‘Little Guy’ in Lebanon Ignored

Classmates of Pierre Doumet, MBA ’82, learned through Class Notes (see November 2006 issue) that his family successfully escaped the war in Lebanon last summer while Doumet himself stayed on in Beirut, where he heads the large cement company Cimenterie Nationale. At the time, Doumet was optimistic about Lebanon’s future. Now he’s not so sure. When Stanford Business caught up with him later in the year and asked for an update, he wrote:

“Two months after the end of the recent war in Lebanon, I have mixed feelings concerning our country’s future. While I admire the resilience of our people and their efforts to remain faithful and united, I am increasingly disappointed with our politicians. Instead of displaying true vision and striving to sacrifice a little for the sake of all, they just seem to be grabbing power and eyeing short-term gains. Will the innate quiet wisdom of the ‘little guy’ be defeated by the cross-border power plays influencing the ‘leading’ politicians? God knows the answer to that, but the odds are always against the little guy.

“Are we the only country with this problem?” he asked.

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Spreadsheet: What's Up

• Peruvian B-School Has GSB Roots
• The Rhythm of Leadership
• MBA Applicants Given Graduate Test Choice
• The Tao of Job Searches
• Alumni Acknowledged for Service to School
• Saloner Honored with Silver Apple
• Workplace Benefits from Candid Talk
• ‘Little Guy’ in Lebanon Ignored
• Students Author Wiki Wisdom
• Startup Cities
• Plastic Pellets Pierce ‘Chinese Fog’
• In Search of a Still Life
• Alumni Snippets
• Quotables
• For the Record: MBA Class of 2006 Placement Report