Marvin Bower
Born 1903 · Age 122
American lawyer, business theorist and management consultant who shaped McKinsey & Company and is widely regarded as the father of modern management consulting.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio
Born August 1, 1903. Son of the deputy recorder at Cuyahoga County; grew up in Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland.
Attended / graduated Glenville High School (Cleveland)
Grew up in Collinwood, Cleveland, and attended Glenville High School (approximate high-school graduation year based on birth year).
Graduated Brown University (BA)
Earned a bachelor's degree in Economics and Psychology from Brown University.
Graduated Harvard Law School (JD)
Completed legal training at Harvard Law School; followed father's advice to study law.
Graduated Harvard Business School (MBA)
Attended Harvard Business School after law degree; graduated in 1930.
Joined Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue (associate)
Worked as an associate at the Cleveland law firm Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue following completion of studies.
Hired by James O. McKinsey to manage NY branch
James O. McKinsey hired Bower into the new Chicago firm to manage a newly acquired New York branch.
Death of James O. McKinsey; offices split
Following James O. McKinsey's death the Chicago and New York offices split, creating a critical junction which Bower later resolved by rebuilding the New York firm.
Resurrected and (re)founded McKinsey & Company in New York
Bower, with New York partners, resurrected the New York firm as McKinsey & Company and committed to building it into a professional consulting firm.
Bought struggling McKinsey & Co with partners
Together with senior New York partners (including two over 60) he acquired the struggling firm and committed to building a preeminent consulting institution.
Built foundation for modern consulting profession
Starting in 1939, Bower's institutional view and ethics-based approach laid the groundwork for the modern management consulting profession, influencing the creation of firms like BCG and Bain (legacy milestone).
Committed to local offices / national presence (policy)
Bower insisted on multiple local offices (a national firm) to serve clients and to prevent consultant burnout; this policy guided McKinsey's expansion strategy.
Led McKinsey’s post‑WWII growth
Credited with building McKinsey from a small engineering and accounting firm into a leader in management consulting after WWII; played key role in rise of the profession.
Introduced firmwide professional standards & '19 rules'
Instituted a set of professional standards, codes of conduct and the well-known set of 19 behavioral rules for McKinsey consultants (ethics, client-first, dress, cost-saving). Approximate timing during early post-war growth.
Pioneered hiring of fresh MBAs into consulting
Bower was an early leader in hiring newly graduated MBAs into the firm, changing the talent pipeline for consulting (notable loyalty to Harvard MBAs).
Appointed Managing Director of McKinsey & Company
Bower began serving as McKinsey's Managing Director, leading firm strategy and international expansion.
Reinforced 'one‑firm' philosophy and client‑first policy
During his MD years Bower formalized the one‑firm philosophy, client‑first approach, refusal to advertise, and discipline to avoid selling services beyond independent consulting.
Refused to commercialize internal software (Kidder Peabody anecdote)
Famous anecdote: Bower declined a one‑off offer (Kidder Peabody) to buy a McKinsey computer model, illustrating his insistence on independence and not selling firm products; year approximate.
Enforced client‑impact threshold (partner dismissal anecdote)
Anecdote: Bower once dismissed a partner in Chicago for working on engagements that did not meet the 'major problem' threshold, reflecting his discipline on client selection; approximate timing.
Published internal 'Perspective on McKinsey' (internal thought leadership)
Authored and circulated firm internal guidance and perspectives (date approximated to c.1960s) to shape McKinsey's culture and methodology.
Declined to pursue public listing / large personal windfall
When other service firms were going public, Bower refused to transform McKinsey into a business to enrich partners; selling his shares back at book value illustrates the restraint that limited large personal windfalls.
Sold his McKinsey shares back at book value
On turning 60 Bower sold his ownership shares back to the firm at book value (an unusual, selfless act that forewent potentially far higher market value), surprising family and colleagues.
Published 'The Will to Manage' (McGraw‑Hill, 1966)
Published The Will to Manage: Corporate Success Through Programmed Management (McGraw‑Hill).
Ended tenure as Managing Director
Concluded service as McKinsey's Managing Director (served in that role 1950–1967) but remained influential in leadership and as partner/director.
Firm acknowledged as leader in management consulting (legacy growth)
By the 1970s Bower's institutional standards and model had firmly established McKinsey as a global leader; he is widely credited for helping create the modern consulting profession.
Continued role as Director and Partner
Remained an active leadership figure at McKinsey as a director and partner through the 1980s; continued to shape ethics and recruiting philosophy.
Stepped down as partner/director (ended formal leadership role)
Remained a leadership figure and partner until 1992, when he ceased formal director/partner responsibilities (approximate end of active partnership).
End of formal partnership; continued influence as elder statesman
Although his formal director/partner roles ended in 1992, Bower remained a moral and cultural reference point for McKinsey's values and professional standards.
Published 'The Will to Lead' (Harvard Business School Press)
Published The Will to Lead: Running a Business With a Network of Leaders (Harvard Business School Press, 1997).
Named by BusinessWeek among top 20th‑century businesspeople (protested)
BusinessWeek included him among top businesspeople of the 20th century; Bower protested being called a businessman, saying he was a professional. (year estimated, confidence low)
Quoted as counsel to younger consultants ('Ideas are not enough')
Late‑life quotation reflecting Bower's practical, institution-building ethos: 'Ideas are not enough. They do not last. Something practical must be done with them.' (cited 2001).
Quotations and public remarks (late career)
Still quoted and referenced late in life (e.g., 'Ideas are not enough...Something practical must be done with them' quoted in 2001); continued to influence McKinsey culture and alumni.
Harvard Business School recognition (biography / commendation)
Harvard Business School and other institutions have described Bower as the 'father of modern management consulting' and archived biographical appreciations (posthumous and during late life recognition).
Died in Delray Beach, Florida
Marvin Bower died January 22, 2003 at age 99 in Delray Beach, Florida.
Biography published: 'McKinsey’s Marvin Bower' by Elizabeth Edersheim (further reading)
Elizabeth Edersheim's authoritative biography on Marvin Bower was published (further reading references crediting Bower's legacy). Included here as posthumous milestone referencing Bower's life and impact.
Referenced in 'The Firm' by Duff McDonald
Bower's role and legacy discussed in later analyses and books on McKinsey, including Duff McDonald's 'The Firm' (2014) that cites Bower's principles and decisions.
Key Achievement Ages
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