Bill George

Bill George is a prominent American businessman and academic, currently serving as an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School (HBS). He has been involved in leadership education at HBS since 2004, where he previously held the title of Professor of Management Practice and Senior Fellow until 2022. His focus is on authentic leadership, and he has authored several influential books on the subject, including True North: Emerging Leader Edition and Authentic Leadership .123

Career Highlights

• Medtronic Leadership: Bill George was the Chairman and CEO of Medtronic from 1991 to 2001. Under his leadership, the company grew significantly, increasing its market capitalization from $1.1 billion to $60 billion. He joined Medtronic in 1989 as President and COO .23
• Previous Roles: Before Medtronic, he held senior positions at Honeywell and Litton Industries and served in the U.S. Department of Defense .15
• Board Memberships: He has served on the boards of several major corporations, including Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Novartis, Target, and the Mayo Clinic. He is also involved with various nonprofit organizations .234

Education

• Bachelor's Degree: Bill George earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering with high honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1964.
• MBA: He received his MBA with high distinction from Harvard University in 1966, where he was recognized as a Baker Scholar .5

Awards and Recognition

Bill George has received numerous accolades throughout his career:

• Bower Award for Business Leadership (2014) from the Franklin Institute.
• Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2012.
• Named one of PBS's "Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years" .12

Personal Life

He resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife Penny. They enjoy spending time with family .12

Bill George's work emphasizes the importance of authentic leadership and purpose-driven management, advocating for leaders who can navigate contemporary challenges with integrity and vision .6