This is the story of Marvin Bower who helped found McKinsey in 1939 and served as managing director of the firm from 1950 to 1967. He served as director and partner there until his retirement in 1992. (He died in 2003). Bower’s legacy to McKinsey and to countless other CEOs is explored in detail here. As Dick Cavanaugh , now CEO of the Conference Board, said, “He didn’t just preach values, he practiced them….He was a teacher as well as a leader.” Bower, an attorney, took what was known as industrial engineering and changed it into management consulting. He realized that consultants had to provide more than advice on financial & legal matters but also needed to provide expertise on management issues such as profit outlook, strategy and organizational effectiveness.
Book Details:
- Author: Elizabeth Haas Edersheim
- ISBN: 9780470326176
- Year Published: 2004
- Pages: 320
- BISAC: BUS075000, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS/Consulting
About the Book and Topic:
This is the story of Marvin Bower who helped found McKinsey in 1939 and served as managing director of the firm from 1950 to 1967. He served as director and partner there until his retirement in 1992. (He died in 2003). Bower’s legacy to McKinsey and to countless other CEOs is explored in detail here. As Dick Cavanaugh , now CEO of the Conference Board, said, “He didn’t just preach values, he practiced them….He was a teacher as well as a leader.” Bower, an attorney, took what was known as industrial engineering and changed it into management consulting. He realized that consultants had to provide more than advice on financial & legal matters but also needed to provide expertise on management issues such as profit outlook, strategy and organizational effectiveness.
McKinsey from leading corporations to governments. This book will be about the man who made McKinsey what it is, Marvin Bower.
SUPPORT FROM MANY DIVERSE QUARTERS: The foreword is written by former dean of Harvard Law School, John H. McArthur. There are endorsements by Peter Drucker, Bob Waterman, Ian Davis, and more. NEWSWORTHY WITH TODAY’S CONCERNS OVER “ETHICAL CONDUCT”: Bower’s philosophy will resonate with many people today. He turned down certain key assignments (working for Howard Hughes) when he felt there was a conflict of interest or the client was unworthy. When Bower was age 65, he sold his stock to the other partners at book value, rather than a huge premium, so the firm would not be forced into excessive debt. He also required older partners to sell stock to younger partners before they retired. QUALIFIED AND WELL-REGARDED AUTHOR: Edersheim is an experienced writer and has strong media contacts. This is Bower’s story as he wanted to tell it and she has had full access to his personal letters, files and writings.
About the Author
Elizabeth Edersheim spent nearly a year working with Bower on this book and the manuscript was completed shortly before his death. Edersheim holds a PhD from MIT and worked at McKinsey from 1979 to 1988. She was the first woman hired by the Cleveland office, became the first female partner at that office and was leader of the firm’s operations and manufacturing practices. After leaving McKinsey, Edersheim founded New York Consulting Partners, Inc. and was the managing director for 13 years until the firm was bought. She is now a Strategic Advisor to a number of companies. She has written numerous articles for publications including The New York Times, The Harvard Business Review and The Wall St. Journal.