Updated: Nov. 19, 2009

Editor's Note, Nov. 19, 2009 - Dr. Cash has retired from the Microsoft board of directors, as announced in a recent press release.

Dr. James I. Cash received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Texas Christian University; a Master of Science in Computer Science from Purdue University's Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Management Information Systems (MIS) from Purdue University's Krannert Graduate School of Management. He joined the Harvard Business School Faculty in 1976 and taught in all the major HBS programs - MBA, Program for Management Development (PMD), Program for Global Leadership (PGL) and Advanced Management Program (AMP). Among his administrative assignments he served as Chairman of the MBA Program from 1992 to 1995, during the school's project to redesign the MBA Program - MBA: Leadership and Learning, and served as Chairman of HBS Publishing. He retired from the Harvard Business School in 2003 after 27 years on the faculty.

Before his graduate education and joining the Harvard faculty, he worked as Director of Data Processing for several years, which followed jobs as a systems analyst, systems programmer, and application programmer. His work and research is focused on the strategic use of information technology in the service sector. Among his publications are articles in accounting and information technology journals, several Harvard Business Review articles including, "Teaming Up to Crack Innovation and Enterprise Integration" (November-December 2008), "IS Redraws Competitive Boundaries" (March-April 1985) and "Information Technology and Tomorrow's Manager" (November-December 1988), several books: Building the Information-Age Organization: Structure, Control; and Information Technology with Eccles, Nohria and Nolan (Irwin), Corporate Information Systems Management: Issues Facing Senior Managers and Corporate Information Systems Management: Text and Cases with McFarlan and McKenney (Irwin), Global Electronic Wholesale Banking with Mookerjee (Graham & Trotman), and an instructional videotape, Competing Through Information Technology with Warren McFarlan (Nathan/Tyler).

Professor Cash's non-academic activities include serving as a Trustee or Overseer for non-profit organizations, and on the Board of Directors for several public/private companies, which currently includes: Chubb, General Electric, Veracode Inc., Wal-Mart, National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation and Banner 17 - the LLC that owns the Boston Celtics. He has worked with many companies and governments around the world in both consulting and teaching assignments. He regularly convenes meetings of CIOs and, for five years, led (with Dr. Keri Pearlson) a leadership development program for future CIOs.

 Top of page