Aric P Rindfleisch: Although I had the pleasure of meeting Erin only once, I was struck by both her intellect and kindness. Her research on interorganizational relationships made a strong and lasting contribution to our field and will continue to have considerable influence in the years ahead. Marketing has clearly lost one of its brightest stars, but her light will shine on for a very long time.

Kathryn (Kathy) Shurtleff: It is with great sadness that I read about the passing of my former elementary and High School classmate. I just happened to be searching for some information when I saw Erin’s obituary online in the local newspaper of our former hometown, the Tracy Press. Erin’s family had moved to the then (not now), small town of Tracy California in 1963, and my family moved there in 1964. I don’t remember if we were in the same class in elementary school, however I doubt that we were, as I was usually at the top of my elementary class and Erin would have “cleaned my clock” academically if she had been in the same class. While I was saddened by her passing, I really enjoyed reading what a wonderful person, scholar, mentor, mother and wife she had become. I always expected her to go into academics and possibly become a professor, however I never would have expected her to do so in the area of Marketing. Just like I’m sure that a lot of our classmates knew I would become an attorney, but would be surprised to learn that I became a government attorney, specializing in children’s issues of child abuse and neglect. It appears that we both ended up as women, in, what was then, almost entirely, a man’s world.

Those of you who knew Erin as an adult may be surprised to learn that Erin was not as out-going and confident as she appeared to be later in life.

Her family was considered to be intelligent, educated, and old-fashioned. Never succumbing to the latest fashion or fad.  Why, …she and I may have been the only girls in 6th grade, rich or poor, whose parents did not buy us a pair of white go-go boots!

Her family was extremely kind and generous. Prior to our senior year (1972-3), my family moved to Oregon as my father (a French/Spanish teacher) had a stroke and wanted to return to his hometown. I returned to the Tracy area immediately after graduation from High School. During the summer between my sophomore and junior years at the University of California at Davis, I rented an unfurnished apartment in Tracy. I don’t remember where I ran into Erin’s parents (probably at a softball game), but they immediately offered to loan me furniture for the summer. As I remember, theirs was the only furniture I had in that apartment.  I will always remember their kindness. They knew me (and my father), and while I was a friend/acquaintance of their children, I was not one of their close friends. They didn’t have to look out for me, but they did. That’s just how they were. The whole family was kind, generous, honest, and did what was right. None of the kids were in the popular group, but I think they had the respect and admiration of all.

It is truly my loss that I did not know Erin as an adult.

My condolences to the entire family, and especially to Phillip and Ellen.

Christine Moorman:  Thank you for you the opportunity to share my appreciation for Erin’s consequential life.  Erin was one of the few women I saw doing anything strategy related when I entered the field.  I remember writing to her as I thought about a special session for one of my first conferences.  Erin responded with abounding enthusiasm and encouragement.  Her talk during the session was the same as every talk I have ever seen her give—powerful in delivery and interesting, comprehensive, and relevant in content.  She was always a force of optimism and energy in the room.  When I was around her, I believed that anything was possible.  She always encouraged and always saw the positive.  You sensed this immediately when you were with her.  Our field has lost a great person and I have lost a great role model.  Adieu Erin and thank you for all of your gracious love and support!

Sharmila C. Chatterjee :  When going through my mail after Thanksgiving I was stunned to receive the news that Erin was no more.  I had opened the letter with great enthusiasm expecting the wonderfully detailed holiday letter and photos she sent every year but was shocked and dismayed to read what it said instead.  It was especially shocking as when I last spoke with Erin she was so very upbeat and seemed well on her way to full recovery.  But then that was Erin, always upbeat, positive and motivating.

Every single person that I have met over the years only had positive things to say about her.  And of course I know that first hand.  I was indeed fortunate to have known and worked with Erin over the years.  I started out as her research assistant at Wharton, then did my dissertation under her supervision and finally worked as her coauthor.  It was incredible how speaking with Erin always made me feel better – she just had such a positive attitude about everything.  All through the years Erin was full of wonderful advice.  In fact, I clearly remember Erin accompanying me when I went shopping to buy my first business suit as I had no idea what to get!  I have lost a great friend and mentor.

Erin was a great role model.  Despite her huge success in her profession she was so very humble.  And she is the one person I know who really had a wonderful balance in her professional and personal life.  I have often wondered how she managed to do it all.  Erin’s family was so important to her.  I will always remember the wonderful stories Erin told about Aline and Valerie.  It seems like only yesterday that I was holding baby Valerie and cute little Aline was running around.    

I cannot begin to express my emotions and cannot imagine what Hubert, Aline, Maxuel, and Valerie are going through.  Please accept my most sincere and deepest condolences.  It is said that God misses good people and likes to take the very best first.  This is the only explanation I can think of for this extremely untimely event.  My only consolation is that the many memories of Erin’s extraordinary character, integrity, enthusiasm, passion, warmth, friendliness, and caring will continue to be with me for ever. 

Louise Ripley: Erin Anderson was a very special a person in my life; without her, I probably would not have my PhD and most likely not my career. At a time when my own university (Toronto) was busy trying to convince me that as an already full-time working professor and new mother, I probably wasn’t going to make it as a doctoral student, when I was receiving no support in my quest to find a thesis topic, I found my inspiration in Erin’s article indicating that work needed to be done in applying Transaction Cost Analysis to the Make or Buy Decision in the use of in-house advertising agencies. Even with a topic, I was still making no progress, and one day, in the depths of despair, I picked up the telephone and called the author of that article that had inspired me and told her about my work and my problems in moving forward with my thesis.

Erin, busy as she was herself with a career, family, and a baby of her own, said, “Why don’t you come down to Wharton and we’ll talk about it.” That warm and generous invitation and my subsequent visit changed my life. She took me to Wharton, introduced me to all the big names in Marketing at the time, names I knew from the journals we were reading in classes. They listened to my thesis idea and made helpful suggestions. Erin spent intensive intellectual time with me in those three days, and fed me in both body and spirit, at her home, where I met Hubert, and Aline, and the great black Lab, Phila. Valérie had not yet joined them but I would hear of her in many subsequent Christmas letters.

