Rita McGrath

Rita McGrath is renowned as one of the world’s foremost experts on strategy and innovation, consistently ranking among the top 10 management thinkers globally. She has earned the prestigious #1 award for strategy from Thinkers 50.

As a trusted partner and strategic advisor to the C-suites of some of the most prominent companies, Rita is the go-to guide for leaders and senior teams navigating the complex landscape of growth, evolution, and innovation. Her expertise in identifying strategic inflection points is highlighted in her latest book, *Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen* (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019). Rita is also the author of five influential books on leadership, business, and organizational management, including the best-selling *The End of Competitive Advantage* (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013). Her groundbreaking work on discovery-driven growth has garnered acclaim from legendary management thinker Clayton Christensen, who praised it as offering “some of the most important tools of management and strategy that have ever been developed.”

Currently, Rita is crafting a new book filled with humor and insights aimed at helping organizations become ‘2% less stupid’ through permissionless structures. She is the creator and host of the popular podcast and newsletter, *Thought Sparks*, and engages in enlightening conversations with prominent authors and leaders in her *Fireside Chats* series on YouTube. With a growing presence on social media, including over 45,000 followers on LinkedIn, she shares valuable insights that resonate with a wide audience.

Known for her infectious energy, positivity, and storytelling prowess, Rita is a highly sought-after corporate speaker and a dedicated professor at Columbia Business School. She leads the acclaimed Executive Education course, *Leading Strategic Growth and Change*, guest lectures across various programs, and plays a pivotal role in initiatives like the Think Bigger Innovation Hub. Additionally, she serves as faculty director for Columbia’s prestigious custom program offerings, tailored learning experiences designed for individual organizations.

Rita is a frequent contributor to the *Harvard Business Review* and regularly publishes in top-tier journals such as the *MIT Sloan Management Review*. Her scholarly impact has been recognized with the esteemed C. K. Prahalad award from the Strategic Management Society, along with numerous accolades, including the “Theory to Practice” award from the Vienna Strategy Forum and multiple “best-paper” awards from the Academy of Management Review. A proud graduate of Barnard College (B.A.), the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (Ph.D.), and the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (M.P.A.), Rita also co-leads the Silicon Guild, a collective of thought leaders and best-selling authors focused on exploring trends in business, society, and culture.