Jay Light is a graduate of Cornell Univesity (Engineering Physics, 1963) and Harvard University (the joint FAS -Business School doctoral program in Decision & Control Theory, 1970).  He worked in systems analysis and satellite guidance at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and in management consulting before joining the HBS faculty in 1970.  On a leave of absence from Harvard during 1977-1979, he was the Director of Investment and Financial Policies for the Ford Foundation.

Light has been Chairman of the Finance area (1986-1988), Senior Associate Dean and Director of Faculty Planning (1988-1994), and Senior Associate Dean and Director of Planning and Development (1998-2005) at HBS.  In this latter role he led the School's strategic planning efforts and helped shape new educational and research program initiatives.

Light was named Interim Dean of Harvard Business School in August 2005, and was appointed Dean in April 2006.  During his tenure he has overseen the close of Harvard Business School's successful $600 million capital campaign, fostered new faculty initiatives in health care and science-based business, and completed the renovation and restoration of Baker Libray, the world's  preeminent collection of business books and archival materials.  He is leading innovations in the School's core educations programs, including a team-based learning initiative in the MBA program and the launch of a new, modular leadership development program in executive education.  He also plays an active role in the University's planning for Allston.

Light has taught thousands of students in the School's MBA and Doctoral programs, and in various executive programs for CFOs and investment managers.  In the MBA program, in addition to the required first-year course in Finance, he has taught Investment Management, Capital Markets, Entrepreneurial Finance, and Negotiating Ventures.  

Light  is a director of the Harvard Management Company, a director of Partners HealthCare (the Mass General and Brigham & Women's Hospitals) and chairman of its Investment Committee, a member of the Investment Committee of several endowments, a director of several private firms, and an advisor/trustee to several corporate and institutional pools of capital.

Light, originally from Ohio, lives in Belmont, Massachusetts, with his wife, Judy; they are the parents of two children.

Tuesday, December 16th