Columbia Business School Appoints Jack Mitchell as Executive in Residence

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NEW YORK — January 6, 2012 — Columbia Business School announced today the appointment of a new Executive in Residence — Jack Mitchell, Chairman and CEO of Mitchells/Richards/Marshs and Wilkes Bashford, a three–generation family business that operates men’s and women’s specialty stores in Connecticut, New York and California. Mitchells/Richards/Marshs and Wilkes Bashford stores are known for their personal service and efforts to build strong relationships amongst employees and clientele.

The Executives in Residence Program at Columbia Business School, among the first of its kind when it was founded nearly three decades ago, integrates senior executives into the life of the School. Executives in Residence teach classes, participate in student–run conferences, and organize informal activities for students with common interests.

After completing a BA at Wesleyan University in 1961 and an MA at the University of California–Berkeley, Jack joined the family business, Ed Mitchell, Inc., which was founded by his parents and later became Mitchells of Westport. Mitchells went on to acquire Richards of Greenwich, CT, Marshs of Huntington, Long Island, and Wilkes Bashford in San Francisco and Palo Alto, CA. Under his leadership, Mitchells, Richards, and Marshs became well–known for employee engagement and retention as well as providing exceptional customer service and high quality merchandise in a dynamic atmosphere. Jack built a reputation for being an active leader that consistently spent time listening and learning on the retail sales floor alongside other leaders from the family.

Vice Dean Amir Ziv commented on the importance of executives in residence to Columbia Business School. “Columbia’s Executives in Residence program, one of the first of its kind, gives students access to accomplished industry leaders so they can gain insight directly from them.”

In 2003, Jack launched a new stage in his career as a speaker and author, keynoting at events for corporations including Morgan Stanley, Condé Nast, Payless Shoe Source, Nike, and the Starbucks Corporations. His keynote addresses focus on the management principles featured in his books — Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results and Hug Your People: The Proven Way to Hire, Inspire, and Recognize Your Employees to Achieve Remarkable Results. As a result, in April 2005, Inc. Magazine listed Jack as one of the 26 Entrepreneurs We Love.

Donald (Don) C. Waite III ’66, a member of the School’s Board of Overseers and director of the Executives in Residence program since 2002 said, “We are pleased to welcome Jack Mitchell to the Executives in Residence program. The program is one of the largest held by any Business School, and his expertise in the management of family business and retailing will greatly enrich the program’s resources.”

In his personal time, Jack Mitchell is on the Yale Cancer Board and Greenwich Hospital Board of Trustees. He also shares with his family a number of Community leadership Awards from the Anti–Defamation league, The Menswear Division of UJA–Federation of New York, and Sacred Heart University.

Notes to the Editor: The following executives are also part of the Executives in Residence program:

Robert Amen, who served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of International Flavors and Fragrances Corp. (IFF) from 2006–2009; William Baker, who has served as CEO of Educational Broadcasting Corporation; Robert Essner, the retired chairman and CEO of Wyeth; Robert Herz, who served as Chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), from 2002 to 2010; Ehud Houminer, former senior corporate vice president for corporate planning and president and CEO of Philip Morris USA, director of Avnet, Inc. (a global distributor of electronics components) and numerous Dreyfus mutual funds; Leanne Lachman, president of Lachman Associates, an independent real estate consulting company; Joseph Rice, chairman of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, Inc., a private investment firm; Daniel Rosensweig, who serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Chegg.com; Sabin Streeter, former managing director of investment banking at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities Corporation; Bruce Usher, who was CEO of EcoSecurities Group plc from 2002 to 2009; Donald Waite, III, director of the Executives in Residence Program and former leader of the Global Financial Institutions Practice of McKinsey & Company; Frank Zarb, Managing Director and Senior Advisor to Hellman & Friedman LLC and non–executive Chairman of Promontory Financial Group, LLC; Jeff Zucker, who served as President and Chief Executive Officer of NBC Universal from 2007–2011 and Mark Zurack, former partner and managing director at Goldman Sachs.


About Columbia Business School

Led by Dean Glenn Hubbard, the Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School is at the forefront of management education for a rapidly changing world. The school’s cutting–edge curriculum bridges academic theory and practice, equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset to recognize and capture opportunity in a competitive business environment. Beyond academic rigor and teaching excellence, the school offers programs that are designed to give students practical experience making decisions in real–world environments. The school offers MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) degrees, as well as non–degree Executive Education programs. For more information, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu.



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