As well as setting me on my path, Erin continued to be there for me, as mentor, guide, and counselor throughout the four years it took me to complete my thesis (during the entire time of my PhD, I taught full-time at York University and am there still). Erin let me send her pages and chapters, reading them and commenting on them, always with positive comments as well as suggestions for changes. At U of T, one only received negative comments, useful, yes, but one’s spirit soon drowns without positive feedback. I remember Erin every time I grade a paper and even in the most poorly composed piece, I will go back and find something to compliment, remembering her.

Erin gave me, and students I have taught and will teach, a great gift. I learned from her the importance of being there for students who need you, no matter where they come from, no matter whether they are registered in your school, no matter who they are. When a student asks for my help, I give it. I have helped students from Tennessee and Northern British Columbia, from France, from Germany, from Ireland, from a screenplay writing course I took just for fun here in Toronto who turned out to be writing a doctoral dissertation at York. I have provided materials, shared my websites, read chapters, served on committees many hours’ drive away, always making positive comments as well as suggestions for improvement, and always providing encouragement as Erin did for me. My father, who died when I was only eighteen, believed that our main life-after-death is how we live on in the memories of others. In that way, Erin will always live on in my heart and in the hearts of my students who gain so much more from me because of what she gave to me at a time in my life when it made all the difference.

Diane Schmalensee:

Dear Friends,

I recall meeting Erin through the Marketing Science Institute, where I worked and where Erin was welcomed because of her excellent scholarship and her cheerful enthusiasm for marketing.  I liked her instantly and was delighted to have the chance to interact with her over the years.

Then she met and married Hubert, moved to France, and had Aline and Valerie.  For many, this would have been the end of a cordial relationship, but not for Erin.  Every year she and Hubert sent their wonderful holiday letters and photos, full of enthusiasm and love for their children, their marriage and their careers.  Erin had the gift of being a true friend and including those of us in the States in her life.

I am deeply saddened by Erin’s death.  Her passing is a loss to so many in so many different ways, as the many tributes on the INSEAD site can attest.  I will miss her but take consolation in knowing that she lived an exemplary life as wife, mother, professor and friend.  Kudos to Erin, a role model for us all.

P.V. (Sundar) Balakrishnan: It is with the greatest of sadness that I learnt about the most untimely demise of Erin. It was difficult to write this and I put it off for a bit, and for that I apologize. This is a monumental tragedy.  I find it hard to comprehend that such a person as she who was so vital and energetic and enthusiastic in everything is no more.  It was at the Marketing Science conference at Atlanta in Emory University when I got a chance to meet with Hubert (after some years) that I enquired about Erin only to be told that she had just left.  I ran after her hoping to be able to catch up with her only to see her departing the campus and I finally gave up the chase thinking that I would meet her at another time.  I guess that is still the only option.

            At Wharton, Erin had an enormous influence on me.  Even though I never worked with her formally I truly enjoyed what she did.  Even more so I can never forget her generosity of spirit.  I recall walking into her office one day to ask some questions about research and recall leaving her room loaded with articles to copy for my own files (no JSTOR and other such internet based access to articles back then).  I also recall that she had an amazing impact on me in another way which went beyond the academic side.  At one point she handed out a chapter from a book on how to handle life as an Assistant Professor (written by two women psychology profs at Stanford and UCLA – my memory is going now?).  I recall reading that chapter many times as an Assistant Professor at Ohio State (I even recall sharing that with my father who enjoyed it) and never again finding my copy or figuring out how to get hold of it again.  The times spent visiting Erin and Hubert’s home in Philadelphia to celebrate Bastille day and playing with their very young daughter are other memories that I treasure.  The Christmas cards that she sent me for years were a source of joy to me and my wife especially as we enjoyed her lessons on raising American daughters in France… In fact, a message in her cards to the effect that it was okay to let kids see Disney movies was what finally prompted me to buy and let my daughters (I have three) watch Disney movies.

           I know that this must be the most devastating time in the life of her family.  You have our condolences and are in our prayers and thoughts.  

Shirley & Louis Bernstein: Our daughter, Rhonda, is married to Erin’s brother, Philip.  We gained not only a son-in-law, but also an extended family which we grew to love as well.  We have been blessed with Erin & Hubert, their children Valerie & Aline, and by extension the parents of Erin & Hubert.  Erin and Hubert were our gracious hosts in many different locales.  We always felt honored and welcomed in their presence.  We will have a void in our lives, but we feel fortunate in having had Erin touch our lives. 

Wonderful researcher, wonderful professor, wonderful person...

I will always be thankful for having spent some days with Erin.

My thoughts go to all her family.

Vincent (Vini) Onyemah:

Tribute to an Extraordinary Godmother

Erin was everything to me- my advisor, mentor, teacher, mother, father, advocate, and role model

She was my channel of hope and strength

It is almost a decade ago when she reached out to call me out of Africa

She did not know me

She was reacting to my application to do a PhD at INSEAD

I was there, hopeless, helpless, dejected, and burnt-out

I was at the point of losing my sanity

I heeded Erin’s call

A new horizon, hope, and energy flow my way from then on

Erin made something out of an insignificant African raw material

I owe it ALL to Erin

She was and will continue to be an extraordinary motor of my life

My mother told me I was going to meet a great mother in INSEAD

And how true it turned out to be

They are both gone now, both young, and in a seven-week interval

Erin my beloved

I have gotten this far thanks to you

You have gone back to your Creator

You have gone back home to rest

From there you will send us more beautiful fruits

Characteristics of your exemplary life

You have left a huge vacuum

Life, for me, is no longer the same   

Adieu my wonderful Godmother.

