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Jim Thompson

James D. Thompson, PhD

Adjunct Associate Professor, Management Department, The Wharton School; Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests:Social entrepreneurship, building future markets, investment under conditions of high uncertainty

About James

Jim is co-author of The Social Entrepreneur’s Playbook; and an adjunct associate professor at the Wharton School and the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. His areas of research focus are social innovation, future market growth, and investment under conditions of high uncertainty.

He teaches in Wharton Executive Education programs and works with management teams around the world to design and execute growth strategies that increase the value of their firms. Prior to joining the academic world, he was a divisional director of a public company, responsible for business unit turnarounds and new market development. In addition to academic interests he currently serves on the executive board of a venture capital-funded technology company in Philadelphia.

Jim holds a PhD from The Swiss Institute of Technology (EPFL) and is published in the Harvard Business Review, Journal of Management, Long Range Planning, Management Science, Organization Science, and the Research-Technology Management Journal. He is a recipient of Best Paper Awards in the Academy of Management and the American Marketing Association.


Executive Education Programs Taught

Advanced Management Program

Wharton’s flagship leadership program is a transformational and immersive program for senior executives who are at the peak of their careers. This intellectually rigorous and highly experiential program will define you as a leader and strengthen your strategic prowess. Upon completion, you will be granted highly sought-after Wharton alumni status.