CEO OF THE WEEK: Jul 18, 2003 Harold 'Terry' McGraw III The McGraw-Hill Companies' chairman, president, and CEO Terry McGraw is well aware of the 115 year history behind The McGraw-Hill Cos., the publishing and financial services business his great-grandfather founded. First as COO and then CEO, McGraw worked to maintain the $5 billion corporation's commitment to its employees and shareholders. The McGraw-Hill Cos. have increased its dividend for 30 consecutive years and is one of only 21 in the S&P 500 with an overfunded pension.
Terry McGraw: Bio and Career Highlights Age: 54
Education: McGraw received an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1976 and a B.A. from Tufts University in 1972.
Resume: McGraw joined The McGraw-Hill Cos. in 1980 and has since held a number of positions including: vice president, Corporate Planning; publisher, Aviation Week & Space Technology; president, McGraw-Hill Publications Co.; and president, McGraw-Hill Financial Services Co.
Corporate Culture Board of Directors: McGraw is the only insider on the company's 12-member board of directors.
Stock options: The McGraw-Hill Cos. does not expense stock options.
Charity: The company supports several financial literacy programs and works with different organizations including Jump$tart, Houston READ Commission, and National Council on Economic Education (NCEE). But McGraw is especially proud of a prize in education named for his father. Last year's recipients rang the opening bell on Wall Street and received grants of $25,000.
"The Harold McGraw Junior Prize is a terrific award. It puts a spotlight on people that normally don't get spotlights," he said.
What I'm most proud of
"[BusinessWeek magazine] represents what I call the calling card for The McGraw-Hill Cos. It is a wonderful brand that is the highest level of journalistic capability," he noted.
On the company's strengths
McGraw says, "You can't have footprints in all sorts of different types of markets. So we focus on three markets. They are three very strong markets that have growth globally and allow us to really extend in both size and scale."