Reflections on Erin Anderson

Marketing Area Group

Ivey Business School

The University of Western Ontario

London, Ontario

Canada

November 2007

Our group sentiment as expressed by Niraj Dawar:  We were all greatly saddened by the news.  For those of us who had the privilege of knowing her, Erin had a remarkable influence on our thinking, even from an ocean away.  She was a tremendous colleague, friend, and mentor whom we could always count on for valuable advice, a sympathetic ear, and as a critical sounding board.  We will miss her greatly.  Our thoughts are with Hubert, Aline, and Valerie.

Individual faculty comments:

Don Barclay:  As a new faculty member in the mid 80s, I attended a conference where Erin was presenting.  During that presentation, I understood what it was to be a scholar.  Erin reached into areas that were not exactly “hot” because she believed that she could make a difference.  She presented with poise and confidence, listened carefully to questions, and responded in a measured manner.  I told myself that that was someone whom I would strive to emulate as my career unfolded.  Since that time, I had the opportunity to meet with Erin at conferences over breakfast, and during her visit to Ivey a number of years ago.  My image of Erin remained unchanged over the years and she will continue to be a role model for me.  Few and far between …

Ken Hardy:  I knew Erin and her work well given our shared interest was in channel management studies. She will be remembered as a very genial and consummate professional.

Terry Deutscher:  Other than short conversations on the occasions when our paths happened to cross, I didn’t know Erin well.  However, one interaction stands out.  I have written a few cases in my career that have been widely distributed.  No one has ever given me better feedback on a case than Erin did.  She sent me ideas about the situation and suggestions about teaching the case that were far superior to my teaching note.  She had nothing to gain from the hours it must have taken to put this together, but she took the time to do it in order to make my students’ and others’ experience with the case better.  What a consummate professional and what a selfless individual.

George John: I first met Erin when she was a doctoral student at UCLA, and I was making regular trips there to visit Debbie John (nee Roedder) who was on the faculty at that time. Erin was putting together her dissertation under Bart Weitz’s supervision. Bart and I had begun to sketch out some joint work, so it was only natural that he introduced me to Erin. We have been very good friends since those days, and the news of her untimely death came as an utter shock following as it did after a recent e-mail exchange where it appeared that she was on the mend. Although she was such a large part of my professional life, and her work features prominently in my own work, my biggest loss will be those Christmas letters from France penned by Erin. They marked the signposts of our families’ lives, and will always continue to remind me of her warmth, grace and style. Farewell, Erin.

Rezzan Canan Savaskan-Ebert: I had the chance to meet Erin during my PhD studies at INSEAD. She served as a committee member of my dissertation. I always thought she was such an amazing lady with so much energy and enthusiasm in everything she got involved with. I admired her a lot, not only because she was a top notch academic but also because she blended so well a very demanding career, family and motherhood.

Since then, I always remember one thing that she had told us in an MBA class on “ Marketing Channels and Conflict” . She had said that if you have a relationship (either with a channel partner or personal (husband/child/boyfriend), conflict is a natural part of this relationship. If there is no conflict, there is no relationship. I found this to be so true so many times…

Sandy Jap:  Erin was an amazing mentor, friend and colleague to me. From our first meeting in 1994, when she told me that she retained her maiden name “to indicate that our relationship was a joint venture, not a hostile takeover!” to our last conversation this summer at Aline’s wedding, she has left a lasting imprint on my heart. As a young faculty member I would stay for days at Erin’s house, learning how to be a better writer, formulating research ideas, and gaining invaluable insights on career management. We took long walks along the Seine River musing, laughing, and batting ideas. We enjoyed working together immensely and were fortunate to publish many of our ideas. She taught me a lot about story telling, leveraging data, and managing the review process. Above all, she never failed to amaze me with her endless optimism, even during our darkest days in the review process. Our field has lost a great example and inspiration. And I have lost an amazing friend.

My heart and prayers go to those most important in her life: Hubert, Aline & Maxuel, and sweet Valerie.

Charles Patton: My thoughts of Erin always focus on her generosity.  Over 20 years ago I asked her to be on my dissertation committee.  She graciously accepted and took time from her busy schedule to discuss a wide range of issues with me.  While in the program, my first son was born.  A few days later, when I first returned to the Marketing Dept. offices, Erin sought me out.   She handed me the cutest (my wife’s reaction) denim play suit for my son - a kindness that typified how Erin touched others with her words and actions.

On a more personal level, I once had the keen idea of how to solve the problem of a school vacation during which both Erin and Hubert were traveling, and that was a source of some displeasure for their youngest daughter, Valérie, who didn't want to be left at home. I simply said that Valérie might tag along with Hubert over to California, where he had a conference, and be left off with Erin's father, and then back with Hubert to France. Somehow, neither Hubert nor Erin had thought of that option, perhaps because it meant that Valérie would be taking a small trip on the plane all on her own. It ended up being a great school holiday for Valérie.
Shortly after that trip, Valérie's grandfather passed away. Erin made a point of thanking me several times for having suggested that idea at just the right moment.

My thoughts go to Hubert and his family, and most particularly to his youngest daughter.

Henrik Bresman: I arrived as a new faculty member at INSEAD two years ago, and Erin was one of the first to suggest we have lunch. We talked about big things, we talked about small things. I was struck by her rare talent of talking and listening with equal passion. This continued to strike me every time that we met. Including when we last spoke in Héricy – not many weeks ago. We will miss you, Erin. Very much.

Constantinos Lioukas:  To be a great scholar and at the same time humble and caring for others’ success is a very rare gift in academia. Erin had all of the above and even more. Although I was a student in a different department, she would be there whenever I needed her and indeed she had helped me several times prior to my dissertation research. She would do her best to advise and help others even when there was clearly no benefit for her. This is why she will be remembered by all of us. My thoughts are with Hubert, Phil and her daughters.

