Clayton Christensen

Clayton M. Christensen
Clayton M. Christensen
Born	Clayton Magleby Christensen; 6 April 1952 (age 74); Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Died	23 January 2020 (aged 67)
Occupation(s)	Scholar, business advisor, author, professor
Years active	1979–2020
Known for	Disruptive innovation, Jobs to Be Done framework
Notable work	The Innovator's Dilemma

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Clayton Christensen, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 2025

Clayton Magleby Christensen (April 6, 1952 – January 23, 2020) was a prominent American scholar and business advisor, best known for formulating the concept of disruptive innovation, which is regarded as one of the most impactful business theories of the early 2000s. He first presented the idea of "disruption" in his 1997 publication The Innovator's Dilemma, earning acclaim from The Economist as "the foremost management thinker of his era." Christensen held the Kim B. Clark Professorship at Harvard Business School (HBS) and was a leading member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He also co-developed the Jobs to Be Done framework for innovation.

Beyond academia, Christensen co-established Rose Park Advisors, a firm specializing in venture capital, as well as Innosight, a consulting and investment company dedicated to fostering innovation.

Early life

Born on April 6, 1952, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Clayton Christensen was the second child among eight siblings born to Robert M. Christensen and Verda Mae Christensen (née Fuller). He spent his childhood in the Rose Park area and attended West High School, where he was elected student body president. Standing tall, he was also recognized for his basketball skills. His family practiced the LDS Church during his upbringing.

Brigham Young University

Upon graduating from high school in 1970, Christensen received admission offers from Harvard University, Yale University, and Brigham Young University (BYU), ultimately selecting BYU due to a full scholarship offer. He pursued a degree in economics, studying alongside future U.S. presidential hopeful Mitt Romney and future HBS dean Kim B. Clark. Between 1971 and 1973, he served as a full-time LDS missionary in South Korea, where he developed fluency in Korean. He completed his studies at BYU with summa cum laude honors in 1975.

Oxford University

Awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, Christensen spent two years at Oxford University's Queen's College, earning a master's degree in applied econometrics by 1977. While at Oxford, he played as the starting center for the men's basketball team, contributing to back-to-back British University Sports Federation titles and securing the English Basketball Association's national championship for non-league teams.

Harvard University

After returning to the United States, Christensen obtained an MBA with high distinction from Harvard Business School (HBS) in 1979. He subsequently earned his Doctor of Business Administration degree from Harvard in 1992.

1979–1989

Following completion of his MBA in 1979, Christensen joined the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as a consultant and project leader. In 1982, he was selected as a White House Fellow, taking a year-long leave to serve as assistant to the United States Secretary of Transportation under both Drew Lewis and Elizabeth Dole. Two years later, in 1984, he co-founded Ceramics Process Systems Corporation (now CPS Technologies) alongside MIT faculty members, acting as president and CEO until departing to pursue his Doctor of Business Administration degree.

1990–1999

After completing his doctoral studies, Christensen joined the faculty at Harvard Business School (HBS), attaining full professorship within six years—a notably swift accomplishment. He developed and instructed the elective course "Building and Sustaining a Successful Enterprise," which emphasized strategies for establishing and maintaining long-lasting organizations. Additionally, he played a significant role in executive education initiatives. Christensen was granted tenure in 1998, received eight honorary doctorates, and held an honorary chaired professorship at National Tsinghua University in Taiwan.

After 2000

In the year 2000, Christensen established Innosight LLC, a consultancy and training company focused on innovation strategy. Five years later, in 2005, he co-founded Innosight Ventures to direct investments across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. By 2007, he had co-created Rose Park Advisors LLC, an investment firm that applies his research-based methodologies.

Christensen held board memberships at several organizations, including Tata Consultancy Services (NSE: TCS), Franklin Covey (NYSE: FC), and the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. He also contributed as a member of the editorial board for the Deseret News.

As the author of ten best-selling books, Christensen is renowned for his seminal publication The Innovator's Dilemma (1997), which introduced the groundbreaking concept of disruptive innovation and earned the Global Business Book Award. His later works tackled sector-specific challenges and societal concerns: Disrupting Class (2008) examined reforms in education, while The Innovator's Prescription (2009) offered innovative approaches to American healthcare—both receiving prestigious accolades such as the 2010 James A. Hamilton Award.

