James C. Collins

Last updated

James C. Collins
James C. Collins.jpg
James C. Collins speaking in Denver, Colorado (May 2017)
Born (1958-01-25) January 25, 1958 (age 67) [1]
Alma mater Stanford University (BA)(MBA)
OccupationAuthor
Spouse Joanne Ernst
Website jimcollins.com

James C. Collins (born 1958) is an American researcher, author, speaker and consultant focused on business management and company sustainability and growth. [3] [4]

Contents

Early life and education

Collins received a BS in Mathematical Sciences at Stanford University, graduating in 1980.

Collins was granted honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Colorado and the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. [5] [6]

Career

Following graduation, Collins spent 18 months in McKinsey & Co.'s San Francisco office. He was exposed to what may have been an influential project for him – two partners at McKinsey, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, were running a McKinsey research project that later became the best-seller In Search of Excellence. [7]

After his time at McKinsey, he returned to study at Stanford, graduating with an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1983. He then worked as a product manager for Hewlett-Packard for 18 months. [7]

Collins began his research and teaching career on the faculty of Stanford University's Graduate School of Business in 1988. In 1992, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award.[ citation needed ]

He published his first book, Beyond Entrepreneurship: Turning Your Business into an Enduring Great Company co-authored with William C. Lazier, in 1992. [8]

He published his first best-seller Built To Last, co-authored with Jerry Porras, in 1994. [9]

In 1995, he founded a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where he now conducts research and teaches executives from the corporate and social sectors. [10] During that time, Collins has served as a senior executive at CNN International, and also worked with social sector organizations, such as: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the Girl Scouts of the USA, the Leadership Network of Churches, the American Association of K-12 School Superintendents, and the United States Marine Corps.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Collins is married to former triathlete and 1985 Ironman World Championship winner, Joanne Ernst. [11] [12]

Publications

Books

References

  1. Catalyst Together, DVD No. 1 of Catalyst Conference, 2008
  2. "James C. Collins" . Retrieved December 20, 2016.
  3. Aron Cramer, Zachary Karabell (2010) Sustainable Excellence: The Future of Business in a Fast-Changing World. : This books states that "... strategists like Jim Collins, in his seminal book Good to Great, have noted the importance of a corporate mission, sustainability provides a specific and urgent purpose that is redefining business." (p. 7)
  4. Philip Kotler, Hermawan Kartajaya, Iwan Setiawan (2010) Marketing 3.0: From Products to Customers to the Human Spirit. p. 115
  5. "Honorary Degrees, University Medals and Distinguished Service Awards Full List A-Z | Board of Regents". regents.cu.edu. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  6. "Jim Collins - Thinkers50". Thinkers50. September 12, 2022. Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Lenzner, Robert. "Good To Great". Forbes. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  8. Fast Company. "A New Year’s Resolution for Entrepreneurs: Revisit Jim Collins." Published December 23, 2020. Accessed December 27, 2024. Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/90587125/a-new-years-resolution-for-entrepreneurs-revisit-jim-collins
  9. Inc. "Jim Collins and the Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal." Written by Leigh Buchanan. Published [Insert Publication Date]. Accessed December 27, 2024. Available at: https://www.inc.com/leigh-buchanan/big-ideas/jim-collins-big-hairy-audacious-goals.html
  10. "James C. "Jim" Collins, III – AchieveMax Blog". AchieveMax Blog. July 20, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  11. Adam Bryant (May 23, 2009). "For This Guru, No Question Is Too Big". The New York Times . Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  12. About his wife, he once stated, "We’ve been married 20 years and we have 50–50 ownership ... but she holds all the voting shares." Source: Strategy & Business. (1998) Nr 22-25. p. 49
  13. "Good to great to gone", The Economist, July 7, 2009