Harvard Is the Model for Attacking Corporate DEI: Beth Kowitt

The hottest and most closely watched activist battle isn’t happening inside corporate America. It’s taking place at Harvard University, where Bill Ackman has applied the same playbook he has used in campaigns against the likes of Herbalife Ltd. to one of the most elite and storied institutions in higher education.

The Ackman formula goes something like this: Publicly make your case against management; invite and welcome controversy to generate more buzz; demand a leadership overhaul that includes both the chief executive officer and the board. The fact that this strategy worked so effectively against Claudine Gay, who stepped down as Harvard’s president on Tuesday, ...