About the Authors

John W. Boudreau is Research Director at the Center for Effective Organizations and Professor of Management and Organization in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He is recognized worldwide for breakthrough research on the bridge between superior human capital, talent, and sustainable competitive advantage. He is a strategy, HR, and talent management adviser to organizations ranging from early-stage companies to U.S. and global Fortune 100 organizations to government and nongovernmental agencies and nonprofit organizations. He is an executive educator with the University of Southern California, IMD, Wharton, and Cornell University. Dr. Boudreau has published more than fifty books and articles. His research received the Academy of Management’s Organizational Behavior New Concept and Human Resource Scholarly Contribution awards and has been featured in Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Fast Company, and BusinessWeek, among others.

Dr. Boudreau is a fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and helped establish and was Director of the Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies at Cornell University, where he was a professor for over twenty years. Dr. Boudreau is a member of the board of advisers of the Human Resource Planning Society and WorldatWork, and a trustee for the Foundation of the National Academy of Human Resources. He holds an undergraduate degree in business from New Mexico State University and a master’s degree in management and a PhD in industrial relations from Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management.

Peter M. Ramstad is the former Executive Vice President of Strategy and Finance for Personnel Decisions International (PDI). Over his sixteen-year career at PDI, he held a variety of leadership positions, including Chief Financial Officer and head of the Organizational Consulting Group. As the founder of PDI’s strategy practice, he consulted with many organizations worldwide on strategy, organizational, and HR-related issues. He received his undergraduate degree in mathematics and accounting from the University of Minnesota, where he also attended graduate school. He was a certified public accountant and certified management accountant. Before joining PDI, he was a consulting partner with a major public accounting firm. He has been a faculty participant in executive education sessions and research center presentations with the University of Minnesota, the University of Southern California, Cornell University, and Texas A&M University. He has been a frequent speaker at academic, professional, and corporate conferences and programs where he is acknowledged for his unique ability to integrate financial, strategic, and organizational theory into unique, actionable insights. He is currently Vice President of Business and Strategic Development with The Toro Company.