as when disaster
occurs, and Sasin was there to assist my family after the
tsunami. Toemsakdi Krishnamra, Sasin's director, was particularly
generous in his efforts to bring us to safety in Bangkok.
Also noteworthy
were the reactions of many Kellogg School students, including
those who raised funds for relief efforts and others — several
dozen — who traveled to Thailand to act as interpreters
and assistants. Sasin's students also made great contributions,
raising some $10,000 for the relief effort.
The tsunami
tragedy highlights why our personal success must be focused
outward onto others who need our help if we are to achieve
true significance in the grand scheme.
Best personal
regards,
Dipak C.
Jain
Dean
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