Vaughn Tan

Vaughn Tan is an Assistant Professor at University College London’s School of Management and Honorary Associate Professor, serving as UCL Executive Education’s South-East Asia Lead. He holds a PhD in Organizational Behaviour from Harvard University (2013). His research focuses on innovation and adaptability in uncertain environments, particularly through ethnographic studies of culinary R&D teams. His book The Uncertainty Mindset (2020) explores how organizations can design themselves to thrive in uncertainty, drawing insights from elite kitchens. Tan advises non-profits like Rethink Food and Oyster Sunday, and previously worked at Google and the Anderson Ranch Art Foundation.

Research Interests:

• Innovation processes in uncertain contexts
• Organizational design for adaptability
• Role ambiguity in teams
• Uncertainty mindset frameworks

Notable Awards:

• Hoopes Prize (2005)
• Noma-Reischauer Prize (2005)
• Detur Prize (2002)

Key Projects:

• Coronavirus response guides for F&B industry
• Business model reimagination tool
• Coronavirus misinformation detection tool