Mark Esposito

Mark Esposito
Esposito lecturing at Harvard University, 2014.
OccupationsEconomist, public policy advisor, author, speaker, academic
TitleProfessor of Business & Economics (2008—present)
Academic background
EducationBachelor and Masters of Arts in Social Sciences (1999, University of Turin), Ph.D. in Business and Economics (2010, International School of Management), Post-doc (2011, Harvard Business School), Doctorate of Business Administration (2018, ENPC Paris Tech)
Alma materUniversity of Turin, International School of Management (Paris)
École des ponts ParisTech
Academic work
DisciplineEconomics
Sub-discipline
Public Policy, Artificial Intelligence, Circular Economy
InstitutionsHarvard University
Grenoble Ecole de Management
Hult International Business School
Arizona State University
Main interests
Emerging Economies, Artificial Intelligence, Circular Economy
Notable works
Understanding how the Future Unfolds
The AI Republic
The Great Remobilization: Strategies and Designs for a Global Smarter World
Notable ideas
The circular economy, The DRIVE framework, the concepts of Fast Expanding Markets
Websitewww.mark-esposito.com

Mark Esposito is an American-based Swiss economist, social scientist, public policy advisor, speaker, and academic. Esposito holds appointments at Harvard University, Hult International Business School, Georgetown University. Esposito taught at Arizona State University (until 2022), and at Cambridge Judge Business School (until 2020). At Harvard, he serves as a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, and the Center for International Development. Esposito is Adjunct Professor of Strategy, Economics & Policy at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Esposito also holds positions at the University of Cambridge as a research fellow at Judge Business School and as a senior associate for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. He is also a global expert for the World Economic Forum and advises governments in the GCC and Eurasia regions. Esposito is known for co-developing the concept of "Fast-Expanding Markets" (FEMs), a framework for identifying untapped growth opportunities that challenge traditional market classifications, and for his research on governance, emerging economies, and sustainable development. He has co-founded ventures in AI and edtech. Esposito is also credited with co-developing the "More 3P AI Transformation Framework," which focuses on enhancing business processes through precision, personalization, and predictive capabilities. He is also known for his work on "design activism," advocating for intentional system redesign to address global challenges such as climate change and cybersecurity while promoting equity and sustainability.

Early life and education

Esposito grew up between Italy, the United States and Canada. He returned to Italy and studied at the University of Turin where he got his BA and MA in human and social studies. Then, he moved again to the United States, where he resided in Boston. He pursued a doctoral degree in business and economics from the International School of Management in Paris, on a joint program with St. John’s University in New York City. Esposito completed his post-doctorate studies, first at Harvard Business School, and then in 2015 at the École des Ponts ParisTech's business school where he pursued an Executive Doctorate of Business Administration, which he defended in February 2018.

Career

Esposito is a socio-economist who teaches systems thinking, business, government and society, modern dilemmas, and economic and strategic competitiveness at the Harvard Extension School and Harvard Summer School.

The Lab-Center for Competitiveness at Grenoble Ecole de Management, which he founded in 2009, studies competitiveness as a foundation for creating sustainable businesses, nations and societies, as well as the creation of equality in society. Their work involves researching and analysing the nature of competition and its implications in a range of contexts, and applying their research through the production of case studies. The Lab Centre is a member of the Microeconomics of Competitiveness Affiliate Network, originally developed by Michael E. Porter.

As an agenda contributor on the World Economic Forum, Esposito regularly contributes papers exploring the interplay between economics, business and society, the most recent of which offered a balanced perspective on the ongoing debate around artificial intelligence, the increasing automation of jobs, and the realistic implications for global employment.

In 2016, Esposito was appointed as research fellow at the Circular Economy Research Initiative at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

Fast-expanding markets is a concept Esposito co-created with his long-term collaborators Terence Tse and Khaled Soufani (of the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge).

Contributions

Fast-expanding markets

Esposito, alongside Terence Tse and Khaled Soufani,[9] co-developed the concept of "Fast-Expanding Markets" (FEMs) to redefine the identification and analysis of growth opportunities in the global economy. Dissatisfied with traditional classifications such as "emerging markets," which often focus on macroeconomic contexts and country-level analysis, they introduced FEMs as a more dynamic and granular approach. This framework highlights rapidly growing opportunities that transcend conventional boundaries of geography, industry, or firm size. FEMs emphasize market-driven growth and identify overlooked "pockets of excellence" at various levels, including regional, industrial, and microeconomic scales. By encouraging a bottom-up exploration of growth, this concept offers a paradigm shift in how businesses and policymakers uncover and leverage untapped economic potential.

Their work has also extended to applying the FEM framework to specific areas, such as the circular economy. They argue that the transition from a linear to a circular economic model exemplifies an FEM due to its rapid adoption and potential to generate new business models centered on sustainability, reuse, and resource efficiency. Through their research, Esposito, Tse, and Soufani provide a toolkit for identifying markets with transformative potential, urging leaders to look beyond traditional economic indicators and embrace novel, often counterintuitive opportunities.

On governance and emerging economies

In 2024, Esposito was featured in a faculty spotlight by Harvard's Center for International Development (CID), where he highlighted the rise of emerging economic epicenters, including cities such as Kigali, Bengaluru, and Dubai, as part of a new, polycentric global order. He emphasized the potential for these regions to "leapfrog" legacy systems by adopting advanced technologies, such as blockchain, to address governance challenges more efficiently.

