Rosabeth Moss Kanter Profile Picture

Keynote SpeakerRosabeth Moss Kanter

Internationally known business leader, best-selling author, and advocate for change in business and government

Rosabeth Moss Kanter is changing the world. Through 35 years of research, work, and teaching, this renowned Harvard Business School professor has inspired cutting-edge innovation, strategy, leadership and culture across a broad spectrum of for-profit and non-profit industries, including celebrated corporations like IBM, Proctor & Gamble and Verizon. Attendees of... Read More

Biography

Rosabeth Moss Kanter is changing the world. Through 35 years of research, work, and teaching, this renowned Harvard Business School professor has inspired cutting-edge innovation, strategy, leadership and culture across a broad spectrum of for-profit and non-profit industries, including celebrated corporations like IBM, Proctor & Gamble and Verizon. Attendees of her talks emerge with the tools to not only become more effective corporate team members and leaders, but also to apply their business know-how to tackle social change.

Named among the 50 most powerful women in the world (Times of London) and the 50 most influential business thinkers in the world (Accenture and Thinkers 50), Kanter is a distinguished social scientist, educator and writer whose work focuses on the dynamics of organizational leadership, change and confidence. Her most highly regarded presentation themes – on the leadership of turnarounds and mastering change in turbulent times – are particularly relevant in today’s economic environment. Other popular lectures describe how to “load for growth,” outline the enduring skills of change leaders and explain why surprises are the new normal and resilience is the new skill.

Kanter holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School where she specializes in strategy, innovation and leadership for change. She is also the chair and director of the Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative, an innovative approach toward solving the big problems of today, while also reducing those of the future through public service initiatives. The program challenges highly successful, experienced leaders at the top of their professions to grow their skill set beyond that of their chosen careers and to apply their talents toward the resolution of issues affecting health and welfare, children, education and the environment. In addition, through Goodmeasure Inc., the consulting group Kanter co-founded, she has partnered with IBM on applying her leadership tools from business to other sectors. She is also a senior advisor for IBM’s Global Citizenship portfolio.

Kanter is the author or co-author of 18 books. Her latest, “SuperCorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good” (Crown Business, 2009), a manifesto for leadership of sustainable enterprises, was named one of the 10 Best Business Books of 2009 by Amazon.com. Kanter’s “Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End” (Crown Business, 2004) was a New York Times best-seller and rated #1 by Businessweek. She is also one of the top business bloggers for Harvard Business Review, providing of-the-moment commentary on newsworthy items in relation to corporate social responsibility, leadership and innovation.

Kanter has received 23 honorary doctoral degrees as well as numerous leadership awards and prizes for her books and articles. In 2001, Kanter received the Academy of Management’s Distinguished Career Award for her scholarly contributions to management knowledge. She was named “Intelligent Community Visionary of the Year” by the World Teleport Association in 2002 and received the International Leadership Award from the Association of Leadership Professionals in 2010. She has served on numerous business and non-profit boards, including City Year – the urban “Peace Corps” now focused on addressing the school dropout crisis – and on national or regional commissions including the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors.

Popular Talks by Rosabeth Moss Kanter

  • Transformation
  • Strategy
  • Leadership