Michael Porter

Professor Porter is the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor, based at Harvard Business School. As the leading authority on competitive strategy and the competitiveness and economic development of nations, states and regions, Professor Porter is well-regarded for his application of competitive principles to social problems such as health care, the environment and corporate responsibility. He is the author of 18 books (including Competitive Strategy, Competitive Advantage, and Redefining Health Care) and more than 125 articles. In 2001, Harvard Business School and Harvard University jointly created the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, dedicated to furthering his work. Professor Porter also chairs Harvard Business School's program for newly appointed CEOs of multibillion dollar corporations.

In addition to his research, writing and teaching, Professor Porter serves as an advisor to business, government and the social sector. He has served as strategy advisor to numerous leading U.S. and international companies including Caterpillar, Procter & Gamble, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Royal Dutch Shell and Taiwan Semiconductor. Professor Porter serves on two public boards of directors, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Parametric Technology Corporation and is on the Board of Trustees of Princeton University.

He received a B.S.E. with high honors in aerospace and mechanical engineering from Princeton University in 1969, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi. He received an M.B.A. with high distinction in 1971 from the Harvard Business School, where he was a George F. Baker Scholar, and a Ph.D. in Business Economics from Harvard University in 1973.