Landis Gabel: I worked with Erin on a number of projects, but I remember best our work together on the setup of the gender task force. It revealed her energy, commitment, and passion for a cause she believed in, and it reminded me as well what a pleasure it was to be with her. She was always thoughtful, interesting, involved, ready to listen as well as to argue in return. She had a special place in the INSEAD faculty, and we will all miss her.

Noshua Watson: I am deeply sorry for Erin’s family, colleagues and all the future students who won’t get to know her.  She did her best to communicate her expectations of us and also reveal the mysterious ways of our profession.  As a professional, she showed me that it is possible to be smiley and steely at the same time.  I was awed by her ability to make every encounter meaningful, no matter how brief.  Even when it wasn’t possible to spend much direct time with her, one could always learn from her very visible example.

Caroline van der Hart: I followed Erin's class back in 1998 and really enjoyed it.

I had to leave one of her classes feeling really sick and rushed to the “ urgences ” at Fontainebleau hospital.  When I told her about that next day, she was extremely nice and provided insightful advice.

Lots of strength to her family.

Lucy Quist: I left INSEAD in July 2005 and was honoured to be taught and coached by Erin.   In her I saw what I one day hope to became. Erin taught me to think in a way that no other person who has ever taught me has. She laid a foundation that still burns with hope of fulfillment. The beauty of it all was that Erin was honest in the deepest possible way. Willing to discuss the endless possibilities of marketing Africa (where I am originally from) well to the glint in her eyes when she spoke about her daughters. She embodied the confidence of a strong professional woman in love with her family.  

A special note to her daughters: You are blessed to have had such a wonderful woman for a mother. The last time she emailed me, she was hoping you, Aline, would be married on the 7th of July. She thought it would be romantic to be married on 7/7/07. She spoke of your sweetness, Valerie, as only a mother could.   I will always cherish her Christmas card, her signed book (latest edition of Marketing Channels) sent to me and words of encouragement when I left INSEAD struggling with changing career coupled with a family of two little boys.   I could go on endlessly but suffice to say that my life is much richer for having have been touched by hers.  

Murali Mantrala : While Erin was one of our field’s most influential scholars, she also was one of the most personable, gracious, and kindest people I have met.  Our field would be so much better if there were more people like her.   My last personal interaction with her was when she gave a stirring keynote research talk at the Enhancing Sales Force Productivity conference held on the University of Missouri campus just 18 months ago.   My colleagues and our doctoral students were talking about it for days afterwards.   I remember with immense gratitude her enthusiasm, unstinted encouragement, and many e-mailed suggestions when we first started planning this event.   She and her work will always be an inspiration for me – and I am sure for all of us.  

Sondra and I sat at the kitchen table and talked about Erin. Erin and Russ Root, my touchstones at Wharton. Erin, helping me with my first empirical study, teaching me how to appeal to an editor, and especially supporting me when I was rejected for tenure. Erin and Hubert, collegial, hospitable, generous, and smart. Erin and the girls. Erin visiting us here in Alphen….

We are so lucky to have known her.

Lisa Toulis:  As Admin. Manager I assisted Erin during the time when she was Area Co to the Marketing Area.  In my opinion, this truly was a great time to be part of INSEAD’s Marketing Area… as, with the help of her colleagues and recruitment team, she had just brought to life the great INSEAD ‘Marketing Boom’ by hiring 7 new faculty members in the same academic year.  The Marketing Area suddenly went from being a fairly small, hassle-free faculty area, all huddled up nicely on the top floor of the East Wing…to a huge, diverse, eager for action, 2 floor Faculty Area at the Cercle.  The admin team grew too, and very soon we became one of the largest faculty areas of the Institute – all proud to be part of the same team!

Despite the confidence that Erin displayed as a teacher and researcher, she was, in my opinion, quite the opposite. Erin was but a simple person with scary handwriting who needed to be reminded from time to time, just how much she had achieved…  Erin was first and foremost a woman and a mother.  We all knew when she’d been out on a shopping spree with her dear friend Anne and we openly commented on her new clothes and complimented her on how well she looked, yet she would always modestly turn the conversation away from herself…

Outside of the classroom and the safe surroundings of her office, she was, quite often, ‘à côté de la plaque’!  I remember one occasion when she pulled me into her office.  She was clearly not very happy with me (though I’m not sure that I’ve ever actually seen Erin cross or even not smiling…).  “Lisa”, she said to me sternly, “You seem to have repeatedly booked appointments for me with people that I don’t know and am not sure that I should be meeting….” and a loud ‘ding’ rings from her PDA.  “You see! This thing’s been ringing all day with appointments with people I simply don’t know and know even less about what they want from me…”  As it happened, Erin had accidentally picked up Hubert’s PDA that morning as she was rushing madly to get the girls to school and get to work on time, and was receiving notification for meetings that Hubert should have been attending…!  I’m still not sure to this day at what point Hubert actually realised that he had Erin’s diary instead of his own!  

Other faculty members would ask for a photocopy of a document whereas Erin wanted it xeroxed!  Other faculty members want a transparency made, Erin on the otherhand, wants an acetate…  Erin was indeed truly unique and already, I miss her dearly.

Ruth Lewis: I first met Erin in 1996 when for one year I was her faculty assistant, before working for other professors and then as admin manager in the Marketing Dept. Erin was always very considerate to her assistant but I don't think she realized the amount of work she generated. She always seemed to have several projects on the go that kept a steady stream of work flowing. It was sometimes hard to keep up. She would come in and out of the office several times a day quietly slipping a piece of work on the desk, often with a cryptic note in her hard-to-read handwriting. She once gave me a 3 page review to type up that she had scribbled on a plane, and I was quite proud that there were only 3 words I couldn't decipher.

She was extremely tenacious and would never take no for an answer. Whenever I said something couldn't be done she would listen, say "Hmm …", maybe go away to think about it, but would always return with a possible solution, or to urge me to try harder, had I tried so and so … I never heard her raise her voice, but she didn't need that to get her message across.

