Thirty years after graduating from Harvard Business School, Ann S. Moore, the chairman and CEO of Time, Inc., will return to her alma mater on Wednesday afternoon to deliver the Class Day speech to graduating students.

Moore, described as one of the “Most Powerful Women” in American business by Fortune Magazine, will follow a chain of CEO’s who have spoken at the Business School’s ceremony, including Kenneth I. Chenault of American Express, Jeffrey R. Immelt of General Electric, A.G. Lafley of Proctor & Gamble.

A 1978 graduate of the Business School, Moore left Harvard for Time, Inc. in order to serve as a financial analyst. After working at the company for more than 20 years, she was appointed chairman and CEO in July 2002 and she now oversees more than 125 magazine titles and 40 Web sites.

Kelly P. Diamond, the Business School’s associate director of student and academic services, said Monday that Moore’s upcoming speech has generated excitement across the campus.

“She’s highly recognized in the publishing world, she’s one of Fortune’s 50 most powerful women, and she’s received our Alumni Achievement Award,” she said. “That’s exactly the kind of speaker we need to have on Class Day.”

Diamond added that students will be able to connect with Moore because of her connection to the Business School.

“I think she understands what it is to be an HBS grad,” she said. “It’s such a different community. I think to have someone who understands that is really helpful.”

Last year, Fortune Magazine named her as one of the 50 most powerful women in America, writing, “Time Inc. is the biggest gorilla in the U.S. magazine business.

“Half of American households read at least one of its titles every month,” the magazine wrote. “Moore has ramped up digital initiatives, and Time Inc. websites get 20 million unique visitors a month.”

Since Fortune launched its list in 1999, Moore has received the honor in each year.

Moore’s selection as speaker was based largely on student choice.

After the Business School’s Student Class Day Committee sent a survey at the beginning of the year, Moore received strong support from students who had to choose from a list of approximately 50 names.

“It’ll be great for men and women to kind of understand the struggles that have gone on in the past,” said Michon M. Pinnix, who serves on the Business School’s Class Day Standing Committee. “It’s a really nice way to cap off my experience.”

—Staff writer Kevin Zhou can be reached at kzhou@fas.harvard.edu.