Newsletter - In Memoriam C.K. Prahalad

Dear all,

The sudden and unexpected death of C.K. Prahalad was a shock. He has been a commanding figure in the field of management - as a scholar, a relentless management innovator and a sought after consultant. The obituary articles under the links below reflect the enormous respect, admiration, and affection that he was enjoying all over the world.

My personal remarks relate to his connection to the Peter Drucker Society. I had the immense privilege to get to know C.K. in the context of the Peter Drucker Forum 2009. He was so generous to involve me in his thought process as he prepared for his speech. This in itself was a precious once-in-a-lifetime experience.

C.K.'s presentation in Vienna was a highlight of the global Drucker Forum - we have captured it in its entirety and all those reading this Newsletter are invited to view it and to leave a personal comment if they wish.

http://www.druckersociety.at/index.php/in-memoriam-ck-prahalad

At one point he says that the main concern of management scholars should be "how to give a new voice to management with its influence on the lives of people around the world". This is where C.K. Prahalad and Peter Drucker are in total unity, raising the level of awareness and understanding of management as a concern for society.

C.K. will continue to live through his legacy. With his latest landmark book The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid he has provided a new perspective on alleviating poverty and thus given an invaluable impetus to change people's lives for the better. This is the supreme achievement that any management scholar would aspire to.

We will honour C.K.'s memory by being one of the voices to carry C.K.'s thinking forward. In his generosity and kindness he had agreed to become a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Drucker Society. He will be a guiding light for us even though his sudden death deprives us of his direct counsel and guidance.

Richard Straub

Founder, Peter Drucker Society of Austria

Resources

Presentation Slides from the Global Peter F. Drucker Forum presentation

Photos with C.K. at the Forum can be viewed and printed via this link.

The Economist - The Guru of the bottom of the pyramid, Schumpeter Column (Adrian Woolrdidge), April 22

Business Week - The Drucker Difference April 23, 2010, Rick Wartzman

Financial Times - Manifesto writer for business survival, Stefan Stern, FT, April 18

Marshall Goldsmith - C.K. Prahalad: A Great Thinker and Humanitarian