UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Center for Global Management recently hosted George R. Roberts, co-chair and CEO of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP (KKR), during the Robertson Lecture Series on Global Business Leadership.
Dean Judy Olian hosted the talk. The inaugural installment of the series, which took place in the Spring of 2014, featured General Stanley McChrystal, former U.S. Commander in Afghanistan and current owner of a business consulting firm in Alexandria, VA.
KKR manages investments in such classes as hedge funds, energy, private equity, capital markets and real estate. George Roberts founded the company with partner Henry Kravis in 1976. Over four decades, the company grew to be a worldwide presence, with six offices in the US, and over a dozen other locations across the globe.
In his talk, Roberts stressed the importance of strong relationships in all ventures, not just in business. “The essence of life is having personal relationships. They have to be built on total respect and total trust. The relationship you have with someone is far more important; all that other stuff doesn’t matter, but it doesn’t mean you can’t disagree,” he remarked.
Roberts also heads a nonprofit based in San Francisco called the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund, which provides job-training for the homeless population, those with mental health issues, individuals who have been incarcerated, and youth who have been displaced from the educational system. REDF has served 10,000 people through the groups that it operates.
During the Q&A that followed the talk, Roberts offered these inspiring words: “You have to have vision, moral courage and you have to have the people who you want to follow you believe that you care more about their success than you do your own. If you get those three things right, then you’re going to do well.”