Answering the call to serve - Harvard Gazette

"David Battat '91 has built a career on curiosity and service to his communities - as a healthcare CEO, a leadership instructor, a first responder, and a longtime Harvard volunteer. On July 1, he will bring this same approach to a new role as the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) president."

""David brings thoughtful, steady leadership to the HAA," said outgoing HAA President Will Makris, Ed.M. '00. "He's someone who listens carefully, asks questions, and invites a wide range of voices into the conversation. Over many years of service to Harvard, he's shown a deep commitment to bringing people together, and I know he'll help our alumni community stay engaged with one another and the University.""

"Battat describes his Harvard undergraduate years as "an extraordinary period of discovery and intellectual exploration," shaped by professors and classmates who encouraged him to explore all the opportunities the University has to offer. That spirit stayed with him long after leaving campus, taking him from clerking for then-U.S. District Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to a career in criminal defense and eventually to a medical device company focused on cardiovascular care and oncology."

"Never forgetting the barriers his former clients faced after their sentences ended, Battat, as the company's leader, established re-entry programs at its manufacturing facilities. Throughout, he remained deeply connected to Harvard, volunteering with the HAA in a range of roles, serving on the advisory board of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and as co-chair of Harvard's largest undergraduate admissions alumni interviewing committee."

David Battat '91 has pursued a career built on curiosity and service across healthcare leadership, leadership instruction, first response work, and long-term Harvard volunteering. He will begin a new role as president of the Harvard Alumni Association on July 1. His leadership approach emphasizes careful listening, thoughtful questions, and inviting diverse voices to strengthen engagement between alumni and the University. His Harvard undergraduate experience shaped a mindset of discovery and exploration. After leaving campus, he clerked for Judge Sonia Sotomayor, worked in criminal defense, and later led a medical device company focused on cardiovascular care and oncology. He created re-entry programs at manufacturing facilities to support people after sentences end, while continuing Harvard involvement through HAA roles, the Weatherhead Center advisory board, and undergraduate admissions alumni interviewing leadership.

Read at Harvard Gazette