About Stephan

I am the Chair of the Management Division and the James P. Gorman Professor of Business Strategy at Columbia Business School. 

I grew up in Switzerland, a country where many cultures interact, and I have been fascinated by how people interact with each other since I was young. This interest led me to an MA in history, economics and political science at the University of Zuerich (Switzerland) and then a doctorate in economics at the same institution. Ever since my work as a PhD student, I have studied how both motivation beyond income maximization and limited rationality affects decision-making and impacts organization. My doctoral thesis was on non-selfish behavior and its implication for organizations. After I came to the U.S., I worked as a senior economist at the Center for Behavioral Economics and Decision-Making at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. At the Fed, I began to deeply appreciate the value and importance of evidence-based policy making. 

Since 2008, I have been teaching and researching at Columbia Business School. I teach about the ‘human side’ of strategy in our MBA program and executive education programs. As the coordinator for our core strategy course, I shaped how our MBA students learn about strategy formulation. In addition, I designed and taught a number of electives about global business, future of work and consulting. I was honored with an award for Excellence in the Classroom.

I live with my family in Manhattan and have opportunities to observe human behavior on a daily basis in the Big Apple. See this interview to get a glimpse into my home office. In my free time, I enjoy traveling to as many places as possible, going to all types of art events, sailing, playing the drums (not good but loud!) and spending time with my family.

Photo Credit: Hallie Burton