Charlie Baker ’86 MBA

Earning relevance through human-centered leadership

Charlie Baker ’86 MBA has spent his career delivering on a promise. The first time his wife, Lauren Baker ’83, ’86 MBA, asked what he hoped to be when he grew up, Charlie offered a single word that still holds true: Relevant.

Over the past four decades, Charlie has tackled complex issues across healthcare, nonprofits, public office and even college athletics. His impressive career is strung together by a management mindset founded on honesty, integrity and collaboration.

Whether guiding the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through COVID or steering the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) through seismic changes as its current president, Charlie brings a steady, human-centered approach to every challenge.

It’s a way of leading that he traces back to Kellogg.

“If you really pay attention at Kellogg,” Charlie says, “You can make a big mark in your communities and your society, in your business and in your life — if you’re willing to collaborate, cooperate, listen, learn and grow, and do it with humility.”

By the people, for the people

Charlie served as the Governor of Massachusetts from 2015 to 2023. His first race in 2010 ended in defeat. When he was reelected for a second term in 2018, he won with more votes than any candidate in the state’s history.

As a Republican governor in a traditionally blue state, Charlie drew on Kellogg’s approach to build a reputation for bipartisan leadership grounded in collaboration. He prioritized listening, compromise and building a government that served everyone.

“I really do believe that if you don’t figure out how to get along, you will get less done and you will miss huge opportunities for big wins,” Charlie says. “Not just politically, but for the people you represent.”

While following through on his promise to Lauren, Charlie also made good on Kellogg’s promise to build leaders who are empowered to solve real-world issues. He believes that most “unsolvable” problems don’t lack solutions but instead reflect too many voices and not enough listening.

Throughout his eight years in office, Charlie and his team took on some of the state’s most pressing issues, from implementing affordable homeownership policies to securing Wi-Fi access for residents of rural counties.

“Charlie just believed in people, particularly the people of Massachusetts,” says Chrystal Kornegay, CEO of MassHousing and a former member of Charlie’s cabinet. “He wanted to make sure the government was serving them all the best that it could, no matter what stage they were at. It wasn’t really about partisanship. It was about getting things done.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, that work intensified. Every day at noon, Charlie appeared on live television to share the latest data and developments. His honesty and steady presence provided a sense of calm during a moment of profound uncertainty and left a positive impact that many people across Massachusetts still remember.

“To lead through that moment, Charlie really just tapped into who he is as a human being,” Lauren says. “He just spoke to people from the heart.”

A new arena for leadership

Sixty days before Charlie left office, a friend called him with an unexpected idea. The NCAA was at a turning point, facing significant change and in need of steady, experienced leadership. Charlie had no professional experience in college athletics, but after running the idea by Lauren, they both agreed that it sounded like exactly the kind of situation where Charlie could make a difference.

The NCAA currently serves 1,100 schools and 500,000 student athletes across three divisions. But for Charlie, the organization’s biggest challenge isn’t scale, it’s perspective.

Too often, policies are shaped by the urgency of the next game or the upcoming season. When the NCAA steps back and widens that lens, Charlie is confident that even the most complex issues become solvable.

Since assuming the role, Charlie has championed bold reforms, from a new revenue-sharing model and reimagined Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) structures to a post-eligibility health insurance program for students across all three divisions. He has established and maintained a hands-on approach, meeting directly with student athletes to hear their concerns and ensure their needs are met while protecting the integrity of the athletics departments behind them.

“His commitment to understanding who he is responsible for is an important lesson for all of us,” says Mark Jackson, vice president and director of athletics and recreation at Northwestern University and a committee member of the NCAA. “The work we do in any vertical of our profession is to prioritize those we are responsible for leading.”

Results rooted in Kellogg values

Charlie often says there was no better training ground than Kellogg for the kind of leader he would become. The values and lessons he learned prepared him not for any singular role, but for a career defined by range, one that has demanded adaptability and a deep respect for people.

None of Charlie’s defining leadership decisions were rooted in approval ratings or financial gains. Those outcomes followed. He pushed for change and made things happen because it was the right thing to do.

In 2026, Charlie received the Schaffner Award, which honors Kellogg leaders who have made significant contributions to society and exemplify the school’s values. For him, the award marked something enduring rather than complete. The principles shaped at Kellogg remain central to how he leads and how he plans to navigate his next steps.

“Many times, people think being a leader means you get to play around in some rarified air and everybody else is supposed to come to you,” Charlie says. “Great leaders do just the opposite.”