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Learn More About Peter Weill
Most leaders realize they need to leave their traditional business model behind and digitize operations, but many don’t know where to turn for guidance on improving customer experience, operational efficiency and experimenting with new business models.
Peter Weill (pronounced “while”), award-winning author, research scientist and chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management, helps organizations design and leverage a powerful digital strategy so they can better compete in the 21st century. For years, he has been helping boards and executives digitally transform their institutions so they can exponentially scale business and sustain growth well into the future. He has conducted workshops for executive committees and boards of more than 50 companies globally, and for key conferences, including the CEO summits of both Microsoft and SAP. Weill also educates leaders about the role, value and governance of digitization within enterprises and their ecosystems. His new co-authored book, “Future Ready: The Four Pathways to Capturing Digital Value” (Harvard Business Review Press, October 2022) expands on the strategy of capturing digital value for organizations.
“Digital transformation is made possible when a board of directors truly understands, through experience and education, the impact that emerging technologies will have on success over the next decade,” explains Weill, author of the definitive leadership handbook, “IT Savvy: What Top Executives Must Know to Go from Pain to Gain,” which was named a #1 must-read by CIO Insights.
A dynamic speaker and sought-after advisor, Weill helps decision makers understand the pathways to digital transformation and empowers managers to lead the digital shift so they can drive growth and efficiencies while markedly increasing revenue. His machine learning work at CISR reveals that companies with digitally-savvy board members routinely outpace their competitors on key metrics, including 38 percent higher revenue growth, 17 percent higher profit margin, 34 percent higher market cap growth and 34 percent higher return on assets. His acclaimed book “What’s Your Digital Business Model?” is an indispensable resource for any leader looking to up their digital game.
“Weill and Woerner’s book provides a very useful framework for analyzing the best business model option and developing a transformation strategy in response to the digital revolution every company is going through,” remarked James I. Cash Jr., lead independent director at Walmart.
“Our framework teaches executives a new language for thinking through competitive environments in the digital era,” says Weill. “It allows organizations to better understand their place along their own digital journey, as well as which practices will get them where they need to go.”
Before joining MIT Sloan, Peter Weill was a Professor of Management Information Systems, Director of the Centre for Management of Information Technology (CMIT) and a member of the Board of Directors at University of Melbourne Business School. He holds a BE in industrial engineering, an MBA from the University of Melbourne and an MPhil and PhD from the Stern School of Business, New York University.
Weill is the author of multiple books and academic papers, including his influential 2015 co-authored article, “Thriving in an Increasingly Digital Ecosystem,” which was voted one of MIT Sloan Management Review’s top ten papers of the decade. He was recognized by media conglomerate Ziff Davis as one of “The Top 100 Most Influential People in IT,” as well as its top academic. His writings have appeared in prestigious publications ranging from Harvard Business Review to The Wall Street Journal.
Peter Weill is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group®.
Leverage a Digital Operating Model to Increase Revenue, Drive Growth and Better Compete
Digital transformation is not about technology; it’s about change, says award-winning author and MIT research scientist Peter Weill, chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Drawing from his latest book “What’s Your Digital Business Model?” and data collected from over 1,400 firms, he explains how companies that enter digital ecosystems are better positioned to understand and serve customers, extract value and drive revenue in ways traditional models never could. He shares straightforward self-assessments, motivating examples and sharp financial analyses of where profits are made, and offers insights and tools companies can use to tackle threats, leverage opportunities and create winning digital strategies.
Creating a Future-Ready Organization: Four Pathways to Digital Transformation
According to award-winning author and MIT research scientist Peter Weill, chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management, companies looking to position themselves for success in the digital economy can’t just tweak their existing business model. They need to undergo radical transformation. In this talk, he reviews the benefits of becoming a digitally agile organization, from dramatically improving customer experiences to significantly streamlining operations and driving growth. He illustrates those benefits by sharing powerful case studies and success stories reported by nearly 1,000 companies he and his CISR team surveyed. He then explains the steps decision makers need to take on their journey to becoming a digitally-savvy, future-ready organization.
The Role of Boards and Top Management in Digital Transformation
According to MIT research scientist Peter Weill, chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management, neither boards nor executive committees are fully prepared for the digital era. This presents both risks and opportunities for companies who have not yet transitioned to a digital model. Using machine learning, MIT CISR measured the digital savviness of all boards of U.S. companies with annual revenues over $1 billion. Companies with digitally savvy boards outperformed all others on growth, market cap and ROA by 35 percent or more. Weill’s team completed a similar analysis of executive committees at major global firms. In this presentation, he discusses the results of his surveys and details the steps board members, CEOs, CFOs and CIOs take along their journeys to becoming digitally savvy.
Partnering for Success by Strengthening a Shared Ecosystem
Forging partnerships goes beyond strengthening a company’s bottom line to shoring up a shared ecosystem so everyone can thrive, says MIT research scientist Peter Weill, chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management. After surveying 158 companies, Weill and his team identified three types of mutually beneficial partnerships. In this talk, he highlights the results of his findings, explains the difference between digital and non-digital alliances, and describes what it takes to successfully partner and grow in an increasingly competitive digital economy.

