On November 7, 2008, the Harvard Business School hosted a panel discussion on the current financial crisis. Participants shared their outlook on an Obama administration’s impact on leadership, the financial markets and real estate.

The discussion was lead by four professors:

Nabil N. El-Hage is a Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School. Since obtaining his MBA from HBS in 1984, El-Hage has worked in private equity and venture capital with TA Associates and Advent International. He gained operating experience as CFO of Back Bay Restaurant Group, and he has been on the HBS faculty since 2003.

Jay W. Lorsch is the Louis Kirstein Professor of Human Relations at the Harvard Business School. He is the author of over a dozen books, including Back to the Drawing Board: Designing Boards for a Complex World (with Colin B. Carter, 2003), Aligning the Stars: How to Succeed When Professionals Drive Results (with Thomas J. Tierney, 2002), and Pawns or Potentates: The Reality of America's Corporate Boards (1989). Organization and Environment (with Paul R. Lawrence) won the Academy of Management's Best Management Book of the Year Award and the James A. Hamilton Book Award of the College of Hospital Administrators in 1969.

Arthur I. Segel is the Poorvu Family Professor of Management Practice in the Finance Unit at Harvard Business School.  He was co-founder in 1982 and co-owner of TA Associates Realty. He also served as vice president at Boston Properties prior to that, and as Deputy for Finance and Administration at Massport under Governor Michael S. Dukakis.

Bill George is Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School, where he is teaching leadership and leadership development along with several executive education programs. He is the author of a new best-selling leadership book, Finding Your True North: A Personal Guide.  His previous two books, True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership and Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value, were also best-sellers.

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