DRIVEN: Business Strategy, Human Actions, and the Creation of Wealth

Authored by Dr. Mark L. Frigo and Joel Litman. DRIVEN: If we can better understand how the success or failure of a business is driven by its plans and actions, then we can greatly improve how we run our businesses and value companies. DRIVEN is about RETURN DRIVEN STRATEGY, a framework for business analysis and planning prioritization and the culmination of a ten-year research project studying and categorizing the root causes of thousands of businesses that have succeeded, failed, or remained in mediocrity. The underlying research covers up to 30 or more years of firm performance. DRIVEN includes explanations, diagnostics, and case studies. Chapters are ordered consistently with the Return Driven Strategy framework, making DRIVEN a valuable guide for ongoing reference as well as an interesting and enlightening read.

MARK L. FRIGO is Director of The Center for Strategy, Execution, and Valuation in the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University and Ledger & Quill Alumni Foundation Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Leadership. Author of six books and over 70 articles, his work is published in leading journals including Harvard Business Review. Dr. Frigo is an editor and contributor for Strategic Finance and lectures at universities and conferences throughout North America and Europe. He is a leading expert on strategy and execution in high-performance companies and strategic risk management. His career has included strategic planning, M&A, and management consulting at an international consulting firm. Dr. Frigo is recipient of the Economos Award for outstanding teaching, awards by professional organizations for his executive education programs, and he was profiled in Crain's Chicago Business as a top professor. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from the University of Illinois, an MBA from Northern Illinois University and completed postgraduate studies in the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is a CPA in the Illinois and a Certified Management Accountant. Dr. Frigo received his Ph.D. in Econometrics. JOEL LITMAN is a Director in HOLT, a corporate performance and valuation advisory service of Credit Suisse. Joel advises investment managers in securities analyses. Prior to Credit Suisse, Joel spent ten years providing financial advisory services and consulting management teams of public corporations and privately-held businesses. Joel is a leading expert in the CFROI(R) Valuation framework. He is a founder of The Center for Strategy, Execution, and Valuation in Chicago. He has been editor or author in publications including Harvard Business Review, Strategic Finance Magazine, Insight, and others. Joel is Clinical Professor of Business Strategy at DePaul's Kellstadt Program, where he helped to create a new MBA concentration and was named Adjunct Professor of the Year. He has spoken at universities including Harvard, University of Chicago, Wharton, MIT Sloan, London Business School, and UIBE in Beijing, China and at corporate and trade association events around the world. Joel is a CPA in Illinois, received his B.S in Accounting from DePaul University and MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.