Erin was always open to try out new ideas: she agreed to work with two assistants on a job time-share, a first in the department and not something that appeals to most faculty.  As Marketing area coordinator, she was the first coordinator to sit in on faculty assistants' team meetings. She listened to us, respected and encouraged us and always defended our interests.  With mainly male colleagues in the department I think she appreciated being able to ask the assistants' opinions on a particular hairstyle or a new skirt. 

For Erin, collegiality was not limited to faculty. She encouraged social events across the department. One year on 'Secretaries' Day' she took all the assistants out to lunch even though she must have had far more important tasks. Erin was not great on small talk but she was thoughtful in little things: a smile, a thank you, an encouraging word. 

She will be much missed at INSEAD and in the marketing department.

For I have known her since she was a student at UCLA and she and Hubert were indeed instrumental in my joining INSEAD. And since I came here I found her equally generous outside professional life, helping people settle into the France she loved and always having time to talk to my wife and children, who remember her with great affection. For all of these reasons I find it hard to accept the reality that she is gone. Erin will be missed by all of those she has touched.

Fred Feinberg: I'll never forget Erin for her warmth, kindness and just being herself: a leader and great all-around person. I'd only known her through her work, but finally did get to meet her in person at a Marketing Science conference over 20 years ago. She could tell I was nervous, having to make my first professional presentation, and she hung out with me in the hall for quite some time, joking with me about, of all things, my tie (!), to keep my mind off it. It's funny what you remember, but for some reason I found every interaction with Erin memorable, because she was always so up and inspiring. Our field has lost one of its best ambassadors. You hear the term "role model" bandied about a lot, but in Erin's case it's spot on.

Sumitro Banerjee:   Erin’s passing away is shocking and a great personal loss for me. It was her letter that offered me admission to the PhD program at INSEAD and she personified for me success in academics. She was remarkably modest and caring. She in a way set the standards and made us believe that we could become successful academics ourselves.

Throughout the first three years of my PhD, she would be the first I would go to seek advice. I particularly remember the de-briefing sessions she had for us (PhD students) during the recruiting season in 1999 when INSEAD was trying to build up a behavioral group in the Marketing Dept.  From these meetings I learned a lot about the recruiting process and the qualities of a good job candidate in academia. I cannot think about the PhD program at INSEAD without thinking of Erin.  

Although my area of research later diverged from hers, she was always forthcoming with advice; be it about the job market or choosing co-authors for my research. I feel greatly indebted to her.

I extend my deepest condolences to Hubert, Aline and Valérie.

Manuela Batul Giangrande : There are no words that can express the void and sadness that Erin's premature departure has left in our hearts. Erin had two very exceptional qualities: humility and genuineness. She sincerely cared for her students and always had a word of encouragement for them. Indeed, she took so at heart the achievements of young scholars and it is not a surprise if many of us saw in her not only a role model but an academic mother. She taught us to be exemplary scholars but first and foremost to be dedicated colleagues. We will miss her deeply.

My most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with Hubert, Aline, Valérie, Phil, Ellen and all the people whose lives she touched.

Klaus Wertenbroch:  No matter where I turn, Erin shows up in so many places in my life since I entered the marketing profession.  She had a deeper and more lasting impact on me than most other colleagues and mentors have had, and that knowledge is sinking in ever more now that we have lost her.  

She and I first crossed paths virtually when I was in the Ph.D. program at Chicago, studying her classic work on transaction cost analysis for my qualifying exam.  Then she popped up again, still anonymously from afar, at the 1993 AMA Doctoral Colloquium in Urbana-Champaign where Barbara Kahn described Erin as the super role model at Wharton—working tirelessly on her research while at the same time lending support to her colleagues and students and still finding time to be a great mom, wife, and friend to all who knew her.  Without ever having met Erin, Barbara’s description of her stuck with me as that of someone whom I would want to emulate in this job if only I could.

Little did I know at the time that one day late in 1998, after the famous Marketing Science conference she and Hubert had organized at INSEAD that year, I would receive a call from Erin, now marketing area coordinator at INSEAD, innocently inviting me to give a talk there.  A few months later, Erin had put together what must be the biggest hiring coup that anyone has ever accomplished at a business school.  Through her tireless efforts and infectious enthusiasm, she had hired eight new colleagues to join INSEAD’s marketing area in 1999, almost doubling its size in one year, in addition to new hires before and after the group of eight.  Through her hiring efforts alone, Erin had a bigger impact on INSEAD than most others have had.  She bound us together by helping us adapt to life in France, by knocking on our doors to take us to lunch almost every day, and by creating a comforting and supportive atmosphere, in which we could contribute to INSEAD and to the marketing profession.

She was the one who, naïve as I was, put the right teaching portfolio together for me and put me in the right direction for succeeding at INSEAD.  She was always extremely helpful and always enthusiastically optimistic.  She was the center of gravity not only for us but also for many of our Ph.D. students.  And this was only her contribution to putting our marketing group together.  In addition, there has hardly ever been anyone at INSEAD who fired on all cylinders at the same rate as Erin did, whether it was in publishing academic research, teaching at the highest standards to many different audiences, mentoring colleagues and students, directing programs, and contributing to the management of INSEAD.

Without Erin, I would not be at INSEAD today.  She hired me, she mentored me, and she created a great group of people that I am proud to belong to.  My wife and I owe Erin a lot.  We all do.  We miss her.  Our hearts go out to all whose lives she touched, to Phil and his family, to her sister, and, most of all, to Hubert and their daughters.

Bart Weitz :  I first met Erin when I was on the faculty at UCLA.  Erin was an undergraduate at College of the Pacific talking with and visiting business schools about their Ph.D. programs in marketing. Even though she was only 21 years old, we were all impressed with enthusiasm, motivation, intellectual curiosity and positive attitude – qualities that she maintained throughout her life.  We were pleased that she joined our Ph.D. program and even more excited by her development during the program.  She evolved from an undergraduate mentality to a role model and mentor for the other excellent students we had in our doctoral program.  When students had problems and issues, they went to Erin for advice and council.  Everyone has ups and downs during their Ph.D. program, but Erin has always had a smile on her face looking at the glass as being half-full.

