BLOOMFIELD HILLS — The Harvard Business School Club of Michigan announces that Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Detroit-based Quicken Loans, Inc., has been selected as the Club’s annual Business Leader of the Year. A dinner to honor Gilbert will take place on Oct. 10, at Qzine at the Chase Building in Detroit. The announcement was made by Harvard Business School Club of Michigan board chair, Richard Shapack.
“The Harvard Business School Club of Michigan supports the Harvard Business School mission to train business leaders to make a difference in their communities. Dan Gilbert is the standout recipient for this year’s award. His business success is internationally recognized as is his unwavering commitment to support Detroit in its comeback efforts,” said Shapack. “Gilbert is harnessing the energy and potential of Detroit and the region, particularly among young adults, and reflects the benefits of private/public partnerships and the good that can be accomplished in business and the community when outstanding leaders are in charge.”
The honorary chair of the Business Leader of the Year event is Matt Cullen, president & CEO of Rock Ventures, LLC. Proceeds from the event will be used to fund scholarships for Michigan non-profit leaders to attend the 2014 Strategic Perspectives for Non-Profit Management program, a six-day course presented each July at the Harvard Business School in Boston. The scholarships are offered through a nomination/application process for candidates who exemplify dedication, commitment and pursuit of excellence within the non-profit sector. The 2013 recipients of the SPNM scholarship were Sharlonda Buckman, CEO of the Detroit Parent Network; Cheryl Johnson, CEO of the Coalition on Temporary Shelter; Perry Ohren, CEO of Jewish Family Services of Metropolitan Detroit; and Alice Thompson, CEO of Black Family Development, Inc. Including the 2013 class, 35 Michigan non-profit leaders have participated in SPNM since scholarships were first presented by the Club in 1999.
In addition to SPNM participation, scholarship recipients meet together, and with Harvard Business School Club of Michigan members, on a regular basis to collaborate, to be a resource for each other, and to continue their exposure to various management and social enterprise concepts, such as performance measurement and the balanced scorecard. SPNM alumni and Harvard Business School Club of Michigan members also serve together as liaisons with the State of Michigan to collaborate in the application of private sector and non-profit management solutions to state agency issues. For a complete list of all scholarship awardees, visit hbsmi.org/article.html?aid=109.