In 2017, Christensen predicted that within 10 to 15 years, up to half of U.S. colleges might face bankruptcy due to disruptive forces impacting higher education.

Personal life

Following his mission for the LDS Church in South Korea, Christensen dedicated a quarter-century to involvement with the Boy Scouts of America, taking on roles such as scoutmaster, cub master, den leader, and committee chairman.

He wed Christine (née Quinn) in 1976, with whom he had five children. Their eldest son Matthew was a member of Duke University's basketball team that won the National Championship in 2001.

Within the LDS Church, Christensen served in multiple leadership capacities including area seventy from 2002 to 2009, counselor in the Massachusetts Boston Mission presidency, and bishop. His book The Power of Everyday Missionaries influenced church members on how to effectively share their faith. Furthermore, he penned the foreword for For All The Saints, a historical account of the LDS Church’s presence in New England published in 2012.

Residing in Belmont, Massachusetts since the early 1990s during his time at HBS, Christensen served on the Town Council for eight years. He advocated for implementing internet-based educational programs at Belmont High School as a response to escalating costs.

Diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in 2010, Christensen experienced an ischemic stroke that same year which impaired his speech. He died from complications related to leukemia on January 23, 2020, aged 67.

Honors and awards

2011: Recognized by Forbes as "one of the most influential business theorists of the past five decades."
2011 & 2013: Achieved first place in Thinkers 50 rankings honoring leading global management thinkers.
2014: Awarded the Herbert Simon Award for outstanding contributions to business and management research.
2015: Received the Edison Achievement Award acknowledging lifelong dedication to innovation.
2015: Honored with Brigham Young University's Distinguished Service Award for notable leadership and service.
2017: Placed third in the Thinkers 50 global management thinker rankings.

Journal articles

"Disruptive technologies: catching the wave," Harvard Business Review, (Jan–Feb 1995), Clayton M. Christensen and Joseph L. Bower.
"Meeting the challenge of disruptive change," Harvard Business Review, (Mar–Apr 2000), Clayton M. Christensen and Michael Overdorf.
"Will disruptive innovations cure health care?" Harvard Business Review, (Sep–Oct 2000), Clayton M. Christensen, Richard Bohmer, and John Kenagy.
"Marketing malpractice: the cause and the cure," Harvard Business Review, (Dec 2005), Clayton M. Christensen, Scott Cook, and Taddy Hall.
"The tools of cooperation and change," Harvard Business Review, (Oct 2006), Clayton M. Christensen, Matthew Marx, and Howard H. Stevenson.
"Disruptive innovation for social change," Harvard Business Review, (Dec 2006), Clayton M. Christensen, Heiner Baumann, Rudy Ruggles, and Thomas M. Sadtler.
"How will you measure your life?" Harvard Business Review, (Jul–Aug 2010), Clayton M. Christensen.
"Know your customer's Job To Be Done," Harvard Business Review, (Sep 2016), Clayton M. Christensen, Karen Dillon, Taddy Hall, and David Duncan.
"The Hard Truth about Business Model Innovation," MIT Sloan Management Review, (Sep 2016), Clayton M. Christensen, Tom Bartman, and Derek van Bever.

Books

The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail (1997), Clayton M. Christensen.
The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth (2003), Clayton M. Christensen and Michael E. Raynor.
Innovation and the General Manager (2003), Clayton M. Christensen.
Seeing What's Next: Using the Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change (2004), Scott D. Anthony, Clayton M. Christensen, and Erik A. Roth.
Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns (2008), Clayton M. Christensen and Michael Horn.
The Innovator's Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care (2008), Clayton M. Christensen, Jerome H. Grossman, and Jason Hwang.
The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education (2011), Clayton M. Christensen and Henry J. Eyring.
The Innovator's DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators (2011), Clayton M. Christensen, Jeff Dyer, and Hal Gregersen.
How Will You Measure Your Life? (2012), James Allworth, Clayton M. Christensen, and Karen Dillon.
The Power of Everyday Missionaries: The What and How of Sharing the Gospel (2013), Clayton M. Christensen.
Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice (2016), Clayton M. Christensen, Karen Dillon, David Duncan, and Taddy Hall.
The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations out of Poverty (2019), Clayton M. Christensen, Karen Dillon, and Efosa Ojomo.

External links

Compilation of publications by Christensen and colleagues
NPR On Point interview – "Clayton Christensen’s Approach to Health Care," April 14, 2011 (audio)