Rita McGrath

Rita McGrath

Keynote Speaker: Expert on Business Strategy in Uncertain Environments; Acclaimed Thinkers50 Thought Leader & Author

Rita McGrath Biography

Rita Gunther McGrath, a professor at Columbia Business School, is a renowned American strategic management scholar known for her work on strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. An expert on strategy in environments in which competitive advantages are temporary, her cutting-edge ideas help CEOs and senior executives hone their innovation, growth, and disengagement processes to succeed in rapidly changing environments, turning strategic threats into profitable opportunities.

Known for her ability to connect research to business problems, McGrath speaks regularly at corporate events, such as the Microsoft CEO Summit and the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. Beyond her role in academia, McGrath is also recognized as a business writer and speaker. She is associated with Innosight and is the founder of the innovation platform Valize.

Her book, "Discovery Driven Growth" was named one of BusinessWeek's best design & innovation books. Her methodology for business planning (originally published in a best-selling Harvard Business Review article) was cited by Clayton Christensen as an antidote to “innovation killers.” McGrath is one of the most widely published authors in the Harvard Business Review, having written twelve articles, including Failing By Design. Some of her other notable publications include "The Entrepreneurial Mindset," "MarketBusters," "The End of Competitive Advantage," and "Seeing Around Corners."

McGrath's significant contributions to her field have been recognized with numerous awards. She is a recipient of the 2022 C.K. Prahalad Award for scholarly impact on practice from the Strategic Management Society, the Maurice Holland Award, and the Distinguished Achievement Award in 2013. In 2009, she was inducted as a Fellow of the Strategic Management Society, an honor accorded to those who have had a significant impact on the field. She has also been ranked as one of the top management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, a distinction she again achieved in the most recent rankings.

Before joining academia, McGrath started her career working in government and the political arena. She joined the faculty of Columbia Business School in 1993, and prior to that, she was an IT director, worked in the political arena and founded two start-ups. McGrath received her Ph.D. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She teaches MBA and Executive MBA courses, and is the Faculty Director for the Columbia Executive Education program Leading Strategic Growth and Change. Her academic contributions also include authoring strategic management cases and contributing to the field of absorptive capacity.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Rita McGrath and other top speakers and celebrities.

Rita McGrath Speaking Topics

Snow Melts From the Edges: How to See Around Corners

How to see around corners.

Beware the Mal-Adjusted Organization

How having a framework for organizational alignment lets you use all the levers at your disposal.

Beyond Innovation Theater

How to move up the innovation maturity scale.

Catch a Wave: The New Strategy Playbook

Why you need to rethink your strategy in a post-advantage world.

Customers Should Not Be a Mystery

Surprisingly simple ways to create unique customer insights.

Rita McGrath Videos

Seeing Around Corners: Leveraging Women’s Leadership Skills During COVID-19
Rita McGrath
Rita McGrath Excerpts from The End of Competitive Advantage

How do I book Rita McGrath to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Rita McGrath for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Rita McGrath, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Rita McGrath or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Rita McGrath for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Rita McGrath, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Rita McGrath are $50,000 - $100,000 for live events and $20,000 - $30,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Rita McGrath, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Rita McGrath speak about?

Rita McGrath is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Technology, Innovation, Business Leadership, Business Growth, Professors, Corporate Strategy, Government, Women in Business, Entrepreneurship, Female Leadership, Business, Disruptive Thinking, Authors, Motivational, Workshop, Women in Tech and Strategic Leadership.

Where does Rita McGrath travel from?

Rita McGrath generally travels from New Jersey, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Rita McGrath?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Rita McGrath for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Rita McGrath for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Rita McGrath or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Rita McGrath is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Technology, Innovation and Business Leadership. The estimated speaking fee range to book Rita McGrath for live events is $50,000 - $100,000, and for virtual events $20,000 - $30,000. Rita McGrath generally travels from New Jersey, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Libby Gill, Dr. Jackie Freiberg and Barbara Corcoran. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Rita McGrath for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 06/09/2024.

Rita McGrath Speaking Topics

  • Snow Melts From the Edges: How to See Around Corners

    How to see around corners.

  • Beware the Mal-Adjusted Organization

    How having a framework for organizational alignment lets you use all the levers at your disposal.

  • Beyond Innovation Theater

    How to move up the innovation maturity scale.

  • Catch a Wave: The New Strategy Playbook

    Why you need to rethink your strategy in a post-advantage world.

  • Customers Should Not Be a Mystery

    Surprisingly simple ways to create unique customer insights.

Rita McGrath Videos

Seeing Around Corners: Leveraging Women’s Leadership Skills During COVID-19
Rita McGrath
Rita McGrath Excerpts from The End of Competitive Advantage
Strategyzer Webinar with Rita McGrath
  • How do I book Rita McGrath to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Rita McGrath for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Rita McGrath, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Rita McGrath or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Rita McGrath for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Rita McGrath, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Rita McGrath are $50,000 - $100,000 for live events and $20,000 - $30,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Rita McGrath, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Rita McGrath speak about?

  • Where does Rita McGrath travel from?

    Rita McGrath generally travels from New Jersey, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Rita McGrath?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Rita McGrath for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Rita McGrath for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Rita McGrath or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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RITA MCGRATH

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