As part of the Business Speaker Series at Chestnut Hill College, entrepreneur and former board member Jack D. Gulati presented the lecture “Balancing Business and Family to Achieve True Wealth and Happiness.”
Jack David Gulati was born in India on September 20, 1942 and he immigrated to America in 1958 with his family. After graduating from high school in New York City in 1959, he earned a B.S. in mathematics in 1966 from the University of Minnesota.
At age 26, Gulati embarked on his first business venture and throughout his career he has created, bought and sold 40 businesses, including Fidelity Technology Corp., TeleAlarm Group, Fidelity Investment Corp., SafetyCare Technologies and Stokesay Castle.
Gulati also has worked with former U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan on the White House Conference on Small Business in 1986 and George H.W. Bush with the Small Business Advisory Committee of the Federal Communications Commission.
The business leader advised a room full of aspiring business students to plan to invest even if their assets are modest, to start financial planning while they are young, and to always have a confidentiality agreement with business partners. And he said that perhaps the most important thing he learned during his career was how to be both a successful professional and attentive family member.
“I do not bring my work home,” Gulati said. “When I get home, I immediately change my clothes. I change from being the big boss to being the equal partner with my wife.”
Jack and Rosemary Murphy Gulati ’61 have been married for 42 years and have three sons and 10 grandchildren. Jack and Rosemary each received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the College’s May 2015 Commencement.
“There is nothing as important as sharing your values with people you care about,” said Gulati.
Joseph Bucci, Ed.D., assistant professor of business and department chair, was so impressed with Gulati’s life and entrepreneurial accomplishments after reading Gulati’s book “Serial Entrepreneur,” that he asked Gulati to be the keynote speaker for the fall Business Speaker Series.
“What impresses me the most about Jack is not only what he has accomplished, but his willingness to give back to the community, including Chestnut Hill College,” Bucci said after the event. “He exemplifies a model leader, entrepreneur and good citizen, and he is a good friend of the College.”
The Business Speaker Series began in 2012 to provide students with opportunities to meet and interact with business professionals and develop new contacts and relationships in the business world.
— Cristina Diaz ’15
