In this episode of The Leadership Chronicles, SecretaryElaine Chao shares her inspiring journey from immigrant roots to becoming the first Asian Pacific American woman to serve in the U.S. President's cabinet.
This inspiring conversation is filled with wisdom, resilience, and forward-looking advice for today’s leaders as we explore:
Curiosity leads to opportunities. “Never give up. Thereare so many exciting things happening in this world – just never give up”.
Please visit her website and her family’s story at Harvard Business School.
Hosted by: Sherri Sklar, MBA’89 and Sarah Alter, MBA’95ABOUT
Secretary Chao is the first Asian-Pacific American woman to serve in the President's cabinet in American history. She has been confirmed to two cabinet positions by the United States Senate on a strong bipartisan basis: U. S. Secretary of Labor and U. S. Secretary of Transportation. She is also the longest serving Cabinet Secretary since World War II.
At the U. S. Department of Transportation, Secretary Chaofocused on keeping America’s transportation system safe and efficient; invested over $300 billion in infrastructure over three and a half years; and, engaged with new technologies including autonomous vehicles, drones, and commercial space launches to build the transportation system of the future. During the COVID-19 health crisis, Secretary Chao’s decisive actions kept America’s transportation networks safe and moving.
As U.S. Secretary of Labor, Secretary Chao focused onincreasing the competitiveness of the American workforce in a global economy. She set new records for workplace safety and health and ensured the retirement security of 44 millionretirees by spearheading the passage of the most significant pension legislation in 30 years, the Pension Protection Act of 2006.
Prior to becoming U. S. Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao wasPresident and CEO of United Way, where she restored public trust by reforming the governance structure and instilling a new culture of accountability and transparency after the organization had been tarnished by previous financialmismanagement and abuse.
Elaine Chao also served as head of the Peace Corps, whereshe launched programs in the newly liberated Baltic nations and former Soviet Union, including Ukraine. She began herpublic service working on transportation and trade issues at the White House. She was promoted in rapid succession to Deputy Maritime Administrator, U. S. Department of Transportation; Chairman, Federal Maritime Commission; and Deputy Secretary,U.S. Department of Transportation. In the private sector, Elaine worked as Vice President of Syndications at Bank of America and Citicorp.
Elaine has been a director on numerous public boards whileout of government including News Corp, HCA Healthcare, Ingersoll Rand, Wells Fargo, Protective Life, Dole Food Company and NASD. She currently serves on the boards of Krogerand technology companies in the mobility space. She has also been a director and trustee on many nonprofit boards including Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors, Harvard Business School Global Advisory Board, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, United Way Worldwide, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee of Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28), and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center Advisory Board.
Born in Taiwan, she immigrated to America at the age of 8not speaking English and received her citizenship at age 19. Elaine earned her undergraduate degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College, and her MBA from Harvard BusinessSchool. She is the recipient of 38 honorary degrees.
In this episode of The Leadership Chronicles, Deborah Farrington shares her inspiring journey from a close-knit family background to becoming a leading venture capitalist. She discusses her experiences at Harvard Business School, the influence of her parents, and the importance of building relationships in her career.
Deborah reflects on overcoming setbacks, particularly her experience of being fired, and emphasizes the need for resilience and self-confidence. She also addresses the challenges women face in venture capital and shares her vision for mentoring future leaders.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Debby is co-founder and managing partner of New York City based StarVest Partners, founded in 1998 to invest in technology-enabled business services and one of the largest women majority-owned venture capital firms. It was an early investor in Software-as-a-Service. Notable investments include NetSuite, the first SaaS ERP company (sold to ORCL for $9.2 billion in 2016); the first internet insurance company; the first digital ad agency; and the first digital contingent workforce company. Debby is a director of Dayforce, Inc. (NYSE: DAY), Cumulus Media, and Planful Inc.
