Felix Oberholzer-Gee

Felix Oberholzer-Gee is the Andreas Andresen Professor of Business Administration in the Strategy Unit at Harvard Business School. He earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Zurich. Oberholzer-Gee began his academic career at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, before joining Harvard Business School. Prior to academia, he served as managing director of Symo Electronics, a Swiss-based process control company, providing him with experience in both business leadership and academic research.

Oberholzer-Gee's research and consulting focus on competitive strategy and the impact of digital technology on corporate performance. His work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Financial Economics, and Journal of Law & Economics. In collaboration with Koleman Strumpf, Oberholzer-Gee co-authored the paper "The Effect of File Sharing on Record Sales: An Empirical Analysis," which examined the relationship between music file sharing and CD sales, influencing discussions in the music industry.

He is the author of "Better, Simpler Strategy: A Value-Based Guide to Exceptional Performance," recognized by Forbes as one of the "10 Best Business Books of 2021." The book outlines how firms can use willingness-to-pay and willingness-to-sell to assess and improve strategy and operations, introducing the Value Stick as a practical tool for leaders. "Better, Simpler Strategy" draws from Oberholzer-Gee's courses at Harvard Business School and features examples from various industries.

Oberholzer-Gee teaches competitive strategy in executive education programs, including the Program for Leadership Development, the Senior Executive Program for China, and Effective Strategies for Media Companies. He has held leadership roles at Harvard Business School, including chair of the MBA program and senior associate dean for global research centers. Oberholzer-Gee has received awards for teaching excellence, such as the Harvard Business School Class of 2006 Faculty Teaching Award and the Helen Kardon Moss Anvil Award at Wharton.

Outside the classroom, Oberholzer-Gee co-hosts the TED podcast "After Hours" with Youngme Moon and Mihir A. Desai. The podcast explores current events at the intersection of business and culture, offering analysis informed by the hosts' expertise in business strategy and economics. Through teaching, writing, and podcasting, Oberholzer-Gee provides insights on strategy, digital transformation, and leadership to a broad audience.