A year ago, Erin had a seizure while teaching at INSEAD-Singapore.  She was diagnosed with an inoperable, malignant brain tumor.  The prognosis was not promising, but she viewed this unfortunate circumstance as another hurdle she was going to overcome, another challenge, another set of negative reviews to address.  While others focused on the downside, she charged ahead and beat the cancer.  Several weeks ago she received the goods news – no more tumor.  Unfortunately she did not have much time to savor her latest achievement. Our discipline suffers when such a kind and caring person is no longer in our midst.

What a remarkable transition she made from growing up in Stockton, California to graduate school to polished and skilled MBA instructor at Wharton to very successful researcher and French resident. It seems incredible to me that such a bright and intense spirit could be extinguished -- but, of course, it never will be. I can see from all of the many tributes to her that Erin's spirit will be carried in others for many, many years to come.

Quy Huy: Three words summarize my respect for Erin as a colleague who leaves this world too soon:

COURAGE to express authentically her views of the world she faces and wants to improve

PASSION for whatever she undertakes

And GENEROSITY in helping others

Rest in peace. We will miss you!

Ioana Popescu:  Erin has touched so many lives in so many meaningful and beautiful ways. She has been the driving force behind the small group of Insead women, making a huge impact on us as a group, and individually. My interactions with Erin were brief but always energizing and resourceful. No small talk, I always felt I was getting something new and valuable, and a shot of motivation.  On one of my grey days in Fontainebleau, she gave me the best compliment I got at Insead, and drive for an entire year. Erin happily and constructively shared so many things, from the airborne trick (for staying healthy when teaching) to how to get tenure, wear jewellery as a statement (I am still working on it), and create a support system to manage kids, partner and work, and feel good about it all.  She admirably had gotten it all so right, and had the amazing talent and impetus to help others do the same. I know I will miss her. Working, sharing and living up to her standards will be a challenge, one that will keep Erin close to my heart.

My thoughts, and Peter’s, are with Hubert, Phil and the family.

Jagdip Singh: I remember running into Erin & Hubert early one morning on St. Pete’s beach while she was walking barefoot through the soft sands.  My encounter was reminiscent of many others had I with her.  She was full of humor, happiness and hope.  It was barely a year ago.  What a loss.

Jill Klein: Erin was my good friend and my mentor. She helped me navigate the INSEAD landscape when I arrived in 1997, and she was encouraging and supportive throughout the tenure process. Our offices were three doors apart before I moved to Singapore, and we were often together, running ideas by each other, or giving and receiving advice. Two days before she became ill last fall we had dinner in Singapore and had a long talk about managing the next 20 years of our careers and work/life balance. She was wonderful to talk with.

Erin was a terrific mom. She and Hubert have raised two fantastic daughters. I will never forget her excitement when Andrew and I were in the process of bringing home our daughter from Thailand. She helped make those long months of waiting for legal documents bearable.

My daughter is a tsunami orphan and every year since we met her, in early 2005, we have celebrated Loy Krathong, a Thai holiday. A ritual of the holiday is to launch small boats (Krathong) made of leaves and flowers on to the water. This is done in memory of those who have left us, and also for those still living, as a wish for future health and happiness. The holiday came again last Saturday and my daughter and I launched a Krathong in tribute to Erin, with wishes for her family (please see photos). As the Krathong sailed away from us, I tried to say goodbye, but I couldn’t, and I still can’t. Erin will be part of me always.

Michael Harper:  On behalf of my colleagues, I wish to express our deepest sympathies to her family and colleagues at INSEAD Business School.  Erin was a very special person and I for one will remember her with affection and for her incredible energy and warmth.  I have attended many business school lectures, and heard many great teachers in the classroom, Erin will rank as one of the finest I have been privileged to hear and engage with.  She will be sorely missed, but has created a legacy of learning, experimenting and excellence in the field of sales leadership and marketing channel design in Old Mutual South Africa.  We have been the richer for getting to know her.  Deepest sympathies.

Ziv Carmon:  Avital and I are in shock over the tragic news about Erin. She was (this last word was very difficult to type) such a lively person, with boundless energy, always carrying a warm smile, and spreading uplifting thoughts with everyone around her. Erin was obviously a truly great scholar whose work has been extremely influential. She is one of very few people in our field who wrote many articles that have clearly become seminal. Her work has had tremendous impact on the field, and her presence greatly helped boost our visibility and the draw respect for INSEASD. She was a major source of pride to her colleagues.

In spite of being an extremely busy person who clearly valued her time, Erin always seemed on the lookout for people whom she could help and spent endless hours trying her best to help faculty, PhD students, faculty assistants, and anyone else who seemed to need some help. A few minor personal examples: my interactions with her effectively convinced me that INSEAD was the place to be. Her energy, enthusiasm and positive outlook made were a key draw when I was being recruited by INSEAD. After I joined, Erin was consistently very helpful, providing advice on a very broad range of topics ranging from where to find a good dentist, where to buy good bagels, how to balance family and work life, how to be an effective executive education instructor, and how to deal with a difficult reviewer. She was also a great source for positive energy. One could always count on her to carry a smile and share a good word.

Avital and I send our deepest condolences to Hubert, Aline, Valerie and the rest of Erin’s family for the loss of this truly remarkable woman. We will miss her greatly.

Donna Hoffman:  I was shocked to learn that Erin had passed away.  The world can be a cruel and bitter place and my heart aches for Hubert and their children. I met Erin almost 25 years ago, when I was a doctoral student from psychometrics on the market in marketing.  She was kind and encouraging and made a wonderful comment to me that to this day I remember and cherish.  Over the years, I got to know her better, especially through my many years of involvement with ORSA/TIMS (now INFORMS).  She was always trying to make the field a better place and cared greatly for her students. I always admired her for her many accomplishments and achievements in multiple realms and her strong opinions.  It’s hard to believe she’s gone – I will miss her.

