Mississippi State University-Meridian is recognizing Brent Harder of Redding, Conn., as its 2008 Alumni Fellow.

Harder was in Meridian this week, speaking with students at the Meridian campus and meeting with school staff.

Harder received an MBA from MSU-Meridian in 1993, while serving as a flight instructor at NAS Meridian. He currently serves as senior vice president for Prudential Retirement, a division of the Prudential Insurance Company of America.

Harder credits his success in his financial career to his wife Lauri of 22 years and his experiences at MSU-Meridian. “Lauri has been my foundation and my support,” Harder said. “And I learned at MSU-Meridian to be prepared and take accountability for your actions.”

After earning a bachelor’s degree in history from the Virginia Military Institute in 1985, Harder went on to serve 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including three Western-Pacific and Persian Gulf deployments to Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia and Desert Shield.

On leaving active duty in 1995, he joined a division of the General Electric Company with offices in London and Hong Kong as the Chief Information Officer for International Operations. Several years later, Harder accepted a position in New York as Senior Vice President for Global Transaction Banking with HSBC, the world’s second largest bank.  In 2005, he made the move to a position in Boston as Senior Vice President and Head of Service Integration for Fidelity Investments.

With over 20 years in both the military and private sectors, Harder has authored several papers and articles on leadership and Six Sigma quality management and is a frequent guest speaker at industry symposiums and conferences.  Since earning his MBA at MSU, he has continued to expand his professional education with subsequent graduate degrees at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and the University of Maryland’s University College.

Harder remembers the people of MSU-Meridian fondly, citing relationships with fellow students, professors and members of the administration. “MSU-Meridian has been like a second family to me,” Harder said. “Always a place to call home.”

Harder and his wife are the parents of two sons, one of which was born in Meridian. 

Harder was born in Alexandria, Va., and raised in Potomac, Md. He is the of Jane Hargrave Harder of Lookout Mountain, Tenn.



Alumni Fellows



Sponsored by the Mississippi State University Alumni Association, the Alumni Fellows Program recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their respective careers. They are selected by each college or school and are invited to return to campus to meet with students, both in the classroom and informally.



For more than a decade, this educational activity has served as a means for enriching students' university experiences by exposing them to outstanding alumni who are willing to talk about specific competencies, attitudes, and efforts needed to succeed. It is an exciting and stimulating way to blend the interests of the accomplished professional, the student, and the professor.



Alumni Fellows are chosen to return to campus as distinguished guests and as mentors, friends, and counselors. They are honored in recognition of the ultimate measure of a university - the quality of its alumni.