Goodwill CEO shares his selfless path to success
On Tuesday the CEO of Goodwill, Jim Gibbons, spoke as the Wharton Leadership Lecture series’ first guest. As the head of a $5.4 billion — a number that perked the ears of attending students — social enterprise, Gibbons sought to convince students that although the money is great, there is much more to be gained in the business world.
Gibbons shared his story of dealing with blindness while striving for success and generosity in the business world. One of the most memorable moments of his career trajectory was being rejected from 50 different engineering jobs before landing a position as a "custodial engineer" — the equivalent of an over-glorified janitor.
Gibbons was admitted to Harvard University's MBA program, although only after being rejected a first time. He graduated in 1994. From 1998 until 2008, Gibbons was president and CEO of National Industries for the blind. In April 2008, he joined Goodwill as president and CEO.
Gibbons advised the students that, “if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.” Like the belief that someone in the business world may make if far if they stay selfish but also may never meaningfully impact society, Gibbons encouraged the audience to follow a business model similar to Goodwill's.
The talk was definitely one separate from the common criteria of the Wharton stereotype, but it was one that could potentially change it.
Prospective student Polina Kulak said that she hoped the social outreach business model could work in the modern world. "I think it's a very inspirational event, and very nice that Wharton would try to put on this event for the students," she said.
Though students, prospective or current, may find themselves dreaming of days working on Wall Street, Gibbons talked about living for more.
“At the end of the day, it’s not all about the money,” Wharton senior Said Haschemi said.
An earlier version of this article said that Gibbons went to Goodwill after graduating from Harvard Business School in 1994. He joined Goodwill as president and CEO in 2008. The DP regrets the error.
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