The Donaldson Fellows Program recognizes Yale SOM alumni whose personal and professional accomplishments embody the school’s mission to educate leaders for business and society. Donaldson Fellows come from all sectors and across the globe, sharing a dedication to solving complex problems and pursuing positive change in the world. The program is named to honor SOM’s founding dean, William H. Donaldson, who also founded an investment bank, served as an undersecretary of state, and led a major insurance corporation, the New York Stock Exchange, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Donaldson Fellows are leaders who:
- Demonstrate reputation, leadership, and achievement in one’s chosen field;
- Demonstrate commitment to Yale SOM’s mission of educating leaders for business and society;
- Pursue their work with thoughtful integrity;
- Demonstrate innovation in their chosen field; and
- Demonstrate a diversity of profile
Nominate yourself or fellow alumni by submitting a 1-2 page essay explaining how the nominee’s personal and professional accomplishments embody the School’s mission. If you would like to submit a self-nomination, please note that a 1-page statement of support must also be included. The statement of support can be from a fellow SOM alumnus, SOM professor, or member of the SOM administration.
The Donaldson Fellows selected will take part in a one-day residency at the School in September 2026.
Please complete the Donaldson Fellow nomination form here. All nominations must be submitted through the link provided.
Three sample nominations of past recipients are provided to help guide the process:
If you have questions about the program or nominating process, please contact Angela Howley or Niermala Mohan.
Past Fellows
(affiliations at time of Fellowship)
Class of 2023–2024
- David Browning ’99, Founder and CEO, Enveritas
- Dr. Marian Chertow ’81, PhD ’00, Professor of Industrial Environmental Management & Director, Center for Industrial Ecology, Yale School of the Environment
- Linda Mason ’80, Chair and Founder, Bright Horizons
- Martine Singer ’89, President and CEO, Children’s Institute
- Chin Hwee Tan ’03, Chairman, EMA and SGTRADEX
Class of 2021–2022
- Lori Hotz ’94, Cofounder and Co-CEO, Lobus
- Jane Mendillo ’84, Former President and CEO, Harvard Management Company
- Amanda Skinner ’08, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England
- Catherine Smith ’83, Board Member, Global Atlantic Financial Group
- Josh Wright ’98, Executive Director, ideas42
Class of 2018–2019
- Michael Apkon ’02, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tufts Medical Center and the Floating Hospital for Children
- Curtis Chin ’90, Asia Fellow, Milken Institute
- Louise Dube ’88, Executive Director, iCivics
- Katherine Gross ’83, Director, The Charlotte Foundation
- James Robertson ’99, Independent Consultant and Former Chief Executive Executive, India HIV/AIDS Alliance
Class of 2016–2017
- Danguole Altman ’85, President and CEO, Vapogenix, Inc.
- Joaquin Avila ’82, Co-founder and Managing Director, EMX Capital
- Colonel Rich Morales ’99, Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Systems Engineering, U.S. Military Academy at West Point
- Dr. Ann Olivarius ’86, Chair, McAllister Olivarius
- Sandra Urie ’85, Chairman Emeritus, Former CEO and COO, Cambridge Associates
Class of 2014–2015
- Jaime Gonzalez Aguade ’96, President, Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission
- Beth Axelrod ’89, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, eBay Inc.
- Kathie Julian ’84, Country Director for Georgia, Asian Development Bank
- Chuck Slaughter ’90, Founder and CEO, Living Goods
Class of 2012–2013
- Christine Bader ’00, Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University & Human Rights Advisor, BSR (Business for Social Responsibility)
- Don Gips ’89, U.S. Ambassador to South Africa
- Nadim Matta ’89, President, Rapid Results Institute & Senior Partner, Schaffer Consulting
- Liang (Leon) Meng ’97, Co-founder, Ascendent Capital Partners Limited
Class of 2010–2011
- Brad Abelow ’89, Chief Operating Officer MF Global Inc
- Jennie Niles ’98, Founder and Head of School, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
- Ken Ofori-Atta ’88, Executive Chairman & Co-Founder Databank Financial Services, Ltd., Ghana
- Hilary Pennington ’83, Director of Education, Postsecondary Success, and Special Initiatives, U. S. Programs, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Class of 2008–2009 (Inaugural Class)
- Adam Blumenthal ’89, Managing General Partner, Blue Wolf Capital Management
- Laszlo Bock ’99, Vice President, People Operations, Google, Inc.
- Andrea Levere ’83, President, Corporation for Enterprise Development
- James Levitt ’80, Director, Program on Conservation Innovation at the Harvard Forest, Harvard University, and President, Levitt & Company, Inc.
- Elizabeth Serlemitsos ’93, Chief Advisor, National AIDS Council, Zambia