She graduated from HBS in 1976, where she served on the Visiting Committee, as Vice-President of the Alumni Association and chair of the HBS Club of New York. She is a graduate of Smith College and served on its Board of Trustees.
She has been named to the Forbes Midas List of Top 100 Venture Capitalists; received the Foreign Policy Association Medal for Achievement in Financial Services; and, in 2025, received the Smith College Medal and HBS Alumni Achievement Award.
In this episode of HBS Women's Association: The Leadership Chronicles, hosts Sherri Sklar (HBS MBA’89) and Sarah Alter (HBS MBA’95) sit down with the remarkable Desirée Rogers (HBS MBA’85). From her role as CEO of Black Opal Beauty to her tenure as the White House Special Assistant and Social Secretary under President Obama, Desiree shares her journey of leadership, resilience, and innovation.
"History and legacy are so important". Discover how her early life in New Orleans shaped her path, the lessons learned from her diverse career, and her commitment to community impact.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about embracingchallenges, fostering growth, and the power of service. Don't miss this insightful episode with a true trailblazer.
In this episode of The Leadership Chronicles, hosts Sherri Sklar (HBS MBA’89) and Sarah Alter (HBS MBA’95) sit down with Andrea Faccio (AMP207), President and Chief Growth Officer of Nestlé Purina PetCare North America, for an inspiring conversation about global leadership, career growth, and purpose-driven impact.
Andrea shares insights from her remarkable global journey at Nestlé, spanning multiple countries and business divisions. She also discusses the rigor and value of Harvard’s Advanced Management Program (AMP) and how it has shaped her leadership approach. Adding a heartwarming touch, Andrea is joined by a special guest—her Bernedoodle, RIO—highlighting the powerful role pets play in supporting mental health and well-being. Andrea champions the belief that people and pets are better together and brings attention to the positive emotional impact of pet companionship.
With a strong philanthropic drive, Andrea discusses Purina’s social initiatives, including the Purple Leash Project, the Service Dog Salute Program as well as her passion to inspire and guide Latin women through Good Latinas For Good.
ABOUT OUR SPEAKER
As President and Chief Growth Officer at Nestlé Purina PetCare North America, Andrea Faccio provides unified leadership across the organization to help transform business strategies into actions that drive powerful growth. She began her career in 1996 as a Commercial Trainee at Nestlé Brazil and has since served in many key roles across the company and the globe as a dedicated steward of iconic brands and one of the architects of our company’s success.
Faccio is a native of Brazil and has held positions across the Nestlé organization for more than 28 years, which has included key roles in Brazil, Switzerland, Australia and, most recently, posts with the U.S. pet care business. She earned her MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2024.
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ABOUT HBS WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION
The HBS Women's Association (HBSWA) is a charitable organization established by and for alumnae of the Harvard Business School. Our mission is to advance the professional and personal goals of HBS alumnae through community, learning, and opportunity. We aim to inspire you through our podcast and to provide pathways, connections, thought leadership and resources.
In this episode of The Leadership Chronicles, hosts Sherri Sklar (HBS MBA’89) and Sarah Alter (HBS MBA’95) engage in a captivating conversation with Jan Moran (HBS MBA’89), a bestselling author and entrepreneur.
Jan shares her inspiring journey from being a single mother attending Harvard Business School to becoming a pioneer in the fragrance and beauty industry, as well as her transition into writing and film production. The discussion highlights key lessons in leadership, the importance of relationships, and the power of storytelling, particularly for women navigating their careers. Jan's multifaceted career serves as a testament to creativity, resilience, and the pursuit of one's passions.
OUR SPEAKER
https://janmoran.com/jan-moran-book-series-order/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janmoran/
ABOUT HBS WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION
The HBS Women's Association (HBSWA) is a charitable organization established by and for alumnae of the Harvard Business School. Our mission is to advance the professional and personal goals of HBS alumnae through community, learning, and opportunity. We aim to inspire you through our podcast and to provide pathways, connections, thought leadership and resources.
www.hbswa.org