
Dave Ulrich
Passionate about the need for radical change within the HR industry, David Ulrich is an engaging and entertaining speaker with truly educational insights into management and leadership.
Dave Ulrich's videos
What Dave Ulrich's clients say
"Review for his book 'HR from the Outside In': This book is a crucial blueprint of what it takes to succeed. A must have for every HR professional"
"Review for his book 'HR from the Outside In': Packed with facts, evidence, and prescriptive advice. It is about being a business leader first, and an HR professional second."
Available for
Languages:
- English
Dave Ulrich's 2025 biography
About Dave Ulrich
Dave Ulrich has been the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at the RBL Group (). He has published over 200 articles and book chapters and over 30 books. He edited Human Resource Management for ten years, served on editorial board of four other journals and on the Board of Directors for Herman Miller (16 years), has spoken to large audiences in 90 countries; performed workshops for over half of the Fortune 200; coached successful business leaders, and is a Distinguished Fellow in the National Academy of Human Resources. He posts weekly and comments daily on LinkedIn (over 350,000 followers and 3,300,000 page views in 2024) and has a free weekly newsletter with over 220,000 subscribers (). His work creates ideas with impact about how to deliver stakeholder value through human capability (talent + organization + leadership + HR).
Organization. With co-authors, he has influenced thinking about modern organizations (Reinventing the Organization) by empirically showing how organization delivers four times business results over talent (Victory Through Organization), defined organizations as bundles of capabilities (Organization Capability) and worked to delineate capabilities of talent management (Why of Work; Talent Accelerator), culture change (GE Workout), learning (Learning Organization Capability), and collaboration (Boundaryless Organization).
Leadership. With colleagues, he has also articulated the basics of effective leadership (Leadership Code and Results Based Leadership), connected leadership with customers (Leadership Brand), shown how leadership delivers market value (Why the Bottom Line Isn’t), shapes investor expectations with an ability to measure leadership (Leadership Capital Index), and synthesized ways to ensure that leadership aspirations turn into actions (Leadership Sustainability).
Human Resources. He and his colleagues have shaped the HR profession and he has been called the “father of modern HR” and “HR thought leader of the decade” by focusing on HR outcomes, governance, competencies, and practices (HR Champions; HR Value Added; HR Transformation; HR Competencies; HR Outside In). He spearheaded a “gift” book on the future of HR (The Rise of HR) distributed to over 1,500,000 HR professionals), in which 70 thought leaders freely shared their insights.
Honors include:
- 2024
- I4CP industry legend award
- Linkedin Top Voice (300 out of 1 billion users)
- #2 global HR influencer out of 50 by PeopleBox
- #10 USA most important people in management by Academic Influence ;discipline=management#search-results
- Other notables (#1 Edward Deming, #4 Jeff Pfeffer, #5 Warren Bennis, #7 Peter Drucker #11 Jay Galbraith)
- 2023
- Patron of the Dave Ulrich HR Excellence Award sponsored by Indian Institute of Social Welfare (IISWBM)
- Listed as one of the top100 inspirational global leaders by
- #5 (out of 200) thought leader in leadership by LeadersHum
- #12 of 20 of leadership thought leaders by Thinkers360
- 2022
- Ranked #1 (of 50) HR leaders shaping the future of work by LeadersHum
- LinkedIn “Influencer” (LinkedIn’s top 500 thought leaders, experts, innovators, and thinkers)
- One of top 10 voices on culture by Linkedin
- Listed in Who’s Who in the Future of Work by analytica
- One of top 30 People Analytics leaders by Perceptyx
- #6 (out of 200) thought leader in leadership by LeadersHum
- 2021
- Lifetime Achievement Award from Institute of Management Studies
- #3 (out of 200) thought leader in 2021 by PeopleHum
- ”Most Influential Global HR Leader, 2021” sponsored by PeopleFirst and HRD Forum
- ”Honorary Member” of IFTDO (500,000 person training/development organization)
- 2020
- Distinguished Fellow (one of 15 total), National Academy of Human Resources
- Michael R. Losey Excellence in Human Resource Research Award by SHRM
- Honorary Doctorate from Utah Valley University
- Initiated the Dave Ulrich Impact Award by the Academy of Management to honor contribution in HR
- 2019
- Named one of the 100 top influencers in HR (in leadership & development category)
- Named one of the top 20 influential HR leaders
- Ranked #1 thought leader in HR by HRD Connect
- 2018
- Named one of the 20 most influential business professors in the world by top-business-degree (#13)
- 2017
- Named to the Thinkers50 “Hall of Fame”, a recognition of lifetime achievement in influencing management
- Chartered Fellow of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand
- 2016
- Presidential lecture “in defense of organization” for Utah Valley University
- 2015
- Named the most “influential HR thinker of the decade”
- Listed in Thinkers50 as management thought leader
- Commencement Speaker Southern Virginia University
- 2014
- Ranked #1 speaker in Management/Business by Speaking.com
- Commencement speaker, University of Michigan Ross School of Business
- 2013
- Lifetime Leadership Award from the Leadership Forum at Silver Bay
- Listed in Thinkers50 as a management thought leader
- 2012
- Lifetime Achievement Award from HR Magazine for being the “father of modern human resources”
- 2011
- Ranked #1 most influential international thought leader in HR by HR Magazine
- Listed in Thinkers50 as a management thought leader
- Ranked in Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Leadership Behavior
- 2010
- Nobels Colloquia Prize for Leadership on Business and Economic Thinking
- Lifetime Fellowship in Australia Human Resources Institute (AHRI)
- Ranked #1 most influential international thought leader in HR by HR Magazine
- Kirk Englehardt Exemplary Business Ethics Award from Utah Valley University
- Why of Work (co-authored with Wendy Ulrich) was #1 best seller for Wall Street Journal and USA Today
- 2009
- Listed in Thinkers 50 as a management thought leader
- Ranked #1 most influential person in HR by HR Magazine
- 2008
- Ranked #1 most influential person in HR by HR Magazine
- 2007
- Lifetime Achievement Award from American Society of Training and Development (ASTD)
- Honorary Doctorate from University of Abertey, at Dundee Scotland
- 2006
- Ranked #1 most influential person in HR by HR Magazine in vote by influential HR thinkers
- Dyer Distinguished Alumni Award from Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Management
- 2005
- Ranked #2 management guru by Executive Excellence
- Named by Fast Company as one of the 10 most innovative and creative thinkers of 2005
- 2002-2005
- President, Canada Montreal Mission, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- 2001
- Ranked #1 management educator and guru by Business Week
- 2000
- Lifetime achievement award from World Federation of Personnel Management
- Listed in Forbes as one of the “world’s top five” business coaches
- 1998
- Society for Human Resource Management award for Professional Excellence for lifetime contributions
- Lifetime achievement (PRO) award from International Association of Corporate and Professional Recruitment, and Employment Management Association
- 1997
- Warner W. Stockberger Lifetime Achievement Award from International Personnel Management Association
Dave and Wendy live in Alpine, Utah, have 3 children and 10 grandchildren.
Dave Ulrich's 2025 talks & topics
Building Your Leadership Brand through Results-Based Leadership
Organizational Capability as a Competitive Advantage
Leadership Code
Strategic Human Resource Management
Transformational Leadership
HR Transformation
Brand Leadership
Building Sustainable Value through your HR Proposition