Find What Drives You: Metropoulos Prepares Inspiring Message for Babson Undergraduates

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Hillary Chabot

Hillary Chabot is a writer for Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. An award-winning journalist, she is known for her insightful reporting and dedication to detailed storytelling. With a career spanning over two decades, she has covered a wide range of topics, from presidential campaigns and government policy to neighborhood issues and investigative series. As a reporter for The Boston Herald, Hillary earned a reputation for tenacity and integrity. Her work at Babson College fuels her passions—to learn something new every day and conduct thoughtful, empathic interviews. She’s thrilled to be at Babson College, where students, faculty, staff members and classes provide compelling copy daily.

May 11, 2026

Man speaks at lectern while a woman and man look on.

C. Dean Metropoulos ’67, MBA ’68, seen at the 2024 ribbon cutting for the C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Technology and Entrepreneurship, will give the undergraduate Commencement address on May 16. (Photo: Nic Czarnecki/Babson College.)

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If there is one piece of advice that business turnaround titan C. Dean Metropoulos ’67, MBA ’68 hopes Babson College’s Undergraduate Class of 2026 takes away from his May 16 commencement speech, it’s to find a career that sparks interest and excitement.

“These early years are your key to find the things that excite you, the things that motivate you,” Metropoulos said. “When you find it, that will drive your success.”

Graduates too often lock themselves into a single path, Metropoulos said. Instead, they should test different directions early in their careers to find what they like best.

“In the first two or three years, find out that thing you’re passionate about,” he said. “If you’re not happy with the first bite, don’t overwork it. Make a change.”

That mindset reflects his own journey. Metropoulos enjoyed his early roles at Xerox and GTE International, where he traveled extensively and developed a global perspective, but he wasn’t afraid to pivot into private equity, a then-emerging field that would define his career.

COMMENCEMENT 2026: Learn more about Babson’s Commencement ceremonies May 16.

He credits both hard work and something less tangible for his success: luck, circumstance, and the opportunities afforded to him.

“I’ve been blessed,” he said. “Yes, it’s hard work and drive, but opportunity matters.”

Metropoulos has spent decades building, reviving, and scaling some of the most recognizable consumer brands in the world. This spring, he will return to Babson College, offering a new generation of entrepreneurs a perspective shaped by both success and reflection.

As chair and CEO of Metropoulos & Co., Metropoulos has built a career defined by transformation. His firm has invested in and revitalized dozens of companies, from Hostess and Pabst Brewing Company to Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and Morton Salt, helping propel legacy brands into new eras of growth. Most recently, Metropoulos purchased a 5% ownership stake in the New England Patriots. In recognition of his impact, he will also be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Babson ceremony.

But his message to graduates will not center on business deals or balance sheets. Instead, it will focus on something more foundational: curiosity, exploration, and understanding what truly motivates a career.

“I look forward to connecting and stimulating those young people that are all anxious to move forward,” Metropoulos said. “America is a guiding light to many young people throughout the world.”

A Return to Where It Began

For Metropoulos, the invitation to speak carries a personal resonance. Returning to Babson evokes memories of a formative environment that emphasized interaction, ideas, and entrepreneurial energy over rigid structure.

“It brings me back to my early youth,” he said. “The entrepreneurial spirit, Babson is very good at inspiring that.”

He has long maintained a close relationship with his alma mater, serving as a former member of the Board of Trustees, a member of the Weissman Circle of Distinction, and an inductee to the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs in 2017.

“These early years are your key to find the things that excite you, the things that motivate you. When you find it, that will drive your success.”
C. Dean Metropoulos ’67, MBA ’68

Babson’s entrepreneurial spirit continues to shape how he views today’s graduates. While the business landscape has evolved dramatically, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence and globalized markets, Metropoulos sees Babson students as uniquely positioned to lead.

With the College’s continued emphasis on innovation, including the recently established C. Dean Metropoulos Institute for Technology and Entrepreneurship, he believes graduates are entering a world where technology and entrepreneurship are inseparable.

“Technology is going to be a big part of the world going forward,” he said. “No business today can operate without it.”

Balancing Drive with Humanity

Metropoulos with his wife, Marianne, emphasized the importance of philanthropy. (Photo: Nic Czarnecki/Babson College)

While much of his early career was focused on building businesses, Metropoulos has also developed a deep commitment to philanthropy, an area he describes as equally meaningful, though fundamentally different from entrepreneurship.

Through the Metropoulos Family Foundation, he and his family support initiatives ranging from education and health care to environmental efforts and animal welfare. His wife, Marianne’s, work includes educating children in underserved regions and supporting global health programs.

For graduates, he frames this not as a tradeoff, but as a balance.

“As a young person, your first level of energy will go toward building a career,” he said. “But never forget to be kind and helpful.”

That ethos, combining ambition with empathy, extends to his broader worldview. Whether discussing environmental challenges or global inequality, he emphasizes the responsibility that comes with success.

“Kindness and moderation are the key to happiness,” he said, echoing a philosophy he believes is as relevant today as it was centuries ago.

Inspiring the Next Generation

Ultimately, Metropoulos says what excites him most about Commencement is not the speech itself but the audience.

“I love looking at that curiosity, the energy in their eyes,” he said. “It’s very stimulating.”

Having spent years working alongside his sons, Evan and Daren, in the family business, he has seen firsthand how new generations bring fresh ideas and perspectives. He expects the same from Babson’s Class of 2026 and hopes his remarks will both challenge and encourage them.

“They might have better ideas than you do,” he said with a laugh. “You have to listen.”

As graduates prepare to step into an increasingly complex and fast-moving world, Metropoulos’ message appears likely to strike a balance between realism and optimism: work hard, stay open, explore widely, and do not lose sight of the human element along the way.

For a leader who has spent a lifetime building businesses, it is a reminder that success is not just about what you create, but how and why you create it.