When Charlie Baker ’86 MBA told his wife, Lauren Baker ’83, ’86 MBA, that he planned to be governor someday, she thought, “Everyone has dreams.”
But nearly three decades later, the native of Needham, Massachusetts — a small city about 20 miles west of Boston — stood in the Massachusetts House of Representatives to be sworn in as governor.
He’d spent the intervening years leading Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, becoming cabinet secretary under previous governors and running unsuccessfully for governor in 2010. Through it all, he never stopped working, adapting and learning.
“I want to be relevant. To me that’s always been the primary objective. I want what I do to matter,” Baker says. And as governor, it did. He led Massachusetts for two terms, from 2015 to 2023. During a time of increasing political division, Baker managed to lead effectively as a Republican governor of a blue state. When asked what he’s proudest of, he says, “The stuff we got done that people literally had lost hope on — they just never thought would get accomplished.” Much of that was due to his ability to work with people on both sides of the aisle.
Chrystal Kornegay, CEO of MassHousing and former undersecretary of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development, worked with Baker on an affordable-homeownership project. “He wanted to know how he could make communities in Massachusetts stronger, more sustainable and better places for people to live, work and recreate,” she says.
Baker’s time as governor was filled with milestone moments. He improved access to healthcare and addiction recovery services amid an opioid crisis, led tremendous investment into K-12 education, eliminated the state’s budget deficit and ushered Massachusetts through the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can make a big mark in your communities, your society, your business and your life if you are willing to collaborate, cooperate, listen, learn and grow.
— Charlie Baker ’86 MBA
As Baker’s second term drew to an end, he wasn’t sure what was next. Then he got a call: The NCAA was looking for a new president. His interest was piqued. He’d played basketball for Harvard as an undergrad, Lauren had been a collegiate gymnast at Northwestern and two of their three children were college athletes. He decided to learn more about what the position entailed.
The NCAA was entering a new era: As of 2021, student-athletes were officially allowed to receive compensation for endorsements. The organization knew it needed someone with the ability to collaborate, negotiate and think outside the box.
In March 2023, two months after leaving the Statehouse, Baker officially took charge of the NCAA. Since then, he’s been busy supporting student-athletes, working with schools on new rules and structures, and advocating for federal legislation and sports betting protection.
“His dealings with our student-athletes tell me that he has his priorities set the right way,” says Mark Jackson, Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation at Northwestern.
A lot of his approachability comes thanks to Kellogg, which back in 1984 was Baker’s first and only choice for business school. This year, Kellogg presented Baker with the Schaffner Award, which honors a Kellogg leader who has made significant contributions to society and who exemplifies the school’s values. “All the stuff I’d learned at Kellogg about collaborating and keeping your eye on what you’re seeking to accomplish, finding the common ground and possibility for everybody — that all paid off in a big way,” he says. “You can make a big mark in your communities, your society, your business and your life if you are willing to collaborate, cooperate, listen, learn and grow.”
“He does so much to help people,” says Kornegay. “And he doesn’t do it for the accolades.” Baker does it, she says, “because it’s the right thing to do.”