Bill George

professor, management practice, Harvard Business School

Bill George is Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School, where he is teaching leadership and leadership development along with several executive education programs. He is the author of a new best-selling leadership book, *Finding Your True North: A Personal Guide*. His previous two books, *True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership* and *Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value*, were also best-sellers. Mr. George is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic. He joined Medtronic in 1989 as President and Chief Operating Officer, and was elected Chief Executive Officer in 1991, serving in that capacity through 2001. Under his leadership, Medtronic's market capitalization grew from $1.1 billion to $60 billion, averaging 35% a year. Mr. George currently serves as a director of ExxonMobil and Goldman Sachs, as well as Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, World Economic Forum USA, and Guthrie Theater. Mr. George received his BSIE with high honors from Georgia Tech, and his MBA with high distinction from Harvard University, where he was a Baker Scholar. He has received a honorary PhD from Georgia Tech and a honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from Bryant University. Mr. George was named Executive-of-the-Year by the Academy of Management (2001) and Director-of-the-Year by NACD (2001-02). In 2002 George was selected as one of "The 25 Most Influential Business People of the Last 25 Years" by *PBS Nightly News*.