Marvin Bower was McKinsey's guiding influence for more than 60 years. He died on January 22, 2003, at the age of 99.
Widely credited with being the founder of professional management consulting, Bower was a member of McKinsey from 1933 until his retirement in 1992. He served as managing director from 1950 to 1967. Throughout his retirement he remained in close contact with many members of the firm.
Rajat Gupta, former managing director (1994-2003), once said, "Convinced that behavior and conduct are every bit as important as skills and expertise, Marvin sought to build the firm into an enduring, values-based institution. He always saw McKinsey as 'one firm.' He built a truly global firm."