Arar Han
Co-founder at Sabot Family Companies
Arar Han is the co-founder of Sabot Family Companies, a holding company with ventures in real estate, technology, and consumer brands.
Arar Han’s Professional Background and Industry Experience.
Arar Han began her career at Harvard Business School (HBS) as a casewriter for the Professor of Retail in the Marketing unit. Her specialty was turnaround management, and she wrote highly regarded HBS cases including “Nordstrom: The Turnaround” with Professor Rajiv Lal.
A Legacy of Impact: From Corporate Strategy to Entrepreneurial Leadership
After Harvard Business School, Arar worked as the Special Assistant to the CEO of Panera Bread Company, Panera Bread Founder, Ron Shaich. She spearheaded the then-Chairman and CEO’s communications, working on public releases and the earnings call transcript, as well as various other official and ad hoc material. Arar also served as an observer on all senior executive board meetings. She helped evaluate potential target countries for international expansion.
After earning her MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Arar returned to case writing at the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Stanford, under the direction of Professor H. Irving Grousbeck. There, she co-authored several bestselling cases including: “Note on Angel Financing,” with Professor Ilya Strebulaev; “Note on Hiring,” with Lecturer Jim Ellis; “Prototyping: A Quick Introduction,” with Professor Haim Mendelson; and “Sociable Labs,” with Lecturer Russell Siegelman.
Arar collaborated with HBS Emeritus Professor Christopher Bartlett on a case based on her original content, “Levendary Cafe: The China Challenge.” The case won a Case Centre Award, and is designated a Harvard Business Classic, meaning it is part of a select group of most enduring and bestselling cases over time. “Levendary Cafe” was later translated into Spanish and Portuguese.
After retiring from creating popular MBA curriculum, Arar joined ResponseLink LLC as Co-CEO, where she executed a difficult turnaround of a troubled business. She then co-founded Sabot Family Companies, a long term investment firm that focuses on discovering and unlocking deep value in everyday companies that serve real people. Sabot has particular strengths in managing Special Situations, and in building cultures where hardworking teams make meaningful contributions to the world.
Arar Han’s Leadership and Vision.
Arar Han’s leadership style is characterized by her emphasis on collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. She believes in empowering her teams and fostering a culture of creativity and inclusivity. Her vision for Sabot Family Companies is to build a legacy of excellence and positive impact, both locally and globally.
Arar Han’s Philanthropy and Community Involvement.
Beyond her professional achievements, Arar Han is also deeply committed to giving back to the community. She has been a donor to higher education, professional organizations such as ASPIRE (https://www.girlsaspire.org/ ), local organizations such as Project Safe (https://www.project-safe.org/), youth organizations such as the California Youth Symphony, churches such as the Menlo Church, and individuals going on international Christian missions.
Arar co-edited Asian American X, a book on Asian American identities published by the University of Michigan Press. Asian American X has been taught at American colleges and universities for two decades. All proceeds have been donated.
Arar Han’s Early Life and Education.
rar Han is an American immigrant from South Korea. Her father moved the family to the United States where he earned his doctorate in Computer Science. Arar was educated at American public schools K-12, Boston College for her undergraduate degree summa cum laude in Philosophy and Applied Psychology, and Stanford University for her Masters in Business Administration. Arar gave the student commencement address at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education in 2003. She won an Advanced Study Grant in 2002 and conducted cross cultural research on preschool aged children.
I’m an experienced retail customer (aren’t we all). I’m also a former retail turnaround analyst. I aim to help retailers compete better by reporting on my observations, throughout the United States and abroad.
I currently serve as Co-CEO of Sabot Family Companies, which operates and holds good businesses, and sometimes does turnarounds.
I began my career as a curriculum writer and researcher of turnaround retail stories at Harvard Business School, working exclusively with the Professor of Retail. I also worked for the original Chairman and CEO of Panera Bread, as Special Assistant on a range of projects.
Years ago, I developed a business case called Levendary Cafe with a professor at HBS which won an award from The Case Centre and became an international bestseller.
Twenty years ago I co-edited a book called Asian American X, which is still taught in American Studies programs.
I earned my MBA at Stanford and my BA at Boston College, where I serve on the Board of Regents.
More about Arar’s Credentials and Affiliations.
I am interested in life design. Here I am at an event I helped organize for Stanford MBA Women.
My happy place is a remote island in Japan. (I don’t actually like all – any?? – of those little pastries but don’t they look pretty?)
Nice to meet you!
