Howard Yu

One of The World’s Top 40 Business Professors Under 40

LEGO® Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD Business School
Director of the Center for Future Readiness, guiding companies in strategic transformation
Recipient of the 2023 Thinkers50 Strategy Award and listed among top global management thinkers
Author of the award-winning book LEAP: How to Thrive in a World Where Everything Can Be Copied
Advisor to global companies including ABB, Bosch, the LEGO Group, Novo Nordisk, and Maersk

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What Howard Yu's clients say

Here is some of the feedback from audiences and clients who have worked with Howard.

"In today’s digital-driven Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), we have seen a vast range of ever-improving advanced technologies that are driving the disruptive innovation that will continue to change our world and re-define our world. Advanced technologies can simply be defined as emerging technologies that may enable new ways of doing business that result in more economical consumer trade-offs as well as improving employees productivity and enhancing the organization’s sustainability in the longer term. In his book, “Leap: How to Thrive in a World Where Everything Can Be Copied”, Prof Howard Yu has demonstrated in an excellent and compelling matter that good designs and great ideas get copied regardless of patent laws and trade secrets. Hence, the only way to prosper under such conditions over long periods to achieve sustainable competitive advantage is to leap, where the Pioneers must move across knowledge disciplines, to leverage or create new knowledge on how a product is made or service is delivered. Absent such efforts, latecomers will always catch up. A must-read for Boards, CEOs and business leaders seeking to ensure their organization remains relevant in this new business environment."

Prof Sattar Bawany,

Chief Executive Officer,

CEE Global

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Chinese ,
English

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Howard Yu's 2024 biography

Howard Yu’s Background

Howard Yu is the LEGO® Professor of Management and Innovation at IMD, globally recognized for his expertise in business strategy and future readiness. As Director of the Center for Future Readiness, founded in collaboration with the LEGO Brand Group, Howard helps organizations navigate strategic transformations and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.

In 2023, Howard received the prestigious Thinkers50 Strategy Award and was named among the top global management thinkers, underscoring his groundbreaking contributions to the field. His collaboration with the LEGO Group has also earned an EFMD Gold Award and a Brandon Hall Group Gold Award for advancing organizational and learning strategies.

Howard co-directs the Strategy for Future Readiness program at IMD, delivering tailored training to global companies such as ABB, Bosch, Novo Nordisk, Electrolux, Heineken, and Maersk. His thought leadership is featured in prominent publications like the Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review, and he is a regular contributor to media outlets including Bloomberg, CNBC, and the BBC.

Howard’s book, LEAP: How to Thrive in a World Where Everything Can Be Copied, is an acclaimed guide to sustaining competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving landscape. The book has won multiple accolades, including an Axiom Business Book Awards Gold Medal.

Before joining IMD in 2011, Howard earned his doctoral degree from Harvard Business School and began his career as a banker in Hong Kong. His commitment to advancing business strategy and innovation has cemented his reputation as a trusted advisor to industry leaders worldwide.