Clayton M. Christensen American scientist and entrepreneur Date of Birth: 06.04.1952 Country: USA

1. Biography of Clayton Christensen
2. Education and Early Career
3. Teaching and Publications
4. Personal Life and Challenges

Biography of Clayton Christensen

Clayton M. Christensen is an American scholar and entrepreneur known for his extensive research and study of innovation in commercial enterprises. He was born on April 6, 1952, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is currently a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School.

Education and Early Career

Christensen completed his undergraduate degree in economics from Brigham Young University in 1975. He then went on to complete a master's degree in applied econometrics and economics of developing countries from Oxford University in 1977. In 1979, he earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School. Later, in 1992, Christensen obtained his Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from Harvard Business School.

Before joining the faculty at Harvard Business School, Christensen worked for the Boston Consulting Group for a period of time. He later became chairman and president of Ceramics Process Systems Corporation, a company he co-founded with several American professors. In 2000, Christensen established Innosight LLC, a consulting and executive training firm specializing in generating new ideas and strategic decision-making. In 2005, he co-founded Innosight Ventures, a venture capital project focused on investments in India. In 2007, he created Rose Park Advisors LLC, an investment management firm that allowed him to exercise more control and utilize his own investment strategies.

Teaching and Publications

At Harvard Business School, Christensen currently teaches a course on building and sustaining successful enterprises. He received the Extraordinary Teaching Award in 2010 for his exceptional teaching skills. Christensen is also an accomplished author, with five best-selling books to his name.

His first successful book, "The Innovator's Dilemma," was published in 1997. It was followed by "The Innovator's Solution" in 2003 and "Seeing What's Next" in 2004. In recent years, Christensen has focused on studying the impact of innovation on societal institutions such as education and healthcare. He has also shown interest in issues related to class struggles. His new books reflect his evolving interests without compromising their popularity.

Personal Life and Challenges

Christensen resides in Belmont, Massachusetts, with his wife Christine and their five children. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has actively participated in the church's activities. He served as a missionary in Korea from 1971 to 1973 and held important positions within the local church hierarchy, including bishop.

In February 2010, Christensen announced that he had been diagnosed with follicular lymphoma. In July of the same year, he suffered an ischemic stroke. Despite these health challenges, Christensen has returned to teaching and writing. His most recent works were published in 2011.