Finding a Path

About the Book

This is one man’s journey, told through the stories that have shaped his life. Author Harry Strachan’s story began in Costa Rica, where he was born into a large missionary family. As an adult, he moved to the United States to pursue higher education. After studying at the schools of law and business at Harvard, he returned to his alma mater to teach. He then moved into private industry and eventually returned to his Central American home with the mission of investing both for profit and impact.

But the heart of these experiences is how he deals with challenges. He reflects on coming to terms with family expectations, finding a vocation that fits his talents, dealing with emotional setbacks and serious illness, raising a family, and learning to love well in marriage. Through it all, there is a spiritual journey that moves through the loss of the conservative, traditional faith of his childhood to the establishment of a set of values that guides his life.

Harry’s reflections are told with humor and authenticity. His story offers provocative reflections for the next generation who are seeking to both “do good and do well.”

“Harry Strachan is one of the most remarkable people I’ve ever known. He has been a lifelong friend whose path through sorrow and success has been a brilliant example to me of the ‘examined life.’ Written principally for his children, these stories will resonate with anyone who is willing to live outside the box.”
—Maestro John Nelson, Conductor

About the Author

Harry Strachan was born and raised in Costa Rica. He went to the United States for his higher education, eventually earning a doctorate from the Harvard Business School.

He has had three careers, the first as a professor with the INCAE Business School of Central America and then the Harvard Business School. In the second he joined Bain & Co in Boston as a management consultant. In the third he returned to his home in Costa Rica, continued to consult with Bain but also founded Mesoamerica Partners for private equity investing and M&A advisory services.

The Strachan Foundation, which he created in honor of his grandparents and parents, supports educational and other philanthropic activities through Central America. For his work in the region, he was named one of the one hundred most influential business leaders by the magazine Estrategia y Negocios.