Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Addresses D.C. Business Community at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business

Event Celebrates the Opening of the Business School’s New Rafik B. Hariri Building

In a gala event to mark the opening of the new Rafik B. Hariri Building at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger addressed the Washington, D.C., business community about the important role business plays in any occupation.

Schwarzenegger, who holds a business degree from the University of Wisconsin, said he learned the value of business when he realized the people running bodybuilding competitions were making all of the money.

“While I was pumping my muscles, they were pumping their wallets,” he said.

Using his business skills, he began promoting bodybuilding competitions in America, which have grown into the Arnold’s Classic. He also started a mail-order business to sell bodybuilding products and eventually books and films to spread the word about bodybuilding and fitness.

Since then, he has woven a business mindset through all of his ventures. Schwarzenegger said he actively built his success as an actor by becoming one of the first to promote his films internationally. He also has invested his money wisely, he said, so that he does not become the next actor or athlete to file for bankruptcy. Schwarzenegger said he has applied the same business models to his role as the governor of California.

“One thing that I have been trying to do ever since I’ve gotten into government is the same thing that businesses do, which corporate CEOs must address all the time, and that is to create a vision, a vision for where you want to take your organization. And it’s the same when you run a state,” he said.

Part of his vision is to move California forward in the areas of economic growth and environmentalism. During his tenure, California has become a leader in the number of clean energy business in the United States, with more than 10,000.

“What many people don’t recognize is that climate change is not just about climate, but it is also about business opportunities. It is about who will be the economic leaders in the years ahead,” he said. “In California, we are trying to lead the way, which is good for our state, good for our economic future, good for our country, and good also for our environment.”

That evening, Schwarzenegger was presented with the Dean’s Medal from George Daly, dean of Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. The Dean’s Medal is the highest honor bestowed by the Dean and honors the governor’s business accomplishments.