Michelle Rogan:  Erin and I met at the faculty retreat the year I joined INSEAD. It was time to head back to Fontainebleau and upon boarding the bus, both of us being prone to motion sickness headed for the front seats. I will never forget our conversation. In the two hour drive back to Fontainebleau, Erin had a greater impact on me than that of others that I have known for years. In a matter of minutes, she had managed to both inspire me and give me practical, usable advice as I embarked on my career at INSEAD. Reading the memories of others on this page makes me realize again how much I have missed… and that we will all miss. Erin was an amazing, wonderful person.

Eric Bradlow:  I am deeply saddened by the death of my friend Erin.   She, along with Hubert, have been extremely kind and generous to me in my career despite us never having overlapped at Wharton.  Last time I saw her -- she had not yet been diagnosed -- while I visited INSEAD, we were laughing and having drinks together.   It was a big party, but she came out of her way to "hang with me", a Wharton friend, for 10-15 minutes despite tons of people wanting to say hello to her.  I will always remember her laugh, her smile, and her spirit.  I will miss one of the “good people”, my friend Erin.

People of Erin's texture are few and far between, so when I cross their road I do cherish their memories. May God bless her soul and may God's grace be with Hubert and the family.

Peter Fader:  Erin served as my big sister as I entered the field of marketing.  She was more influential than anyone else in driving my decision to come to Wharton, and she kept me on the straight and narrow when I had plenty of self-doubts as a junior faculty member.  She taught me how to achieve the right balance in the many tradeoffs we all face, such as teaching vs. research, self-interest vs. good citizenship, and confidence vs. self-deprecation.  Those key lessons have guided my entire career, and I’ve done my best to pass them down to my junior colleagues and PhD students as well.

I was in awe of her ability to stand her ground and speak her mind, even when senior colleagues took strong opposing positions on certain issues.  She was a tenacious fighter, but would also be a great team player when all the fighting was over.

It was a sad day when I learned that she and Hubert were leaving Wharton for INSEAD, but at least I was able to keep in touch with her over the 13 years that followed.  The field of marketing has lost a great colleague, and I’ve lost my big sister.  That really hurts, but her spirit will live on and will continue to guide me – and all of us – as we find ways to move on without her.

Steve Brown: Erin was one of the most talented and gracious people I have ever met, in academe or any other sphere of life. I greatly lament her passing and take some small comfort in the thought that each of us who knew her is a little bit better for having been associated with her.

Subroto Roy: I was shocked to learn about Erin Anderson's passing. I met her only once at the 2006 Sales Force Productivity conference at University of Missouri, Columbia at the lobby of the business school. We talked briefly about her wonderful work on control and distribution channels and I was struck by her kindness and interest in my work and research interests.

Little did I think that Erin Anderson would pass away so soon.

Markus Christen: I am struggling for words that could describe the sadness that Erin’s premature departure left in me and the sorrow I feel for Hubert and all her family.  Her research record, her influence in building our marketing group, her ability to educate and guide PhD students, and everything else she did in her professional career speak for themselves.  We have lost a remarkable scholar and human being.

Erin was more than a great colleague at INSEAD; she was my mentor from the first day when I arrived as a rookie faculty.  She helped me overcome my struggles in the classroom by stressing the many things that I did well when we taught a course together even when the students did not share her enthusiasm for me.  She supported me with my research by always finding a positive angle and helping with constructive feedback even when reviewers did not see much worth encouraging in my work.  She gave me the opportunity to direct executive education programs when she became Dean of Executive Education.  She shared her insights about raising kids, dealing with school issues and being there for my family when I became a parent.  I also saw the caring mother Erin was when I was invited to her home.  I remember playing hide-and-seek with her daughter Valérie and experiencing the joie-de-vivre that radiated from her home.  That was Erin: always around, always optimistic, always full of energy and willing to help make things better, and always with a smile.  I will surely miss her drive, her enthusiasm and above all her smile.

My most heartfelt condolences go to Hubert and all of her family.

Erwin Knuyt: I met Erin as my professor sales force and channel strategy in 1999 on the IEP program at Insead. Since then we’ve kept in touch and I invited her a few times to Belgium to speak to a business audience. She made excellent presentations at the B2B marketing conference and the indirect sales channels conference. She was always working very close to the business community. Erin was able to connect very quickly and personally with the audience.

Her impact on me was very high, although I was never able to share this with her.

She will be missed.

Jonathan Story: Erin’s untimely death is a major loss to INSEAD, her colleagues, the business community and above all her family. Although I had little direct contact with her as a colleague, I will always remember her dedication to professionalism which is the hallmark of the INSEAD community. Heidi and I express our most heartfelt condolences to Hubert and the family.

She remained an intellectual and professional mentor to me even after moving to France. I remember a particularly intense period when we were working on our co-authored paper. I would stay up late in Philadelphia, email my work to Erin, and then wake up to find her precise comments, questions, and edits.

Erin was also one of the few people who literally changed the course of my professional life. I was so impressed by Erin that I chose a dissertation topic in marketing channels to ensure that she would be on my committee. Fifteen years later, my entire professional career is based on marketing channels.

I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to benefit from Erin’s warmth, encouragement, and intellectual intensity. I will miss her.

Brian Sternthal: I knew Erin from several meetings. We first met when we attempted to recruit her and Hubert to join the marketing department at Northwestern. We met again at her home when I was teaching over a several month period at INSEAD. And more recently,  I met with Erin when she came to Northwestern to give a talk and participate in executive programs.

Erin was an accomplished professional. She was a highly prominent researcher and an outstanding teacher. Her presentation skills were compelling: linear, informed, and informative. You got the feeling that Erin wanted you to learn what she had to say and that she had given substantial thought about to how to achieve this goal. And her presentations were delivered with the great enthusiasm she had for her topic.

