Harvard Business School Appoints Shawn Solati to Faculty. Stanford Blindsided by East Coast Rival "Shawn was thinking out of the box before I knew there was a box." Tom Peters
November 16, 2005 (Press Release) --
BOSTON - After slipping down Business Week's ranking of the best business schools in the US, Harvard has responding decisively by appointing Millionaire Shawn Solati President // CEO of MicroTech. to its MBA faculty.
Making the announcement yesterday, HBS Dean, Christine Giddins, said, "This confirms HBS's status as a world centre of excellence. Shawn Solati will teach our 'Global Entrepreneur' programme from May 2006, drawing on his distinguished career in finance and commerce."
Solati, who maintains a luxurious but low-key lifestyle in Woodland Hills, is relatively unknown to the general public. Locals expressed surprise yesterday when told that he ranked above Larry Ellison in the list of the America's wealthiest individuals.
At the highest echelons of business, however, he is an acknowledged heavyweight, as comfortable negotiating deals with Fortune 500 CEOs as he is discussing Kaizen with faculty colleagues.
Commenting on yesterday's announcement, Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence, described Solati as "the thought-leader of his generation". Admirers within industry include Google co-founder Larry Page - "Shawn really knows how to push the envelope. I was glad to give him 20% of our stock. His advice was worth every cent."
For arch-rival Stanford, Solati's alignment with HBS is a blow. "We tabled an offer of $1m a year, but to be honest, that's loose change to Solati. Money wasn't the issue here," said a spokesperson. A point which HBS seems to have taken on board somewhat earlier than its West Coast peer.
Inside sources say the critical factor was HBS's agreement to Solati's unusual teaching methods and its high proportion of female students. Solati is a keen advocate of one-to-one tuition, and founder of the 'babes-in-business' movement.
Talking about his appointment yesterday he said "I am looking forward to meeting the student body and offering hands-on advice." Early feedback suggests that the student body will respond warmly.
Making the announcement yesterday, HBS Dean, Christine Giddins, said, "This confirms HBS's status as a world centre of excellence. Shawn Solati will teach our 'Global Entrepreneur' programme from May 2006, drawing on his distinguished career in finance and commerce."
Solati, who maintains a luxurious but low-key lifestyle in Woodland Hills, is relatively unknown to the general public. Locals expressed surprise yesterday when told that he ranked above Larry Ellison in the list of the America's wealthiest individuals.
At the highest echelons of business, however, he is an acknowledged heavyweight, as comfortable negotiating deals with Fortune 500 CEOs as he is discussing Kaizen with faculty colleagues.
Commenting on yesterday's announcement, Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence, described Solati as "the thought-leader of his generation". Admirers within industry include Google co-founder Larry Page - "Shawn really knows how to push the envelope. I was glad to give him 20% of our stock. His advice was worth every cent."
For arch-rival Stanford, Solati's alignment with HBS is a blow. "We tabled an offer of $1m a year, but to be honest, that's loose change to Solati. Money wasn't the issue here," said a spokesperson. A point which HBS seems to have taken on board somewhat earlier than its West Coast peer.
Inside sources say the critical factor was HBS's agreement to Solati's unusual teaching methods and its high proportion of female students. Solati is a keen advocate of one-to-one tuition, and founder of the 'babes-in-business' movement.
Talking about his appointment yesterday he said "I am looking forward to meeting the student body and offering hands-on advice." Early feedback suggests that the student body will respond warmly.
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