Richard Rumelt
Richard Rumelt is one of the world’s most influential thinkers on corporate strategy and management and a Professor Emeritus of Strategy at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He is widely recognized for his foundational work on competitive advantage, corporate diversification, and the principles that distinguish effective strategy from poor strategic thinking. Rumelt’s research has focused on the sources of sustainable competitive advantage at the business and corporate levels, helping shape modern strategic management theory. In recent years, his research interests have centered on industry dynamics and structural transformation, with particular emphasis on the forces and patterns driving transitions in complex and rapidly evolving industries. During an extended leave from UCLA, Rumelt served on the faculty of INSEAD, where he led the Corporate Renewal Initiative, a research and intervention center dedicated to the study and practice of corporate transformation and strategic renewal. Beyond academia, he has advised leading global corporations and public institutions on strategy formulation, competitive positioning, and organizational resilience. Rumelt is the author of the widely acclaimed books Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, a definitive guide to effective strategic thinking, and The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists, which explores how leaders identify and act on the pivotal challenges that shape long-term success.
Richard Rumelt Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Professor Emeritus and Elsa Kunin Chair
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Professor and Head of the Corporate Renewal Initiative
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Assistant Professor
Academic History
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D.B.A., Business Policy
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M.S., Electrical Engineering
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B.S., Electrical Engineering
RESEARCH & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Richard Rumelt is recognized as a foundational contributor to both the theory of corporate diversification and the resource-based view of the firm, two pillars of contemporary strategy research.
He helped pioneer the systematic economic study of strategy and advanced the idea that long-term superior performance is driven not by simply operating in the “right” industry, but by a firm’s unique capabilities, disciplined focus, and excellence in execution.
Rumelt’s research has been especially influential in shaping how organizations create and sustain long-term value through clear diagnosis, coherent strategic choices, and focused action.
Beyond academia, Rumelt has worked closely with leading corporations and public institutions around the world, advising on competitive strategy, organizational renewal, and industry transformation.
His advisory work has included engagements with global organizations such as AT&T, Shell, Telecom Italia, King’s College London, O-I Corp, the National Bank of Canada, Lukoil, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Apple, Commonwealth Bank, Intel, Medtronic, Redgate, TransAlta, and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS
Rumelt’s influence on management thinking has been widely acknowledged across academia and industry.
The Economist profiled him as one of the 25 living individuals who have had the greatest impact on management concepts and corporate practice.
McKinsey Quarterly has referred to him as “strategy’s strategist” and described him as a “giant in the field of strategy.”
He received the prestigious Irwin Prize for his book Strategy, Structure, and Economic Performance, and has earned multiple teaching awards at UCLA.
In addition, he received a Best Paper Prize from the Strategic Management Journal in 1997, further cementing his standing as one of the most influential strategy scholars of his generation.