T. J. Dermot Dunphy, MBA 1956

T. J. Dermot Dunphy, HBS 1956, was recruited by HBS friends Bill Donaldson, Dan Lufkin, and Richard Jenrette, founders of DLJ, to run a business they thought had potential given the right management. The company, Sealed Air, invented the now popular plastic bubble wrap, but the founders weren’t sure how to market it. Dermot took over the company and in the process essentially invented the packaging industry for enclosing and protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. He also created a first-rate R&D lab as well as a consulting-oriented sales force to continue developing packaging solutions for a wide range of firms. He recounted his journey as an entrepreneur from his home in New Jersey in March 2002. Interviewer: Amy Blitz, HBS Director of Media Development for Entrepreneurial Management.