Bill George

Forrmer Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic plc & Professor of Management at Harvard Business School
Medtronic plc & Harvard Business School

Bill George is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic and currently is a professor of management at Harvard Business School. George joined Medtronic in 1989 as president and chief operating officer, was chief executive officer from 1991 to 2001 and was chairman from 1996 until 2002. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2012.

George has taught leadership at Harvard Business School since 2004 and is the author of four best-selling books: 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis, True North, Finding Your True North and Authentic Leadership. With co-author Doug Baker, he recently published True North Groups. George currently serves as director of ExxonMobil, Goldman Sachs and the Mayo Clinic and also served on the board of Novartis and Target Corporation. He is currently a trustee of the World Economic Forum USA and Guthrie Theater and a former Trustee of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He has served as board chair for Allina Health System, Abbott-Northwestern Hospital, United Way of the Greater Twin Cities and Advamed.

George has been named one of "Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years" by PBS, "Executive of the Year-2001" by the Academy of Management and "Director of the Year 2001–02" by the National Association of Corporate Directors.