There were three outstanding Professors that have influenced my life and career in a large
way. No doubt they have been instrumental in shaping my thoughts. They are:
Moshe Rubinstein (UCLA)
Walter Michalski (University of Redlands)
Marty Marshall (Harvard Business School)
The following are the words that I gave at Marty Marshall’s Memorial Service at the
Harvard Business School Reunion at Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA, on October 3rd,
2009.
Today we are here to pay our respects to our Professor and to our friend, Marty Marshall.
Instead of me talking about his accomplishments, which were many, I would rather talk
about what Marty meant to most of us here today. Each of us who had Marty as a teacher
has his or her own story to tell, so I would like to tell you mine.
You either loved Marty or you didn't! There was no in between. Most of us loved him. If
you expected some sort of polished debonair and ivory tower theoretician, you didn't find
that in Marty. What you found was a teacher, friend, and advisor who was smart, witty,
savvy, and honest. He loved OPM and OPMer's. OPM loved him. OPM was his passion
and he was passionate about OPM. For many of us, we identify OPM with Marty.
The first day of OPM 1, a classmate of mine was talking with Marty, telling him that he
felt intimidated by many of the other OPM'ers who were making themselves larger than
life. Do you know what Marty said to him? "Most of the people in this room don't have a
pot to piss in and most of them never will." That was Marty!
Marty was never going to be a fashion statement. Most of the time he wore his old blue
cardigan sweater and a shirt that looked like he bought it from K-Mart. Nobody cared,
that made him real. And that's what OPMer's want. Real! Marty didn't care what you
thought about him; he cared what you thought about yourself and what you thought about
your business.
One day three classmates and I were walking with Marty to Kresge Hall for dinner when
one of the others said, "Look at all those Amp guys, they have it made, don't they." Marty
shot back, "are you kidding me, are you kidding me, they want to be just like you." That
was the Marty method to build self esteem, and it worked.
Soon thereafter, at dinner and lunch, you could never find a seat at the table where Marty
sat because everyone wanted to sit next to him. He was the Don Rickles of OPM. The
more he insulted you, the more you came back for more.
Truthfully, Marty was kind and generous with his time and advice. Never wanting to
charge you anything for it, even when he traveled to see you.
Marty Marshall helped transform more businesses for the better than any other person
that I know of. In the classroom he would get his points and ideas across very clearly
with euphemisms such as: "walking down Third Avenue," "mother-in-law research,"
"bean counter" and "hoop jumper." These phrases were powerful then, and they still are
today, some 20 years later.
Marty got us to understand business. He did it in a way that we could use. That was his
genius and a marketing genius he was.
On graduation day as I was getting my diploma on stage, I will never forget when Marty
handed me my diploma, pulled me into his side and whispered into my ear, "Now go
home and do something." As he pulled away, he shot me a big wide grin and chuckled.
I knew what Marty meant and I knew what I had to do. Those words meant more to me
than you can ever imagine.
I pay tribute to my friend, counselor and to my Professor. May you rest in peace. I love
you.