Available to book
Rita McGrath
Transform strategic innovation with Rita McGrath, speaker and strategy expert. Rita works with organizations to navigate inflection points and build sustainable innovation capabilities, ranking consistently among Thinkers 50's top 10 management thinkers globally.
Rita McGrath is a world-leading strategy and innovation expert who helps organizations navigate strategic inflection points and build sustainable innovation capabilities.
As well as being a professor and Academic Director in Executive Education at Columbia Business School, Rita is the founder of the Rita McGrath Group and innovation platform Valize, translating cutting-edge research into actionable business insights.
Rita ranks consistently among Thinkers 50's top 10 management thinkers globally, earning their #1 award for strategy. Author of five acclaimed books including "Seeing Around Corners," her work on discovery-driven growth was praised by Clayton Christensen as offering "some of the most important tools of management and strategy ever developed."
Organizations facing disruption and uncertainty turn to Rita for practical frameworks that drive results. Her expertise helps leadership teams identify strategic inflection points before they become obvious, transform innovation from theater into capability, and develop the agility needed in today's volatile business environment. Rita's C-suite advisory work spans industries, bringing proven methodologies for sustainable growth.
Audiences leave Rita's presentations with concrete tools for spotting market shifts early, frameworks for building innovation proficiency beyond surface-level efforts, and actionable approaches to strategic growth amid uncertainty. Her engaging, customized delivery combines academic rigor with real-world applications.
Book Rita McGrath to equip your organization with the strategic foresight and innovation capabilities essential for thriving in an increasingly unpredictable business landscape.
Topics, sessions and talks
Rita McGrath discusses the gradual emergence of significant business shifts and how leaders can identify early signs of change before they become apparent. By focusing on proactive strategies, she helps organizations prepare for disruption rather than react to it. With her clear and engaging approach, McGrath provides practical tools for navigating uncertainty and making informed decisions. Attendees will learn how to anticipate change and position their organizations for competitive advantage.
Rita McGrath challenges the notion of sustainable competitive advantage, offering a new framework for navigating constant change. She critiques traditional strategies that fail in today's dynamic environment and introduces models for achieving transient advantage through continuous renewal. By blending academic insights with practical applications, McGrath equips leaders to rethink their strategic approaches. Attendees will learn how to adapt their strategies to thrive in ever-evolving markets.
Rita McGrath presents a systematic approach to planning in uncertain environments, challenging traditional forecasting methods. Drawing from principles that inspired the lean startup movement, she emphasizes structuring initiatives with limited information and prioritizing learning over prediction. This approach helps leaders minimize risk while fostering innovation, making it particularly valuable for organizations in volatile or rapidly changing markets. Attendees will learn how to effectively navigate uncertainty and enhance their strategic planning processes.
Rita McGrath emphasizes the importance of insights often overlooked in large organizations, urging leaders to focus on peripheral activities. She presents eight thought-provoking questions designed to reveal hidden risks and opportunities that may escape top executives. Through her unique combination of storytelling and analysis, Rita guides organizations in developing systems that identify critical signals early. Attendees will learn how to enhance their strategic awareness and make informed decisions that drive success.
Rita McGrath emphasizes that innovation can become a consistent and reliable process when the appropriate tools are utilized. She highlights the importance of implementing effective strategies to foster creativity and drive results. Attendees will learn how to identify and leverage the right tools to enhance their innovation processes, ensuring they can replicate success and adapt to changing market demands.
Rita McGrath, a top-ranked global strategy expert and Columbia Business School professor, equips organizations with practical frameworks to spot market shifts early and transform innovation from theater into sustainable capability. Book Rita to provide your team with the strategic foresight and actionable approaches needed to thrive in today's unpredictable business landscape.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
To book Rita McGrath, email rita.mcgrath@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Rita's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
Rita McGrath structures her sessions around proprietary frameworks drawn from her academic research, translating concepts such as transient advantage and discovery-driven growth into step-by-step tools that leaders can apply directly to their organisations' strategic planning processes.
Rita McGrath's sessions cover strategic inflection points and anticipating disruption, transient competitive advantage and continuous strategic renewal, and discovery-driven planning for uncertain environments. She is a professor and Academic Director in Executive Education at Columbia Business School and holds the Thinkers 50 number one ranking for strategy.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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