tom davenport

Tom Davenport is the author of “Competing on Analytics,” the most reprinted Harvard Business Review article of 2006 which led to his successful book of the same title.
 
In a world where the traditional bases of competitive advantage have been eroding, Tom found that a small number of leading companies have learned to use data-driven insights to make better decisions and extract maximum value from their business processes.

By studying those companies and their analytic initiatives extensively, Tom and his fellow researchers developed a five-step model for building and using analytic capabilities to succeed. The five steps and other elements of a business analytics framework are detailed in Tom’s new book “Analytics at Work:  Smarter Decisions, Better Results.”

Tom holds the President's Chair in the Information Technology Management Division at Babson College. He has taught at Harvard Business School, the University of Chicago, Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business and the University of Texas at Austin. He has directed research centers at Ernst & Young, McKinsey & Company and CSC Index.  In 2003, Tom was named one of the top 25 consultants in the world by Consulting magazine.

He holds a B.A. from Trinity University and an M.A. and PhD from Harvard University.

mike thompson

Mike Thompson identifies and implements analytic initiatives to achieve better results, bringing analytical insight and practical experience to the process.

Prior to helping found First Analytics, Mike was a Partner with Ernst & Young management consulting, where he saved hundreds of millions of dollars for clients in the U.S. and Europe though programs using advanced analytic methods. He has also served as Senior Advisor, Private Sector, and Senior Management Scientist at the RAND Corporation.

Before moving to consulting, Mike was Vice President of supply chain systems and operations for Office Depot during a period of explosive growth.  As part of the turnaround management team at another large retailer, he led demand management, pricing optimization, and micro-marketing initiatives that helped bring the company out of bankruptcy.

Mike’s holds a B.A. from Cornell University, M.Phil. and PhD, with the highest distinction, from the RAND Graduate School, where he  held a teaching fellowship in econometrics. Mike’s training also includes executive education at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.