Former Apax Leader To Address HBS

Sir Ronald M. Cohen, co-founder and former chairman of Apax Partners, will deliver the keynote address to Harvard Business School graduates on Class Day, scheduled for May 26, the HBS Student Association announced earlier this month.

Cohen, who graduated from HBS in 1969, currently serves as chairman of The Portland Trust, a British foundation he established in 2003 that seeks to bring peace between the Palestinians and Israelis through economic development in the private sector.

In 1972, Cohen and three of his HBS classmates co-founded Apax Partners, which has become one of the world’s predominant private equity advisory firms over the last 30 years.

“He’s been one of the groundbreakers in the venture capital and private equity industry,” said Jamie D. Chang, HBS Class Day Committee co-chair. “It’s very relevant to the Business School.”

Chang said that Cohen’s work with The Portland Trust is exemplary of HBS’ focus on effecting social change through entrepreneurship, as showcased in the School’s recent Social Enterprise Initiative—a project founded in 1993 that emphasizes individual and organizational contributions to social improvement.

“I think that’s a good message to Business School students: to use the skills they’ve developed for broader societal benefit,” Chang said.

“The mission of the School has always been to create responsible leaders who make a difference in the world—helping business students connect to social enterprise,” Chang said.

Cohen is a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers—the University’s second-highest governing body—and the Board of Dean’s Advisers at HBS. He is also a recipient of the HBS Alumni Achievement Award.

In 2007, Cohen published “The Second Bounce of the Ball: Turning Risk into Opportunity,” a book about the principles of entrepreneurship.

Cohen was chosen as the Class Day speaker by the HBS graduating class in a class-wide vote last fall, according to Chang.

“It’s hard to please 900 people. We’re doing the best we can,” Chang said.

“We’re just excited for [Cohen’s] broader appeal as a great speaker. We’re happy to have him here,” he added.

—Staff writer Xi Yu can be reached at xyu@college.harvard.edu.