Saravanan Kesavan

Saravanan Kesavan is a Professor of Operations at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on retail operations, responsible business practices, supply chain management, and AI-driven business transformation. He leads the Rethinc. AI Management Lab and has been featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Forbes.

• Doctorate in Technology and Operations Management, Harvard Business School
• Master’s and Bachelor’s in Engineering from University of Massachusetts Amherst and IIT Madras

His work emphasizes improving labor productivity and worker well-being through stable scheduling, while leveraging big data for demand forecasting and digitization. Recent research explores AI's role in redefining retail operations amidst industry challenges like the "retail apocalypse" and pandemic-induced disruptions.

Scientific Awards:

• MBA Teaching All Star Award (2010-2019)
• Weatherspoon Award for Teaching Excellence (2018)

He has consulted for major corporations including Gap, USAA, Lowe’s, Belk, Texas Instruments, and Kroger, and serves as an associate editor for Management Science, M&SOM, and POMS journals.