In Memoriam: Oren Harari, Ph.D.
Author, speaker and cutting-edge thinker, Dr. Harari was internationally recognized for his expertise in strategic and global managment.
Dr. Harari began his professional career living, working and traveling in Africa. His work there culminated in the publication of his first book, “Lessons from South Africa,” which challenged the foundation of apartheid in South Africa and offered prescriptions for companies and governments to drive growth in developing countries.
In 1984, Dr. Harari joined The Tom Peters Group, where he quickly became a popular keynote speaker. This experience launched his career on the international lecture circuit and established him as a leader in the field of strategic and global management.
While at the Tom Peters Group, Dr. Harari joined the staff of the American Management Association’s monthly magazine Management Review. As senior writer, his monthly column, “Harari at Large,” gained a large following of loyal readers around the globe.
One of his most popular columns discussed the leadership principles of Colin Powell, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who later became US Secretary of State. Demand for reprints of the article was so great that it would inspire Dr. Harari’s 2002 New York Times best-seller, “The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell.”
In the early 1990’s, Dr. Harari joined the faculty of the University of San Francisco’s Graduate School of Business, teaching global and strategic management to MBA and executive MBA students. It was there he met fellow academic, Nicholas Imperato, with whom he author, “Jumping the Curve,” a popular book on business strategy.
When Dr Harari left The Tom Peters Group to launch an independent writing and speaking career, he joined forces with Leading Authorities, Inc., a Washington, DC-based lecture agency and publishing company. He also released a third book, “Leapfrogging the Competition,” ranked in the top 10 business books of 1997 by Management General.
Dr. Harari’s commitment to excellence earned him global recognition. He spoke on every continent save Antartica, and the editors of “Business Minds,” published by the Financial Times, named him one of the 40 “best minds” in management.
Born in Tel Aviv, Dr. Harari emigrated with his parents to Mexico in 1954. The family moved to Hollywood, Florida, in 1956. Dr. Harari earned Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and his B.S. degree from San Diego State University, where his father was a professor in the College of Sciences.
He is survived by his wife, Leslie; their two sons Jordan and Dylan; his parents Herbert and Rut Harari; his sister Tal; and nieces Ilana and Ariel.
