21 Jan 2018
Investcorp, a leading global provider and manager of alternative investments, hosted the Harvard Kennedy School Dean’s Council’s dinner on Thursday, January 18 at Claridge’s hotel in London. Over 60 guests from the Council’s membership and the School’s alumni community came together to share their insights and views on how to advance the School’s efforts to effect positive change in the world.
The event commenced with welcoming remarks from Doug Elmendorf, Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, followed by the host speech by Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman of Investcorp and ended with a keynote speech by Ash Carter, Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, and former US Secretary of Defence.
The Dean’s Council is a group of global leaders who provide Harvard Kennedy School with financial support and share their counsel on public policy issues with the school’s faculty and students.
Alardhi talked about the importance of building trusted relationships to succeed as a global business. “When Investcorp was founded over thirty years ago, our ability to succeed was dependent on trust, integrity and ultimately the strength of our relationships around the world. As the global alternative investment firm, we have grown into, these values and connections remain critical to enabling us to evolve, bridge cultures and extend our reach into new international markets.”
He added: “Academia continues to form an important tenet of international connectivity. Our deep roots to institutions such as Harvard ensure that we are linked to the centres at the forefront of pioneering new ideas and that we are able to share our experiences in forums such as this.”
Elmendorf said: “We are honoured to have such an impressive network of leaders, who come from all around the world to share their counsel and perspective on the most prominent public policy issues. Thanks to our esteemed member, Mohammed Alardhi, this event was a great success and we look forward to more collaborations and valuable reunions with our growing community.”