Future Ready: The Four Pathways to Capturing Digital Value
(Harvard Business Review Press, October 2022)

What's Your Digital Business Model?: Six Questions to Help You Build the Next-Generation Enterprise
(Harvard Business Review Press, May 2018)

Management by Maxim: Creating Business Driven Information Technology Infrastructures
(Franklin Classics, October 2018)

IT Savvy: What Top Executives Must Know to Go from Pain to Gain
(Harvard Business Review Press, July 2009)

IT Governance: How Top Performers Manage IT Decision Rights for Superior Results
(Harvard Business Review Press, June 2004)
If you are interested in having Peter Weill help your organization activate his frameworks, please inquire about a meeting, executive education program or workshop.
Leverage a Digital Operating Model to Increase Revenue, Drive Growth and Better Compete
Digital transformation is not about technology; it’s about change, says award-winning author and MIT research scientist Peter Weill, chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Drawing from his latest book “What’s Your Digital Business Model?” and data collected from over 1,400 firms, he explains how companies that enter digital ecosystems are better positioned to understand and serve customers, extract value and drive revenue in ways traditional models never could. He shares straightforward self-assessments, motivating examples and sharp financial analyses of where profits are made, and offers insights and tools companies can use to tackle threats, leverage opportunities and create winning digital strategies.
Creating a Future-Ready Organization: Four Pathways to Digital Transformation
According to award-winning author and MIT research scientist Peter Weill, chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management, companies looking to position themselves for success in the digital economy can’t just tweak their existing business model. They need to undergo radical transformation. In this talk, he reviews the benefits of becoming a digitally agile organization, from dramatically improving customer experiences to significantly streamlining operations and driving growth. He illustrates those benefits by sharing powerful case studies and success stories reported by nearly 1,000 companies he and his CISR team surveyed. He then explains the steps decision makers need to take on their journey to becoming a digitally-savvy, future-ready organization.
The Role of Boards and Top Management in Digital Transformation
According to MIT research scientist Peter Weill, chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management, neither boards nor executive committees are fully prepared for the digital era. This presents both risks and opportunities for companies who have not yet transitioned to a digital model. Using machine learning, MIT CISR measured the digital savviness of all boards of U.S. companies with annual revenues over $1 billion. Companies with digitally savvy boards outperformed all others on growth, market cap and ROA by 35 percent or more. Weill’s team completed a similar analysis of executive committees at major global firms. In this presentation, he discusses the results of his surveys and details the steps board members, CEOs, CFOs and CIOs take along their journeys to becoming digitally savvy.
Partnering for Success by Strengthening a Shared Ecosystem
Forging partnerships goes beyond strengthening a company’s bottom line to shoring up a shared ecosystem so everyone can thrive, says MIT research scientist Peter Weill, chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management. After surveying 158 companies, Weill and his team identified three types of mutually beneficial partnerships. In this talk, he highlights the results of his findings, explains the difference between digital and non-digital alliances, and describes what it takes to successfully partner and grow in an increasingly competitive digital economy.
EXECUTIVE EDUCATION WORKSHOP
Leading the Digital Shift: The Role of Boards and Executives in a Rapidly Changing Digital Economy
For decades, MIT research scientist Peter Weill, chair of the Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) at the MIT Sloan School of Management, has been helping boards and executives digitally transform their institutions so they can exponentially scale business and sustain growth well into the future. Author of the definitive leadership handbook, “IT Savvy: What Top Executives Must Know to Go from Pain to Gain,” which was named a #1 must-read by CIO Insights, he has guided executive committees and boards of more than 40 companies globally, conducting workshops for key conferences, including the CEO summits of both Microsoft and SAP. He also works with leaders on the role, value and governance of digitization within their enterprises and ecosystems. Weill’s interactive executive education programs empower board members and senior leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to lead the digital shift and position their organizations for long-term growth. Each program can be customized to meet the needs of your organization and industry. Contact us to explore options.
Praise for "Future Ready"
"This book is essential for any company on its exciting digital journey, whether just starting out or well along the path. A solid playbook that helps keep everything and everyone focused on this transformative challenge."
"The digital economy reaches ever more deeply into all aspects of our lives. To adapt and thrive in this new context, companies need to be future ready. This book provides practical guidance for business leaders to assess where they stand today, as well as concrete advice on how they can transition their companies for the future."
"The digital future can be full of profound risks and uncertainties, as well as opportunities. 'Future Ready' provides remarkable insights, proven blueprints, and clear pathways for positioning companies to take full advantage of what the future brings."
"'Future Ready' is the definitive handbook to achieving superior competitiveness in the digital age. It provides a clear road map to overcoming the inevitable difficulties faced along the transformation journey and an inventory of the attitudes, tools, and skills required."
"Finally, a playbook with tools, metrics, and examples to chart and measure your digital journey! It vividly shows how building digital capabilities, co-creating new experiences, and learning how to create digital value have become strategic imperatives for growth. A must read for leaders who are driving business and technology transformations."
Praise for "What's Your Digital Business Model?"
One of the Top 10 Business Books of 2018
“Weill and Woerner’s book provides a very useful framework for analyzing the best business model option and developing a transformation strategy in response to the digital revolution every company is going through.”
“This book will help companies to take a hard look at their digital transformation strategies and show them how to win in the fourth industrial revolution.”
“An essential decision guide to navigate digitization, ask the right questions, and make the right choices. Based on a wealth of data points and real-life examples, this book offers practical, step-by-step tips to define and execute a winning digital transformation.”
“Weill and Woerner’s book is a must-read primer for CEOs wondering why they need to digitally transform their companies and how to succeed in the endeavor.”
“Weill and Woerner bring laser focus to the pressing need for enterprises to digitize their business models. This book is a practical, hopeful guide for executives and boards alike, providing a call to action and a framework for execution that blends cutting-edge research with real-world examples.”
“The authors provide a simple but powerful framework for enterprises to reinvent their business models for the digital age. Their probing questions, self-assessments, and real-life examples make this book a must-read for everyone who wants to make their digital transformation a success.”