Read the Spring/Summer 2024 Hotchkiss Magazine

By Chelsea Edgar

This spring, Hotchkiss Board of Trustees Vice President Robert Chartener ’76, P’18 was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his educational philanthropy in the United Kingdom.

Since King George V established the OBE in 1917, only a handful of Americans have earned this honor. Fewer than 50 hold it today. Chartener was one of five Americans selected this year. His peers included his Princeton classmate Gen. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Shonda Rhimes, executive producer of the Netflix series Bridgerton.

The OBE is one of five levels of distinction conferred by the British monarchy, the highest of which is a knight or damehood. It recognizes outstanding contributions to the arts and sciences, charitable organizations, and public service. Chartener, the founder and president of the Magdalene College Foundation (pronounced “maudlin”), has raised more than $10 million for Magdalene College at the University of Cambridge, where he studied history after graduating from Princeton. Chartener’s fundraising efforts have supported the construction of a new library, which won the Royal Institute of British Architects’ prestigious Stirling Prize in 2022, as well as scholarships to cover tuition and living expenses for students.

Since he graduated from Hotchkiss, Chartener has remained active in alumni roles and School governance. He was a class agent from 1976 to 1982, lead agent from 1983 to 1986, co-chair of the Boston Day of Service in 2013 and 2014, and chair or co-chair of various reunion committees. He has served on the Parent and Alumni Admission Council for decades and on the Board of Governors of the Alumni Association. He’s been a trustee since 2015.

Chartener’s commitment to giving back to his alma maters began with his time at Hotchkiss. By the time he arrived as a prep, he’d lost both parents. “The faculty took me under their wing,” he said. “They guided me, they invited me to their houses, I knew their children. It was such a rich and rewarding experience.”

The late English instructor Jerry Bowen ’42 and his wife, Anne, were particularly influential figures for Chartener. “Jerry Bowen was a real intellectual. He got up at six every morning and read poetry and novels. I think just looking at him made me think that whatever I do in life, I want to be able to read and explore my own ideas, my own intellectual ambitions,” he said.

After Hotchkiss, Chartener attended Princeton, then Magdalene College at Cambridge University. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar, an award given to the top five percent of the graduating class. From 1985 to 1995 he worked for Goldman, Sachs & Co. in London and New York, then spent two decades in private equity. Currently, Chartener is the chairman of Human Touch LLC, the leading U.S. designer and marketer of massage chairs and other wellness products, and has served as chairman, CEO, or CFO of several other companies in the business services and consumer products sectors. He lives in Concord, MA, with his wife, Kate, and their children William ’18, Jasper, and Matilda.

Through his work with the Magdalene College Foundation, Chartener is a fellowcommoner of the college. In the Cambridge system, fellow-commoners are not part of the college’s governance structure; the title is largely honorary. “One of the great privileges is that I’m allowed to walk on the grass,” he joked. (At Cambridge, this is a big deal: students aren’t allowed to cross the lawns.) The OBE bestows few special privileges, Chartener explained: “I don’t automatically get upgraded to business class. I don’t get better seats at restaurants.” But he does see an intrinsic value in honoring those whose work serves the greater good.

“I think it’s so important to have national recognition for people who do worthwhile activities for society,” Chartener said. Later this year, Chartener will attend an official ceremony at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., where he’ll receive the silver cross of the OBE.