Louis Caldera is a Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He teaches Leadership and Corporate Accountability, a required first-year course in the MBA program. He has previously taught law school courses on corporate governance and legislative and democratic process, and his interests include strengthening democratic institutions, increasing economic opportunity, and building climate resilience.
Caldera is a corporate director and civic and nonprofit leader. After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy, he began his public service career as an Army officer. He then earned business and law degrees from Harvard University (MBA/JD ’87). He practiced banking and corporate law in Los Angeles before being elected to the California Legislature, where for five years he championed the interests of a multiracial, working-class district centered around downtown Los Angeles. Caldera chaired the Assembly Banking Committee and authored significant legislation on children's health and safety. In 1997, Caldera joined the Clinton administration as COO of the Corporation for National Service; in 1998, he was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the Senate to serve as Secretary of the Army. As Secretary, he introduced a vision of the Army as a more digital, versatile, and rapidly deployable force prepared to meet 21st century security challenges. He revamped Army marketing programs to reverse recruitment shortfalls, secured increased funding to modernize weapons platforms, and created the first distance education program for service members.