Announcing Stephen R. Covey Endowed Professors of Leadership
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
It is with utmost pleasure and delight that I share with you the news that we have attracted two outstanding individuals to serve as the Inaugural Stephen R. Covey Endowed Professors of Leadership at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business: Lord Michael Hastings, the first recipient of the Stephen R. Covey Principle-Centered Leadership Award, and Boyd Craig, Dr. Covey’s closest collaborating partner for nearly a quarter century (both shown above with Stephen M. R. Covey).
Michael and Boyd will share this honor and, among other assignments, team-teach a course entitled, “Leading in a World of Constant Change: The Power of Principle-Centered Leadership,” during 2020-2021 academic year. Lord Hastings and Boyd Craig are close personal and professional friends, and in addition to their teaching and mentoring responsibilities will be outstanding ambassadors of the Stephen R. Covey Leadership Center at the Huntsman School. Their appointments begin July 1, 2020.
The Stephen R. Covey Endowed Professorship was made possible by the generosity of the Huntsman Foundation, and was announced last year as part of the Foundation’s $15 million Fund for Faculty Excellence. Speaking of the joint appointment of Michael Hastings and Boyd Craig, David Huntsman, member of the USU Board of Trustees and President of the Huntsman Foundation, said: “Michael and Boyd are great individuals, and their appointment is a huge victory for the entire USU team!”
Lord Dr (Michael) Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE has enjoyed a distinguished career in education, government, television broadcasting, business, and public service. He is a member of Parliament the British House of Lords and the Chancellor of Regents University London and the former Global Head of Citizenship for KPMG International.
Michael began his career as a high school teacher in London, moving into government service in 1986 supporting policy initiatives to bring employment and development to Britain’s inner cities after some years of high unemployment and race-based disturbances. In 1990 he started working in television on education programming and as a presenter and then as Chief Political Correspondent for GM-TV. In 1994 Michael moved to the BBC as a presenter on the weekly Around Westminster program before joining its Corporate Affairs division. In 1996 he became the BBC’s head of Public Affairs and then its first head of Corporate Social Responsibility before becoming KPMG International's Global Head of Citizenship in 2006. Michael retired from KPMG in 2019. Michael has also been a Trustee of the Vodafone Group Foundation for over 11 years concluding in December 2019 and is now a Governor of the Vodaphone supported MPESA Academy in Nairobi, Kenya, and a Vice President of UNICEF. He is also a Patron of WE – formerly Free the Children; and a former Director of Junior Achievement Worldwide.
In 2003, Michael was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) for services to crime reduction which includes 15 years as Chair of Crime Concern and nine years serving on the Commission for Racial Equality (1993-2001). In 2005, Michael was awarded a life peerage to the House of Lords. In the same year, he received the UNICEF Award from the then UK Chancellor for his outstanding contribution to understanding and effecting solutions for Africa’s children.
In 2014, a Doctorate in Civil Law from the University of Kent, Canterbury was conferred upon Michael in recognition of his leadership at KPMG, the BBC and for his work in international development and corporate responsibility. In 2017 Michael was installed as the Chancellor of Regent's University London.
Boyd Craig:
In commenting on Boyd Craig’s close association with his father over the course of 25 years, Stephen M. R. Covey had this to say: “There is no one who understands the leadership principles my father taught more deeply or broadly than Boyd. He was my father’s most intimate collaborating partner for nearly a quarter century. Though most of his work was out of the limelight and largely anonymous, Boyd's output with my father in producing ten books and scores of articles on leadership is breathtaking. He was not only deeply influenced by my father, Boyd's insight and thought leadership greatly influenced and enabled my father and his work. Boyd [will] bring an understanding of my father’s work, and how to leverage it, that is equal or greater than my own.”
Boyd is now carrying on this legacy through his subsequent work as founder, chairman, and CEO of Leader.org, a non-profit foundation that seeks to develop habits of leadership in the world’s underserved children. His foundation's transformative work in influencing public education has brought “The Leader in Me” process to nearly a million school children and youth in poverty—profoundly impacting their lives, their families and communities, and their futures. In 2020, his work will expand internationally, beginning in the Middle East.
Boyd holds a BA in philosophy and an MBA from Brigham Young University. His commitment to our community includes volunteer service as a trustee of Intermountain Healthcare, member of the national advisory board of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, and founding vice chairman of The Stephen R. Covey Leadership Center at the Huntsman School. Boyd and his wife, Michelle Daines Craig, have three children and nine grandchildren.
Boyd and Michael are superb teachers. Over the past three years, through the Huntsman School’s global learning experiences in London, Lord Hastings and Boyd Craig have demonstrated an exceptional connection with our students, providing them with unique and transformational experiences that have deepened students’ understanding and commitment to principle-centered leadership. Through their appointment as Covey Professors we are excited to leverage the impact of their influence to the benefit of many more of our students. Both of them, like Stephen R. Covey himself, see the potential in people and have a gift of inspiring others to realize that potential. As part of their brief, we have challenged Boyd and Michael to help embed principle-centered leadership into the cultural DNA of the Huntsman School. Their close, personal friendship and trust promises great synergy in the execution of this mission.
Michael and Boyd are both powerful role models of principle-centered leadership. They share a deep affinity and intimate understanding of the work of Stephen R. Covey, and each has succeeded by living and leading a principled life. Each will set a high standard of excellence for future incumbents of the Covey Professorship. Together, through the reach of their extraordinary personal networks, their imaginative and creative vision, their high energy, and their passion for and identification with the life work of Stephen R. Covey, they will greatly accelerate the work of the Covey Leadership Center and open many doors for students of the Huntsman School.
We look forward to having Michael and Boyd join us on campus in Logan this fall. I hope you will join me in making them welcome.
Best wishes,
Douglas D. Anderson
Dean, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business Utah State University