Julian Birkinshaw is one of the world’s leading authorities on strategy, innovation, and the future of management. In August 2024, he was appointed Dean of the Ivey Business School (Western University, Canada)—his alma mater—after a distinguished career as Vice Dean and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School.... Read more
Julian Birkinshaw is one of the world’s leading authorities on strategy, innovation, and the future of management. In August 2024, he was appointed Dean of the Ivey Business School (Western University, Canada)—his alma mater—after a distinguished career as Vice Dean and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School. He is also a Fellow of the British Academy, the Strategic Management Society, and the Academy of Management, reflecting his international stature in the field of management. He has dedicated his career to helping organizations understand how to adapt and thrive in times of turbulence and change.
A prolific thought-leader, Julian is the author of fifteen influential books, including Mindtools for Managers, Fast/Forward, Becoming a Better Boss, and Reinventing Management, as well as over one hundred scholarly articles. His award-winning Harvard Business Review article How Incumbents Survive and Thrive captured the essence of his message: established companies can reinvent themselves, even in the face of relentless disruption. This combination of rigorous research and accessible insight ensures that audiences walk away from his talks with both inspiration and practical frameworks they can apply immediately. He also contributed to the ideas that shaped the UK’s Behavioural Insights Team (the “Nudge Unit”), exploring how behavioral science and subtle interventions can influence decision-making. This perspective on the interplay between human intuition, choice architecture, and strategic action adds a unique dimension to his work with leaders and executives.
Julian’s value as a speaker lies in his ability to cut through complexity and provide clarity at a time when leaders face unprecedented challenges—from digital transformation and the rise of generative AI to the shifting demands of the post-pandemic workplace. His presentations blend cutting-edge research with compelling case studies, offering audiences pragmatic strategies for corporate renewal, agility, and long-term success.
Recognized as one of the “Thinkers50” top global management thinkers, Julian is frequently quoted in international outlets such as CNN, BBC, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and The Times. His global perspective, combined with decades of advising major corporations, gives his audiences insights that are both authoritative and actionable. Whether he is addressing a room of CEOs, a global conference, or an internal leadership retreat, Julian energizes and equips leaders to see disruption not as a threat but as an opportunity to reinvent their organizations and themselves.