Upcoming Sessions
Session starting on
Location
Online
Duration
7 content weeks
Fees
€
2,470
Faculty
Peter Zemsky
Professor of Strategy
Professor Zemsky is the Eli Lilly Chaired Professor of Strategy and Innovation at INSEAD. He served in the school’s leadership team from 2010 to 2023 including a decade as Deputy Dean and Dean of Innovation. He brings deep, multifaceted expertise in innovation strategy to his activities as an educator, researcher, and institutional leader. He is particularly passionate about business strategy in the face of disruption including how to drive business value from advances in digital and AI technologies.
Professor Zemsky directs/teaches Strategy in the Age of AI and Digital Disruption, Business Strategy and Financial Performance and the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) Programme.
As Dean of Innovation from 2013 to 2023, he led the development of a wide range of EdTech innovation including immersive VR cases and the INSEAD Learning Hub app, as well as the development of large scale customized online courses for leading companies including Accenture, Microsoft and Schneider Electric. These courses have been recognized with gold medals by the Chief Learning Officer’s Learning in Practice Awards for “Excellence in Blended Technology” and “Excellence in Academic Partnerships”, by Brandon Hall for “Best Results of a Learning Program” and “Best Unique or Innovative L&D Program” and by EFMD for “Excellence in Professional Development”.
He oversaw the school’s physical entry into North America through the design and execution of its distinctive San Francisco Hub for Business Innovation. He was also oversaw the school’s activities on its Middle East Campus in Abu Dhabi.
During his over 13 years in INSEAD leadership, he has led all major departments of the school including the flagship MBA program, executive education, fundraising, faculty & research and IT, as well as serving as Acting Dean. He oversaw the Advancement department during its successful €300 million Business as a Force for Good capital campaign. He was the first Dean of Degree Programmes and created the integrated department structure.
Professor Zemsky is a pioneer in the value-based approach to strategy analysis that characterizes firm performance in terms of value creation and value capture. His research develops rigorous mathematical treatments of fundamental strategy phenomena such as the timing of innovation strategies, the choice of competitive positions, and the nature of disruptive technologies. His doctoral students have been recognized three times for having the best dissertation in strategy by the Academy of Management and have been hired by leading business schools including HEC, NYU and Wharton.
Professor Zemsky is a frequent speaker and moderator on technology and innovation strategy. He is a Board Member at the public company Clairvest (TSX: CVG), a top performing mid-market private equity management firm.
He was recognized as the outstanding graduating economics major at the University of Pennsylvania and then pursued his doctoral studies at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was supported by a prestigious National Science Foundation fellowship.
Peter Zemsky
Professor of Strategy
Daniel A. Bens
Professor of Accounting and Control
Daniel Bens is a Professor of Accounting and Control at INSEAD, which he joined in August 2012. He has served as Area Chair for the department since 2015. He was a member of the University of Arizona faculty from 2005 to 2012, serving as Associate Dean of MBA programs for the last three years. Daniel was on faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business from 1999 to 2005.
Daniel Bens is directing the Financial Analysis for Non-Financial Managers and the Business Strategy and Financial Performance programmes.
Daniel received his PhD in Accounting from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, his MBA in Finance from Indiana University, and his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Penn State University. He was a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Pennsylvania, working for Price Waterhouse and then Westinghouse prior to attending graduate school.
His research focuses on the determinants and effects of discretionary disclosure in financial reports. That is, why do some firms just disclose the minimum of information as required by securities laws while others voluntarily exceed that benchmark considerably? Further, are there tangible financial effects from these decisions? He also examines real economic effects that firms may experience when they make seemingly cosmetic accounting choices. For example, he has studied how firms alter their share repurchase strategies to improve earnings per share (EPS) performance, while at the same time cutting long-term investments to finance the strategy.
Daniel has taught in full-time and Executive MBA programmes, as well as non-degree executive education. He received the INSEAD Dean’s Commendation for Excellence in MBA Teaching in 2013-2015 and has been twice nominated by INSEAD MBA students as Best Core Course Professor. His research has been cited or he has been quoted in Fortune, Business Week, and various US newspapers via the Associated Press and Reuters news services. His research has appeared in the leading academic journals including The Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, Journal of Accounting and Economics, and Journal of Accounting Research.
In his spare time, Daniel enjoys traveling with his wife and two young children.
Daniel A. Bens
Professor of Accounting and Control
Learning Coaches
Our learning coaches are experienced business professionals from diverse industries who support you at key stages of the programme. Through pre-scheduled touchpoints, they help you stay focused on your goals, guide discussions, and provide targeted feedback on your ALP to ensure it aligns with your development objectives and delivers real-world impact.
