Clayton Christensen's research and teaching interests center on the management issues related to the development and commercialization of technological and business model innovation. Specific areas of focus include developing organizational capabilities and finding new markets for new technologies.

Professor Christensen holds a B.A. with highest honors in economics from Brigham Young University (1975), and an M.Phil. in applied econometrics and the economics of less-developed countries from Oxford University (1977), where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He received an MBA with High Distinction from the Harvard Business School in 1979, graduating as a George F. Baker Scholar. He was awarded his DBA from the Harvard Business School in 1992.

Christensen has served as a director on the boards of a number of public and private companies. He is currently a board member at Tata Consulting Services (NSE: TCS), Franklin Covey (NYSE: FC), W.R. Hambrecht, and Vanu. Christensen also serves on Singapore's Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC).

In 2000, Christensen founded Innosight, a consulting firm that builds on disruptive innovation frameworks to help companies create new growth opportunities. In 2007, he founded Rose Park Advisors, an investment firm, which is focused on identifying investment opportunities by applying the framework of disruptive innovation. Christensen is also the founder of Innosight Institute, a non-profit think tank, whose mission is to apply his theories to the most vexing problems in the social sector.

Prior to joining the HBS faculty, Professor Christensen served as chairman and president of Ceramics Process Systems Corporation (CPS), a firm he co-founded with several MIT professors in 1984. CPS is a leading developer of products and manufacturing processes using high-technology metals and ceramics such as silicon nitride and silicon carbide. From 1979 to 1984 he worked as a consultant and project manager with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he was instrumental in founding the firm's manufacturing strategy consulting practice. In 1982 Professor Christensen was named a White House Fellow, and served through 1983 (on a leave of absence from BCG) as assistant to U.S. Transportation Secretaries Drew Lewis and Elizabeth Dole.

Professor Christensen became a faculty member at the Harvard Business School in 1992. He taught courses in Technology and Operations Management, General Management, and Operations Strategy. He then developed a course called Managing Innovation. Professor Christensen currently teaches an elective course he designed called Building a Sustainably Successful Enterprise, which teaches managers how to build and manage an enduring, successful company or transform an existing organization.

Clayton M. Christensen is the bestselling author of five books, including his seminal work The Innovator's Dilemma (1997) which received the Global Business Book Award for the best business book of the year, The Innovator’s Solution (2003), and Seeing What’s Next (2004). Recently, Christensen has focused the lens of disruptive innovation on social issues such as education and health care. Disrupting Class (2008) looks at the root causes of why schools struggle and offers solutions, while The Innovator's Prescription (late 2008) examines how to fix our healthcare system.

Professor Christensen's writings have been featured in a variety of publications, and have won a number of awards, such as the Best Dissertation Award from The Institute of Management Sciences for his doctoral thesis on technology development in the disk drive industry; the Production and Operations Management Society's 1991 William Abernathy Award, presented to the author of the best paper in the management of technology; the Newcomen Society’s award for the best paper in business history in 1993; and the 1995 and 2001 McKinsey Awards for articles published in the Harvard Business Review.
Clayton Christensen's Mission to Korea

Professor Christensen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He worked as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Republic of Korea from 1971 to 1973 and speaks fluent Korean. He continues to serve in his church in a variety of ways and is extensively involved in other activities in the community.

He served from 1986 to 1994 as a member of the Program Review Board and Strategic Planning Committee of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and was a member and chairman of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Affiliate of the American Diabetes Association between 1984 and 1996. Professor Christensen was also a founding board member of the Combined Health Appeal of Northeastern Massachusetts.

He was an elected member of the Town Meeting (council) in Belmont Massachusetts for eight years; served as vice-chairman of the town's personnel board; and as chairman of its long-range financial planning task force. He has served the Boy Scouts of America for 25 years as a scoutmaster, cubmaster, den leader and troop and pack committee chairman. He and his wife Christine live in Belmont, MA. They are the parents of five children.

Special note regarding fees:

Clayton Christensen's speaking fees are based on the meeting or event location as well as connecting flights and other specific details to the engagement. In addition, there is the option to deliver Clayton Christensen's presentation to your group via video or satellite conferencing technology, in addition to the costs, which are generally minimal.

Please call us for specific details on bringing Clayton Christensen to your group so we may advise on the appropriate fees.