Harvard Is the Model for Attacking Corporate DEI Efforts
Bill Ackman and other opponents of diversity, equity and inclusion programs won’t stop with academia.
Casualty of the DEI war.
Photographer: Haiyun Jiang/Bloomberg
The hottest and most closely watched activist battle isn’t happening inside corporate America. It’s taking place at Harvard University, where Bill Ackman has applied the same playbook he has used in campaigns against the likes of Herbalife Ltd. to one of the most elite and storied institutions in higher education.
The Ackman formula goes something like this: Publicly make your case against management; invite and welcome controversy to generate more buzz; demand a leadership overhaul that includes both the chief executive officer and the board. The fact that this strategy worked so effectively against Claudine Gay, who stepped down as Harvard’s president on Tuesday, is a telling sign that academia has more parallels to the business world than many would care to admit. And if that’s the case, corporate boards nationwide should be on notice that both they and their CEOs face the same risks.