The Most Influential People in Corporate Governance

A review of the most recent Directorship 100 list – a list of the most influential people in corporate governance put together each year by Directorship magazine – indicates that individuals affiliated with Harvard Law School and its Program on Corporate Governance play a central role in the corporate governance landscape.

The Directorship 100 list includes such well-known figures as President Barack Obama, Chairman Barney Frank, SEC Chair Mary Schapiro, activist investor Carl Ichan and Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein. The Forum was pleased to learn that the list includes thirty-four individuals who are (i) HLS faculty and fellows, (ii) Members of the Advisory Board of the Program on Corporate Governance, (iii) Guest Contributors to the HLS Forum, and/or (iv) Harvard Law School grads.  The “Harvard Thirty-Four” are as follows (for HLS alums, the year in parenthesis refers to graduation year):

• Harvard faculty and fellows: Professors Lucian Bebchuk (‘80) and Elizabeth Warren, as well as Vice-Chancellor Leo Strine, Jr., a Senior Fellow of the Program on Corporate Governance.
• Program’s Advisory Board: William Ackman, managing member and portfolio manager of Pershing Square Capital Management.
• Guest Contributors to the Forum: Twenty guest contributors of the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation were included in the list – Luis A. Aguilar, Sheila C. Bair, Lloyd C. Blankfein (‘78), H. Rodgin Cohen (‘68), Robert Giuffra Jr., Holly Gregory, Joseph Grundfest, Edward Herlihy, Carl Icahn, David A. Katz, Martin Lipton, Jay W. Lorsch, Ira Millstein, John F. Olson (‘64), Troy A. Paredes, Marc S. Rosenberg (‘83), Mary Schapiro, Damon A. Silvers (‘96), James S. Turley, and Elisse B. Walter (‘74).
• Harvard Law School alumni: Robert Bennett (‘65), Richard Breeden (‘75), Peter Clapman (‘60), Jim Cramer (‘84), Roger Ferguson (‘79), Barney Frank (‘77), James Melican (‘65), Barack Obama (‘91), Ellen Odoner (‘77), and Charles Schumer (‘74).

The full Directorship 100 list is available here.