What I admired most about Erin was that she brought the same sense of purpose, accomplishment, and enthusiasm to the many facets of her life. When you met her, you felt that she was genuinely happy to see you. When she cooked dinner, as she did when I was at INSEAD, it was elegant and delicious, with great attention to detail in presentation. Her home was both beautiful and comfortable. And Aline and Valerie were welcoming, friendly and upbeat. Erin was a positive force who set a high standard for fostering professional and personal relationships. I shall miss her.

Len Lodish: I will miss Erin a lot. We have been teaching a sales force executive program almost since I was fortunate enough to hire her and Hubert at Wharton. I remember clearly teaching Aline as a 5 year old girl to ride a 2 wheeled bicycle without training wheels.

The first thing that happened when Wharton and Insead created our alliance was Erin and I deciding to lead the “Leading Effective Sales Force” as the first alliance executive program. Erin was the heart and soul of that program - inspiring sales managers throughout the world to think very differently about strategic and tactical issues - particularly control and 3rd party outsourcing. Her enthusiasm and empathy were the reason the course was so successful in all of the alliance campuses-Fountainbleau, Singapore, San Francisco, and Philadelphia.

Susan and I will miss Erin a lot. She was a wonderful colleague and friend. Our hearts go out to Hubert, Aline and Maxuel, and Valerie.

Jim Bettman: Joan and I were so very sorry to learn of Erin’s passing, and we send our deepest condolences to Hubert, Aline, and Valérie. I first met Erin when she came to visit us at UCLA as an applicant for the doctoral program. From that first visit we knew that she was someone special.

What I remember was her boundless enthusiasm and wonderful mind. She loved ideas, and as a young PhD student she was always totally effervescent about some new topic or paper that she found fascinating.
It was wonderful to be there as she grew as a scholar, and it has been a pleasure over the years to see that she always kept that trademark Erin enthusiasm and joie de vivre. Our original assessment was right on the mark – Erin was indeed someone special, and our field is diminished with her passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with Hubert, Aline, and Valérie. Joan and I especially want them to know how much we admired Erin as a great scholar and an even greater human being, and we hope that the many warm memories we all have of Erin will bring both the family and all of us comfort.

Alice Tybout: I had the pleasure of interacting with Erin only occasionally but over a period of many years. I admired and respected how she lived her life both professionally and personally. Since learning of her untimely death, I’ve struggled to find the right words to express how Erin touched my life. 

When I think of Erin, I can’t help but recall her smile and the warmth with which she greeted old friends and approached new acquaintances. Her beautiful smile was a reflection of her optimistic nature and the joy with which she approached her life. The last time I saw Erin, we caught up over a glass of wine and her smile flashed frequently as she updated me on the news of Hubert and her girls.

My second association to Erin is that she was an exceptionally clear thinker. This quality was reflected in her presentation style; complex research ideas became clear when Erin presented. She was also clear about her priorities and managed to organize her life to balance an impressive professional career with being a devoted wife and mother and a valued friend.

My final association to Erin, one that is no doubt related to the previous two, is that she was always fully present and completely engaged in whatever she was doing. When my family visited INSEAD one year, I recall a wonderful Sunday afternoon that we spent at Erin and Hubert’s home. Not only was Erin a lovely and gracious hostess (and Hubert a wonderful host), but Erin prepared Beef Wellington, a dish of such complexity, that although I enjoy cooking I would never dare to prepare for company. Not surprisingly, the dinner was perfectly done and delicious.

I sometimes counsel female colleagues that, “you can have it all, but not all at once—you may need to back off a bit on the career to devote time to family or vice versa.” However, Erin is an example of someone who did manage it all, all at once, all the time. I am so sad that she is gone and my heart goes out to Hubert, Aline and Valerie.  May peace be with Erin and with her grieving family.

Georgette Phillips:  Because we (at Wharton) are on Thanksgiving break the news of Erin’s far too early passing has not yet reached most of the Wharton faculty. I suspect that soon this page will overflow with sentiments from this side of the Atlantic echoing the same warm memories of Erin voiced from her friends in Europe and Asia. As for me I arrived at Wharton in the fall of 1992 as a brand new assistant professor –without a clue. Erin took me under her wing and calmed my fears, strengthened my resolve and encouraged the talent that she could see but I continued to doubt. What is striking about Erin is that she could meet you and so completely take you into her trust immediately. I learned so much from her and only hope I can mentor young faculty in the way that she mentored me. When Erin and Hubert left for France our relationship continued-- punctuated at Christmas by Erin’s inimitable Christmas letter. How I looked forward to that envelope from France each holiday season! Over the years our relationship shifted from mentor to peers. We were both females in the rough and tumble world of business school faculty. We were both also mothers of young children who grew into teenagers then young adults. What did not change though was my deepest respect for a strong woman who remained feminine. A brilliant woman who remained modest. A colleague who was also a friend. To Hubert, Aline, Valerie and the rest of Erin’s family I send my deepest, most heartfelt condolences.

Bob Trinkle: I first met Erin when she was a grad student at UCLA and was doing research for her doctoral thesis. She flew to Philadelphia to interview me in order to collect information about manufacturers’ representatives which was the subject of her thesis. We have remained in contact ever since that first meeting and have even co-authored a book on the same subject of her thesis … “Outsourcing the Sales Function, the Real cost of Field Sales.”

Working with Erin for these many years was an enormously rewarding and enjoyable experience. Erin was the consummate professional! She would often send me papers looking for my opinions and comments. I would tell her that some of the material was difficult to understand to which she would say: “That was written for academicians and not meant for normal human beings.” Despite her humor, Erin had the uncommon ability to take a complex question or issue and explain it or translate it in easy to understand language with great simplicity and clarity. I will miss having the opportunity of having such exchanges with her.

Erin’s many years of research, writing and speaking regarding the manufacturers’ representatives fu