
Cesare Mainardi is the former CEO of Booz & Company and Strategy&. He is an adjunct professor of strategy at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
All articles by Cesare Mainardi
Creating a strategy that worksFebruary 3, 2016 The most farsighted enterprises have mastered five unconventional practices for building and using distinctive capabilities.by Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi
How Digital Leaders Outperform Their PeersApril 29, 2015 Even after all these years, many companies have not yet figured out the transformational power of new technology.by Cesare Mainardi and Christopher Vollmer
Getting Off the “Bad Growth” TreadmillMarch 31, 2015 The secret to sustainable expansion is to stop chasing growth; instead, build an engine that delivers it.by Cesare Mainardi and Paul Leinwand
The New SupercompetitorsAugust 8, 2014 Companies that realize the power of their capabilities can shape how industries evolve. And watch the related video.by Thomas N. Hubbard, Paul Leinwand, and Cesare Mainardi
Becoming a Capable CompanyApril 29, 2014 Advantage is transient, but corporate identity is slow to change. Figure out that paradox, and your company will be primed for success.by Cesare Mainardi
Beyond FunctionsFebruary 26, 2013 Conventional organizational structures may be obsolete. How about a model based on capabilities instead?by Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi
The Capabilities Premium in M&AFebruary 22, 2012 A new study of inorganic growth shows that deals made to enhance or leverage the things that companies do well consistently outperform others.by Gerald Adolph, Cesare Mainardi, and J. Neely
The Right to WinNovember 23, 2010 Business strategy is at an evolutionary crossroads. It’s time to resolve the long-standing tension between the inherent identity of your organization and the fleeting nature of your competitive advantage.by Cesare Mainardi
Cut Costs, Grow StrongerSeptember 15, 2009 To reduce expenses for the long term and lead the way to recovery, start by taking a strategic view of your capabilities.by Shumeet Banerji, Paul Leinwand, and Cesare Mainardi
Why Some Companies Are Making the Wrong MovesFebruary 10, 2009 A new survey reveals a disconnect between what managers should be doing and what they are doing.by Shumeet Banerji, Neil McArthur, and Cesare Mainardi
How to Win by Changing the GameNovember 25, 2008 Investing in a capabilities-driven strategy will equip your company for growth in uncertain times.by Cesare Mainardi, Paul Leinwand, and Steffen Lauster
Reinventing Scale: How to Escape the Size TrapApril 9, 2002 Value chain mapping can find hidden value in even the oldest industries.by Alexander Kandybin, Martin Kihn, and Cesare Mainardi
Label of Origin: Made on EarthApril 1, 1999 Barriers to trade - language, education, buying power - are fast disappearing. No longer is it so important that a product was "Made in China," or Canada, or France. Labels of country of origin have been largely a matter of semantics for years. Now, with new trade agreements among nations, the only label that might make sense is "Made on Earth."by Cesare Mainardi, Martin Salva, and Muir Sanderson