Bill George (businessman)

William W. George
Born	1951
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Georgia Institute of Technology (B.S.), Harvard University (MBA)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, academic
Employer	Harvard Business School
Known for	Former chairman and CEO of Medtronic; professor at Harvard Business School
Notable work	Authentic Leadership; True North series

William W. George is an American entrepreneur and academic figure, currently holding the position of professor of management practice as well as the Henry B. Arthur Fellow of Ethics at Harvard Business School. He previously served as both chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic.

Early life and education

In 1964, George graduated with high honors, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he was affiliated with the Beta Psi chapter of the fraternity Sigma Chi. He went on to obtain an MBA from Harvard University in 1966 with high distinction, graduating as a Baker Scholar.

Career

George’s professional journey began at the United States Department of Defense, where he acted as Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and subsequently as Special Civilian Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy. Between 1969 and 1978, he served as president of Litton Microwave Cooking Products. Later, he was Executive Vice President at Honeywell and also led Honeywell Europe as president. In 1989, he joined Medtronic as president and chief operating officer, ascending to CEO in 1991 and chairman in 1996.

From 2004 through 2016, George was a faculty member at Harvard Business School, where he continues to be a senior fellow. His academic roles also include professorships at the International Institute for Management Development and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland during 2002–2003, along with a stint as executive-in-residence at the Yale School of Management.

George has held board memberships with several prominent organizations such as Target Corporation, Novartis, ExxonMobil, Mayo Clinic, and Goldman Sachs. Presently, he serves as an advisor to CFK Africa.

Awards and memberships

In recognition of his leadership, George was honored with the Bower Award for Business Leadership by the Franklin Institute in 2014. Additionally, he was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering in 2012 for his innovative application of engineering principles to healthcare manufacturing.

He contributes to the executive committee of the YMCA of the North and participates on the board of the Guthrie Theater. His leadership roles have included chairing boards such as Allina Health System, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, United Way of the Greater Twin Cities, and AdvaMed. Earlier in his career, he was involved with boards including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the USA branch of the World Economic Forum.

George holds honorary doctorates from institutions including Mayo Clinic, Georgia Tech, University of St. Thomas, Augsburg College, and Bryant University.

He has been recognized among PBS’s "Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years," awarded "Executive of the Year—2001" by the Academy of Management, and named "Director of the Year—2001–2002" by the National Association of Corporate Directors. In 2018, he earned the Larry Foster Award for Integrity in Public Communication at the Arthur W. Page Center Awards.

Management Style

During his tenure as CEO, Bill George championed a leadership philosophy grounded in authenticity and personal well-being. He outlined five fundamental elements influencing effective leadership: purpose, values, heart, relationships, and self-discipline. This model stresses sincere leadership that aligns closely with both individual character and organizational ethics.

Publications

• Authentic Leadership: Uncovering the Keys to Sustained Value Creation, 2003.
• True North: Unveil Your Genuine Leadership, co-authored with Peter Sims, 2007.
• True North Groups: An Effective Route to Personal and Leadership Growth, in collaboration with Doug Baker, 2008.
• Finding Your True North: A Personal Handbook, alongside Andrew McLean and Nick Craig, 2008.
• 7 Lessons for Leading Through Crisis, 2009.
• Discover Your True North, 2015.
• The Discover Your True North Fieldbook: A Personal Manual for Becoming an Authentic Leader, with Nick Craig and Scott Snook, 2015.
• True North: Authentic Leadership in the Modern Workplace, Emerging Leader Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2022.
• True North Fieldbook, Emerging Leader Edition: A Guide for Emerging Leaders to Lead Authentically in Today’s Workplace, co-written with Lauren Schwenk and Josh Hall, John Wiley & Sons, 2022.