Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei teaches Fortune 500 CEOs how to create the future and lead through uncertainty.

A global thought leader on change leadership, the Ivy League professor and corporate advisor-of-choice has made a career for herself helping large organizations evolve quickly to achieve better outcomes for both their employees and their customers. From sparking a gender makeover at Harvard’s MBA program to acting as a personal advisor to the world’s most effective executives, Frei’s calling is to help leaders create fast, enduring impact.

Companies and their leadership often seek her counsel at inflection points, when shifts in mindset and culture become true drivers of transformation. It’s at these crucial moments that Frei gets to work surfacing internal barriers to innovation and progress, while expertly deconstructing limiting beliefs from the top down. Her work as a culture coach is conducted with fierce and refreshing optimism in the face of complex challenges. Frei is a big believer in the concept of redemption, insisting that “everything is fixable” and no company's culture is beyond repair.

Unrelenting in her mission to unleash the potential of organizations, Frances Frei is the corporate trailblazer’s secret weapon in the battle for advantage and momentum.

More About Frances Frei

Frances Frei is a Professor of Technology and Operations Management at Harvard Business School. Author of three best-selling books on leadership, Frances is among the world’s most influential thinkers, speakers, and advisors. Her research investigates how leaders create the conditions for organizations and individuals to thrive by designing for excellence in strategy, operations, and culture.

A global thought leader on change leadership, Frances is widely recognized for her breakthrough ideas and commitment to turning theory into impact. In 2017, Frances famously took a leave of absence from Harvard to serve as Uber's first Senior Vice President of Leadership and Strategy with a mandate to help thousands of employees excel in a context of hyper-growth, strategic change, and an evolution in culture. Her firsthand experience in Silicon Valley gave her a new lens on the urgent topic of trust. In 2018, Frances delivered a TED talk viewed by millions on ‘How to build (and rebuild) trust.’

In addition to countless articles and case studies, Frances is the best-selling author of Uncommon Service, Unleashed, and Move Fast & Fix Things: The Trusted Leader’s Guide to Solving Hard Problems. Hailed as a “masterpiece on trust, leadership, and business,” Move Fast & Fix Things inspires readers to accelerate change while also taking care of their employees, customers, and shareholders. Some of her other accolades include being listed alongside her wife on the Thinkers50 list in 2025 as well as being recognized by Inc. Magazine Recognition as one of their Top 50 Leadership and Management Experts of 2025.

Along with her wife and co-author, Anne Morriss, Frances hosts the chart-topping TED podcast Fixable, a leadership advice show that helps guests solve workplace problems in a single conversation. From communication roadblocks to culture change issues to uncertainty in how to scale a business, Frances and Anne share fast, actionable solutions to relatable issues.

Frances holds a Ph.D. in Operations and Information Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.