The DRIVE framework

Esposito, together with Terence Tse, co-developed the DRIVE framework, a tool designed to analyze and anticipate global megatrends shaping business, social, and economic landscapes. DRIVE identifies five core trends: Demographic and social changes, Resource scarcity, Inequalities, Volatility, scale, and complexity, and Enterprising dynamics. This framework emphasizes the interconnected nature of these trends and their collective impact on global systems. It offers businesses and policymakers a structured approach to understand and adapt to future challenges by focusing on systemic shifts rather than isolated changes.

Esposito, along with co-authors Olaf Groth and Terence Tse, introduced the FLP-IT framework in their book "The Great Remobilization: Strategies and Designs for a Smarter Global Future." This strategic leadership model, which stands for Forces, Logic, Phenomena, Impact, and Triage, is designed to help leaders navigate complex global challenges. The authors previously discussed this framework in a 2021 article titled "FLP-IT Forward: A New Framework for Growth in the Post-Pandemic Era."

3P AI

In November 2024, Esposito, along with co-authors Aurélie Jean, Terence Tse, and Danny Goh, introduced the "More 3P AI Transformation Framework" in an article published in The European Business Review. The framework emphasizes enhancing business processes through increased precision, personalization, and predictive capabilities.

Design activism

Esposito has been recognized for his contributions to the concept of "design activism," which he explores extensively in The Great Remobilization: Strategies and Designs for a Smarter Global Future, with Olaf Groth and Terence Tse. The book emphasizes the need for leaders to adopt a proactive role as "design activists," engaging in the intentional redesign of global systems to address challenges such as climate change, cybersecurity, and geopolitical tensions. Esposito advocates for integrating principles of equity, sustainability, and resilience into systemic solutions, emphasizing collaboration across diverse stakeholders and sectors.

Publications

Books

Review literature articles

Award and honors

YearRecognition
2023Shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Strategy Award for the work on The Great Remobilization
2023Edification of the "Mark Esposito Chair of Industrial Transitions" at Woxsen University, India
2021–2023World's Top 50 Influencers in the Field of Global Sustainability, Thinkers 360
2019Global 100 Influencers, MIT Technology Review
2017CK Prahalad Breakthrough Idea Award by Thinkers50, London, UK
2017Teaching Excellence Award, Harvard University, Fall 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
2016Thinkers50 Radar: Recognized among the 30 most influential business thinkers in the world, on the rise, London, UK
2015Tomorrow's Thought Leader Recognition, Thinkers50, London, UK

References

  1. ↑ "Georgetown University Faculty Directory". gufaculty360.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  2. ↑ Walker, Timea (2021-06-28). "Dr Mark Esposito". www.cisl.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  3. ↑ Dr Mark Esposito Harvard University. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Mark Esposito". www.iq.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  5. ↑ Dr Mark Esposito, The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  6. ↑ Lab-Center for Competitiveness Grenoble Ecole de Management, retrieved September 5, 2015
  7. ↑ MOC Affiliate Network 2017 course prospectus Harvard Business School, retrieved February 5, 2018
  8. ↑ Mark Esposito World Economic Forum, retrieved February 5, 2018
  9. ↑ "A Robot Might Not Take Your Job ..." World Economic Forum, retrieved February 5, 2018
  10. ↑ 'Mark Esposito', Cambridge Judge Business School, retrieved May 25, 2016
  11. ↑ 'Khaled Soufani' Judge Business School. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Tse, Terence; Esposito, Mark; Soufani, Khaled (March 2013). "Fast-Expanding Markets: Where New Growth Can Be Found!" (PDF).
  13. 1 2 Esposito, Mark; Tse, Terence; Soufani, Khaled (January 2017). "Is the Circular Economy a New Fast‐Expanding Market?". Thunderbird International Business Review. 59 (1): 9–14. doi:10.1002/tie.21764. ISSN 1096-4762.
  14. 1 2 Tse, Terence; Esposito, Mark; Soufani, Khaled (January 2016). "Fast-Expanding Markets: The Revolution of the Microeconomy". Thunderbird International Business Review. 58 (1): 5–11. doi:10.1002/tie.21738.
  15. ↑ "CID Faculty Spotlight: Mark Esposito on AI, Governance, and Building a Better Future". www.hks.harvard.edu. 2024-10-29. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  16. ↑ Esposito, Mark; Tse, Terence (January 2018). "DRIVE: The Five Megatrends that Underpin the Future Business, Social, and Economic Landscapes". Thunderbird International Business Review. 60 (1): 121–129. doi:10.1002/tie.21889. ISSN 1096-4762.
  17. 1 2 Groth, Olaf; Esposito, Mark; Tse, Terence (2023-10-17). The Great Remobilization: Strategies and Designs for a Smarter Global Future. The MIT Press. doi:10.7551/mitpress/14360.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-262-37379-1.
  18. ↑ Angela (2021-05-19). "FLP-IT Forward: A New Framework for Growth in the Post-Pandemic Era". The European Business Review. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  19. ↑ Angela (2024-11-14). "Winning Strategies for the High-Stakes AI Arena: Unveiling an Innovative AI Research and Development Planning Framework and Matrix". The European Business Review. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
  20. ↑ Louis, Justin. "Mark Esposito". Stern Strategy Group. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  21. 1 2 GROUP, Advent. "Mark Esposito | MERIT | Executive Education Summit". MERIT Summit. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  22. ↑ Breakthrough award shortlist Thinkers50, retrieved January 18, 2018
  23. ↑ DRIVE framework Megatrends.biz, retrieved January 18, 2018

Notes

  1. ↑ With Olaf Groth and Terence Tse
  2. ↑ Through the DRIVE framework he co-created with Terence Tse