Derek Abell

Derek F. Abell is the founding president of ESMT European School of Management and Technology and Professor Emeritus. His primary teaching and research interests are in strategic marketing, general management, leadership in technology-based industry and the broader responsibilities of the executive "beyond the bottom line".

From 1981–2003 he was Professor of Strategy and Marketing at IMD, Lausanne, and parallel to that, from 1994–2003, Professor of Technology and Management at the two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne). He was Dean of IMEDE (the institutional predecessor of IMD) from 1981–1989, and from 1969–1981 a full-time faculty member at the Harvard Business School.

He originally graduated as an aeronautical engineer from the University of Southampton. He has a Master's degree from the Sloan School of Management at MIT and his Doctorate from Harvard Business School. He has served as a consultant to governments in Eastern and Central Europe, as well as to many multinational corporations around the world. He has also served as a board member of a number of European-based public and private organizations.

He has published five books and numerous articles. His most recent book is Managing with Dual Strategies: Mastering the Present; Preempting the Future, published by Free Press, New York.

Education

• DBA (Harvard University)
• MS (MIT)
• BS (University of Southampton)

Research

Strategic marketing, general management, leadership in technology-based industries

Expertise

Topics

EMBA, German companies, MBA, business schools, business strategy, case study method, change management, coaching, consulting, corporate governance, corporate responsibility, corporate strategy, developing countries, education, emerging markets, entrepreneurship, ethics, executive coaching, executive education, human resources management, industry analysis, innovation (incl. strategic innovation, technology-enabled innovation), leadership, leadership development, leadership styles, management consulting, management education, marketing (industrial markets), organizational design, strategic marketing, strategy, sustainability, sustainable growth, technology-based industries (B2B markets)

Languages

English, German, French

Publications

Journal Article The past, present, and future of strategy: Broadening challenges; advancing insight Iberoamerican Journal of Strategic Management 13 (3): 8–18 Derek F. Abell (2014)

Journal Article The future of strategy is leadership Journal of Business Research 59 (3): 310–314 Derek F. Abell (2006)

Journal Article Leadership education as a moving target International Journal of Leadership Education 1 (1): 1–8 Derek F. Abell (2005)

Journal Article Competing today while preparing for tomorrow Sloan Management Review 40 (3): 73–81 Derek F. Abell (1999)

Journal Article Strategic windows Journal of Marketing 42 (3): 21–26 Derek F. Abell (1978)

Book Managing with dual strategies: Mastering the present, preempting the future New York: Free Press Derek F. Abell (1993)

Book Dynamic entrepreneurship in Central and Eastern Europe Hague: Delwel Derek F. Abell, Thomas Köllermeier (1993)

Book Defining the business: The starting point of strategic planning Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall Derek F. Abell (1980)

Book Strategic market planning: Problems and analytical approaches Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall Derek F. Abell, John S. Hammond (1979)

Book Competitive market strategies: Some generalizations and hypotheses Cambridge: Marketing Science Institute Derek F. Abell (1975)

Book Chapter Putting shareholder value in the right perspective In Organization 21C: Someday all organizations will lead this way, ed. Subir Chowdhury, 135–154. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Derek F. Abell (2003)

ESMT Case Study Gazi (A): The past, present and future of an international Albanian entrepreneur ESMT Case Study No. ESMT–815–0157–1 Derek F. Abell (2015)

ESMT Case Study Gazi (B): Bringing the sum of the parts together with the whole ESMT Case Study No. ESMT–815–0158–1 Derek F. Abell (2015)

ESMT Case Study Gazi (C): Getting organized ESMT Case Study No. ESMT–815–0159–1 Derek F. Abell (2015)

ESMT Case Study Danica Purg: Entrepreneurial leadership in shaping leadership development (A) ESMT Case Study No. ESMT–814–0150–1 Derek F. Abell (2014)

Case Danica Purg: Entrepreneurial leadership in shaping leadership development (B) No. ESMT–814–0151–1 Derek F. Abell (2014)

Case Danica Purg: Entrepreneurial leadership in shaping leadership development (C) No. ESMT–814–0152–1 Derek F. Abell (2014)

Case Danica Purg: Entrepreneurial leadership in shaping leadership development (D) No. ESMT–814–0153–1 Derek F. Abell (2014)

Case The Rare Find (A) No. ESMT–809–0053–1 Derek F. Abell (2009)

Case The Rare Find (B) No. ESMT–809–0054–1 Derek F. Abell (2009)

Case The Rare Find (C) No. ESMT–809–0055–1 Derek F. Abell (2009)

Case The Rare Find (D) No. ESMT–809–0056–1 Derek F. Abell (2009)

Case George Martin No. ESMT–709–0090–1 Derek F. Abell (2009)

Case Greta Braun and the Infotech board No. ESMT–309–0089–1 Derek F. Abell (2009)

Case George on the horns of a career dilemma No. ESMT–706–0017–1 Derek F. Abell (2006)

Case Kati is dealt a downsizing card No. ESMT–706–0018–1 Derek F. Abell (2006)

Case Mario puzzles about China No. ESMT–706–0066–1 Derek F. Abell (2006)