Fellow Alumni,

As my tenure as President of our Club comes to a close, I’m pleased to share our 2018 Annual Newsletter with you. It’s an occasion to look back not just over the achievements of the past year, but at how far we’ve come as a group. Recently, I found the notes from one of my first addresses to the Board; it concerned the steps we’d need to take in order to become a truly scalable organization. I think it’s clear from the stories you’ll read in this year’s Annual Newsletter that our Club has grown not only in number, but in scope and achievement. We’ve moved beyond planning programming—we’ve restructured committees, clarified financial reporting, built a marketing department, and expanded our activities to appeal to a growing community of alumni. All of these achievements signify more than just growth; they also highlight our investment in a working model that will adapt and change along with the Club’s membership.

Throughout the last year, our volunteers have committed their time and talents in the creation of a new website, one which will serve as a touch point for our community. The new website focuses on our organization’s mission, encourages greater participation by a broader set of alumni, and by providing insight into what our members’ interests, will guide our next phase of growth.

The perception of our Club has also changed as our role in the Harvard ecosystem has grown. As one of the largest Clubs of HBS alumni in the world, we’re now seen as a true partner, one with enormous potential to strategically engage alumni.

This strategic, thoughtful growth is the result of an incredible amount of effort on the part of our officers, staff and volunteers. It’s a reflection on our incredibly engaged Board and Board Chair – Bruce Bockmann, who actively took part in a dialogue about how to create meaningful change at every level of our Club. It attests to the support provided by our many sponsors and partners.

Today, our Club serves 14,000 alumni across the greater New York area. With 1,500 members and over 500 volunteers, the scope of what we’re capable of achieving is greater than it’s ever been before.

The true test of the scalability we’ve built over the past few years will be seen in the years to come. In the discussions had with incoming President Andy Cheskis and Board Chair Mark Tatum, the importance of continuing to build on this foundation of strategic growth has been a recurring theme. The plans for our future will continue to move us in a strong direction.

Leading this Club has been one of my most rewarding professional experiences. I can’t begin to express the impact it has had on me to work with so many incredible people in our organization. It’s been humbling to be at the helm. The interpersonal connection and insights I’ve gained; the friendships I’ve made through this experience; there is no parallel. I’d like to thank everyone who has been, and who continues to be, a part of this experience.

Sincerely,
Katherine Bahamonde Monasebian, MBA ’07
Outgoing President, Harvard Business School Club of New York