Donald Sull

Donald Sull is a Professor of the Practice at MIT Sloan School of Management, where he directs the Strategic Agility Project and Culture 500 initiatives. He specializes in competitive strategy, strategy execution, and organizational culture. Formerly a professor at Harvard Business School and London Business School, Sull holds degrees from Harvard University. His research focuses on leadership, corporate culture transformation, and the interplay between strategy and execution. He co-founded CultureX, leveraging AI to measure and improve corporate culture, and advises global organizations including Fortune 500 companies and startups like Betterworks and eToro. Recognized as a leading management thinker, Sull’s work on 'active inertia' has shaped business theory, and he has authored five books and over 100 articles, including best-selling Harvard Business Review pieces.

• Education: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate from Harvard University.
• Prior Experience: Strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company, management-investor at Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
• Affiliations: Chairman of FilmFish, advisor to startups, and contributor to MIT Sloan Management Review.

Research Interests: Sull’s work centers on organizational agility, corporate culture dynamics, and leadership strategies. His projects like CultureX apply AI-driven analytics to diagnose and enhance culture. He emphasizes practical frameworks for strategy execution, addressing challenges like toxic workplace environments and aligning culture with strategic goals. Recent studies explore AI’s role in organizational self-awareness and data-driven decision-making.

Advisory & Grants: Advised over 50 Fortune Global 500 companies and non-profits like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. His executive education programs, such as the Global CEO Program (MIT Sloan-IESE alliance), focus on leadership and global business strategy.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Strategic Agility Project and Culture 500, collaborating with industry partners to analyze organizational resilience and cultural health.