Ben Heineman
Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Contact:
Telephone: 617-496-7305
Fax: 617-495-8963
Email: ben_heineman@harvard.edu
AP Image
July 20, 2009
"The Talented Mr. Blankfein"
Op-Ed, On Leadership at washingtonpost.com
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
As stock prices and short-term profits rise for financial institutions, will business leaders follow their words of caution and humility uttered mere months ago? Or, despite near-death experiences, is the past now past and are the "good times," with all their flaws, about to roll again?
AP Image
July 13, 2009
"Just the Facts, Ma'am"
Op-Ed, On Leadership at washingtonpost.com
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"As he struggles to deal with a host of hard issues, President Obama does not want to invite a war of recrimination which could poison already contentious debates on major initiatives. But bringing bipartisan fact-finding and analysis to this difficult set of issues is just as much in the national interest as health care or climate change or economic recovery."
July 2009
"The Governance Crisis: First, Let’s Redefine the CEO Role"
Policy Memo
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The witch's brew of high leverage, poor risk management, creation of toxic assets and poor business judgments-all made more poisonous by excessive short-term executive pay-are unprecedented failures of financial sector directors and CEOs. The result: credibility has eroded, trust has dissolved and financial re-regulation seems inevitable.
AP Image
June 23, 2009
"A Stick in the Eye"
Op-Ed, On Leadership at washingtonpost.com
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"A public company CEO's most precious asset is trust: trust from employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, creditors, analysts, the media, the regulators and the media. When credibility is shredded, then the CEOs customarily cannot do their job."
iStock
June 9, 2009
"Going Beyond MBA Oaths"
Op-Ed, Harvard Business Review
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"Siemens had a strongly worded code against bribery. It just lacked principles, practices and, ultimately, a culture to make that code a reality."
AP Image
June 8, 2009
"Compelling Story or Too Much Information?"
Op-Ed, On Leadership at washingtonpost.com
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"The question for politicians really isn't whether to use personal histories--anyone in public life will have a "public" personal history--but for what purpose and how."
AP Photo
May 19, 2009
"Stop Bribery Everywhere"
Op-Ed, Corporate Counsel
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"The most immediate and direct step for U.S. companies is to enlist (and test) the new administration to use its muscle to prevent U.S. business and labor from being disadvantaged by "protectionist" nonenforcement of the international commitment to stop developed-world bribery in other industrialized nations."
AP Image
May 18, 2009
"The Junior Justice"
Op-Ed, On Leadership at washingtonpost.com
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"So, the junior justice should be appointed for the long haul. This means the person should be chosen for the power of her mind, rather than her political skills."
AP Photo
May 11, 2009
"The Long Goodbye"
Op-Ed, On Leadership at washingtonpost.com
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
A defense of the Bush Administration's approach to national security and terror is certainly legitimate at a time when the pendulum is swinging the other direction (to a degree). There should be a great national dialogue on issues of such import. The question about Dick Cheney's outspokenness is, in my view, much less about its propriety than about his judgment and his political effectiveness. Is he the right voice for a post-election Republican party?
AP Photo
May 5, 2009
"Function, Not Form, Matters Most in Board's Nonexecutive"
Op-Ed, Harvard Business Review
By Ben Heineman, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"The fundamental question, raised but not answered by last week's ouster of Lewis, is what are the functions of a non-executive leader of the board, whether denominated board chair or presiding director?"
