Henry Mintzberg
Born 1939 · Age 86
Canadian academic and author on business and management; Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at McGill University; noted for work on managerial work, organizational configurations, and emergent strategy.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Born to Jewish parents Myer and Irene (Wexler) Mintzberg in Montreal.
Completed B.Eng., McGill University
Earned bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from McGill University.
Completed Bachelor of General Arts, Sir George Williams
Earned a Bachelor of General Arts from Sir George Williams University (now Concordia).
Started operational research role at Canadian National Railways
Began a formative two-year stint in operational research at Canadian National Railways.
Left Canadian National Railways to resume graduate studies
Concluded operational research work and prepared to attend MIT Sloan for graduate study.
Received MIT Fellowship and Quebec Fellowship awards
Awarded fellowships supporting his graduate studies at MIT (mentioned during his Master's studies).
Completed M.S. (Management), MIT Sloan School of Management
Earned a master's degree in management at MIT Sloan; received MIT Fellowship and Quebec Fellowship during studies.
Completed Ph.D. at MIT; defended thesis
Defended thesis 'The Manager at Work—Determining his Activities, Roles and Programs by Structured Observation' (major in Policy and Organizational Studies).
Joined McGill University faculty (Assistant Professor)
Returned to McGill and began teaching in the Faculty of Management; began continuous tenure at McGill from 1968 onward.
Promoted to Associate Professor, McGill
Elevated from assistant to associate professor at McGill University.
Published 'The Nature of Managerial Work'
Published seminal book examining what managers actually do; based on observational research from his doctoral work.
Visiting Professor — Carnegie Mellon University
Served as a visiting professor at Carnegie-Mellon University (short appointment).
Visiting Professor — Université d'Aix-Marseille (1974–1976)
Held a visiting appointment at Université d'Aix-Marseille spanning multiple years.
Won McKinsey Award (Harvard Business Review)
Awarded the McKinsey Prize for best HBR article of the year for 'The Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact'.
Promoted to Professor of Management, McGill
Appointed Professor of Management at McGill University.
Visiting Professor — Université de Montréal (1977–1978)
Served as visiting professor at Université de Montréal.
Published 'The Structuring of Organizations'
Released a synthesis of research on organizational structure; foundation for his organizational configurations framework.
Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; COR Society gold medal
First management academic made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and won Canadian Operational Research Society gold medal for best publication.
Published 'Power in and Around Organizations' and 'Structure in Fives'
Two influential works: one on organizational power, one on designing effective organizations (shorter/accessible version of Structuring work).
Elected Fellow of the International Academy of Management
Recognized by the International Academy of Management for contributions to the field.
Won second McKinsey Award for HBR article 'Crafting Strategy'
Received a second McKinsey Prize for best article in Harvard Business Review (1987).
Elected Fellow of the Academy of Management
Recognized as a Fellow by the Academy of Management.
Became President of the Strategic Management Society (term begins)
Elected president of the Strategic Management Society; served 1988–1991.
Published 'Mintzberg on Management: Inside Our Strange World of Organizations'
Collection reflecting his views on management and organizations.
Visiting Professor — London Business School (1990–1991)
Held visiting appointment at LBS for roughly a year.
Visiting Professor — INSEAD (1991–1999)
Served as visiting professor at INSEAD (Paris) across much of the 1990s.
Named 'Economist de l’année' and received Special Award for Contribution to the Field
Received 'Economist de l’année' (Le Nouvel Economiste) and Special Award from the Association for the Management of Organizational Design.
Published 'The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning'
Seminal critique of strategic planning practices; argued strategic planning can be an oxymoron.
Won Academy of Management 'Book of the Year' (for 'The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning')
Recognized for significant contribution to management literature.
Awarded Prix du Québec for Social Science; Academy Distinguished Scholar 1996
Received Quebec government's Prix du Québec (social science) and the Academy of Management Distinguished Scholar Award for Organization and Management Theory.
Co-founded International Masters in Practicing Management (IMPM)
Initiated a multi-campus, global executive program (Canada, France, Japan, India, UK) focused on learning by practicing managers.
Appointed Cleghorn Chair of Management Studies, McGill (since 1996)
Named to the Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies position in McGill's Desautels Faculty (position held since 1996).
Founded International Masters for Health Leadership (IMHL) — program leadership (approx.)
Sources indicate Mintzberg runs both IMPM and IMHL; IMHL established as part of his alternative management programs (exact founding year not specified; included as 1996-era initiative).
