Kenneth Freeman

Ken joined Boston University as the Allen Questrom Professor and Dean of Boston University Questrom School of Business in 2010 after almost forty years in industry, and served in that capacity for eight years.

Serving more than 3,800 students and 50,000 alumni, under Ken’s leadership the Questrom School of Business pursued the vision of “Creating Value for the World.” The School transformed its undergraduate and MBA curricula, with a focus on ethics and global citizenship, and sectors that are dramatically impacting the world economy – health and life sciences, digital technology, sustainability and social enterprise. The largest gift in the history of Boston University at the time led to renaming the School as the Questrom School of Business. In addition, Ken initiated the first ever comprehensive global conversation about the future of business education between academia and industry in 2014, and co-authored “Reimagining Business Education: Insights and Actions from the Business Education Jam,” published in 2016.

Ken began his career at Corning Incorporated in 1972, progressing through the financial function before leading several businesses. He joined Corning Clinical Laboratories in 1995, and the company was spun off from Corning as Quest Diagnostics Incorporated soon thereafter. He led the dramatic turnaround of Quest Diagnostics as chairman and chief executive officer through 2004. Exceptional value was created for shareholders by executing a dramatic financial turnaround, establishing industry leadership, demonstrating effective growth through acquisition, and driving organic growth. Quest Diagnostics provided the third highest five-year shareholder returns among the Fortune 500 (1999-2003) and in 2004, Ken was named to the Business Week 50. Market capitalization increased from approximately $350 million at the time of the spin-off to more than $9 billion.

A study of global business leadership conducted at INSEAD and published in the January 2010 and 2013 issues of the Harvard Business Review named Ken one of the 100 best performing CEOs in the world.

Ken joined Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), in 2005 and served as a managing director and partner until his appointment as Dean at Boston University. From 2010 through 2013, he was a senior advisor to KKR, serving on the firm’s portfolio management committee.

Ken is chairman of the board of Laureate Education (NASDAQ: LAUR), and a director of the Center for Higher Ambition Leadership. He previously served on the boards of the Graduate Management Admission Council (chairman), HCA, Lake Region Medical (chairman), Masonite (chairman), TRW (lead director), Dow Corning Corporation, Ciba-Corning Corporation, Fleet Bank of New York and the Corning Incorporated Foundation.

Ken is a former member of the Healthcare Leadership Council, and the American Clinical Laboratory Association (chairman). He is the former chairman of The ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes and the Corning Philharmonic Society, and a former trustee of Elmira College and the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City

Ken received an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School in 1976, and a BSBA, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Bucknell University in 1972. Ken was a trustee of Bucknell University for seventeen years, serving as Chair of the Board from 2009 through 2018.