Indian-born Vijay Govindarajan (or VG as he is known) is a world-leading expert on business strategy. A professor at the Tuck School of Business in New Hampshire, he is ranked 30th in the Thinkers 50.

What ideas is he best known for?

VG developed his “Box 1-2-3 strategy” for organisations attempting to pursue new initiatives. The first box is the present that has to be managed and many organisations think that this is all there is to strategy. It is important, says VG, but more vital are the other two boxes: the past, which has to be selectively forgotten, and the future, which must be created.

What has he written?

His latest book is Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators (2005), co-written with Chris Trimble. It argues that successful innovation requires that companies go beyond simply introducing new ideas. Instead, they must also focus on organisational structure.

“Strategy,” VG says, “is really about creating the future while managing the present.” His other books include The Quest for Global Dominance (2001) and Global Strategy and the Organisation (2003) — both co-written with Anil Gupta.

www.thinkers50.com

DES DEARLOVE & STUART CRAINER