Elected Fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Sciences
Recognized internationally for contributions to productivity and management studies.
Made Officer of the Order of Canada
Received one of Canada's highest civilian honours for contributions to management and academia.
Published (co-author) 'Strategy Safari' (notable edition/coverage)
Strategy Safari (with Ahlstrand and Lampel) summarized major schools of strategic thought; multiple editions and reprints occurred (original 1998).
Made Officer of the National Order of Quebec
Received Quebec's highest honour (Officier de l'Ordre National du Québec) in recognition of service to the province and scholarship.
Oral history interview recorded (Tobias Leadership Center / ILAGlobal)
Subject of an oral history prepared by Tobias Leadership Center / ILAGlobal; part of leadership legacy documentation.
Selected as Distinguished Scholar by the Academy of Management (2000)
Named Distinguished Scholar for the year 2000 by the Academy of Management.
Published 'Why I Hate Flying: Tales for the Tormented Traveler'
Released a personal/essay collection reflecting on travel and related anxieties.
Received Lifetime Achievement Award in Workplace Learning and Performance (ASTD)
Honored by the American Society for Training and Development for lifetime contributions.
Published 'Managers Not MBAs'
Critique of contemporary MBA education; argued for practice-based learning for managers.
Received Strategic Management Journal Best Paper Prize (2005)
Awarded the SMJ Best Paper Prize in 2005 (recognition for a top article).
Received Herbert Simon Award
Recipient of the Herbert Simon Award in recognition of contributions to administrative sciences (listed among recipients for 2006).
Published 'Tracking Strategies: Toward a General Theory'
Released work expanding on strategy formation and emergent strategy concepts.
Published 'Managing'
Published a comprehensive book on what managers actually do and how they manage.
Published multiple books in 2013 ('Simply Managing', 'Management? It's Not What You Think!', 'Strategy Bites Back')
Published several works on managing, management education, and critiques of strategy in 2013.
Published 'Rebalancing Society: Radical Renewal Beyond Left, Right, and Center'
Advanced ideas on renewing societal institutions beyond traditional political divides.
Received Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award
Awarded Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing a lifetime of influence in management thinking.
Published 'Managing the Myths of Health Care'
Book addressing health-care management and bridging separations between care, cure, control, and community.
Awarded ~18 honorary doctorates (cumulative milestone)
Received honorary doctorates from numerous universities worldwide (18 cited by sources as of mid-late 2010s).
Cumulative scholarly milestone: ~180 articles, ~19 books, ~160k citations (as of ~2018)
By ~2018 his published output and citation impact reached substantial milestones (counts vary by source).
Inducted / recognized in Business Excellence Hall of Fame (profiled)
Profiled and inducted by Business Excellence / Excellence Hall of Fame for contributions to management thinking (profile page documents nomination).
Published 'Bedtime Stories for Managers'
Released a book offering engaging management stories and critiques of leadership orthodoxy.
Continued role: Cleghorn Professor, McGill (ongoing since 1996)
Continued to hold the Cleghorn Chair at McGill and to teach there since 1968.
Ongoing program leadership: Runs IMPM and IMHL programs
Leads International Masters in Practicing Management (IMPM) and International Masters for Health Leadership (IMHL) programs at McGill/partners.
Supervised and served on numerous doctoral programs (cumulative)
Reported supervision of 22 doctoral students and participation on committees for 14 more (cumulative figure reported in sources).
Co-owner of Coaching Ourselves International (with Phil LeNir)
Co-owns private company leveraging his management-development approach 'Coaching Ourselves' for workplace learning (year of founding not specified in sources).
Recognized as a major living management thinker
Continues to be cited and referenced widely; profiles and award pages (Thinkers50, Excellence Hall of Fame, ILAGlobal) highlight lifetime influence.
Personal milestone: Long-term partnership with Dulcie Naimer (partner known for decades)
Partner Dulcie Naimer (works at St Patrick’s Square). Two daughters Susie (doctoral student) and Lisa (photographer); three grandchildren Laura, Thomas, Maya.
Estimated cumulative net worth (public figure estimate)
Conservative estimate reflecting academic salary, book royalties, honoraria, and awards; no public billionaire-level liquidity events recorded.
Current status: Cleghorn Professor at McGill; active author and speaker
Still listed as Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies at McGill and active in publishing, programs, and speaking as of 2025 references.
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