Rita McGrath

Rita McGrath, Columbia Business School Associate Professor, is a globally recognized thought leader and author whose focus is on developing innovation and growth strategies during times of uncertainty. McGrath works with boards, CEOs and senior executives to think strategically, by providing practical yet imaginative strategic advice. McGrath is a sought-after speaker at exclusive events such as the Global Drucker Forum, various CEO Summits and at corporate strategy sessions in a wide variety of industry sectors around the globe. She recently founded Valize, LLC, a company focused on providing structured and pragmatic approaches to an organization’s growth strategies by embedding an Innovation Operating System across its activities.

McGrath is currently working on a new book about strategic inflection points as a follow up to her bestselling The End of Competitive Advantage (2013). She has co-written three other books with Ian MacMillan: Discovery Driven Growth, (2009) which was cited by Clayton Christensen as one of the most important management ideas ever developed; MarketBusters: 40 Strategic Moves that Drive Exceptional Business Growth (2005); and The Entrepreneurial Mindset (2000), all published by Harvard Business Review Press. MarketBusters has been translated into ten languages and was named one of the best business books of 2005 by Strategy+Business.

McGrath was ranked in the Top 10 of Thinkers50 business gurus in 2017, 2015 and 2013 and received the #1 Achievement Award in Strategy for her research published in her book, The End of Competitive Advantage. McGrath is one of the most widely published authors in the Harvard Business Review and she is often interviewed and cited by the press, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, and NPR’s Marketplace. She maintains an active social media presence, and has been rated one of the 25 smartest women to follow on Twitter by Fast Company magazine. McGrath was voted HR Magazine’s Most Influential International Thinker, writes regularly for Fortune magazine’s online edition, is a regular contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s “The Experts” column and blogs regularly at HBR.org.

She received her Ph.D. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and has degrees with honors from Barnard College and the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs. She is married and is proud to be the mother of two delightful grownups.