Dr. Dave Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and a partner at the RBL Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations and leaders deliver value. He is widely considered the "father of modern HR" and a pioneer in business management, having dedicated his career to empirically defining and transforming how organizations build capabilities in leadership, talent, and culture.
Professor Ulrich's seminal research has influenced global thinking in three main areas. In Organization, he empirically showed that organization delivers four times business results over talent alone, delineated organizations as bundles of capabilities, and defined key practices in talent management, culture change, and collaboration. In Leadership, he connected effective leadership with customer value and provided a measurable system for investor expectations through his Leadership Capital Index.
In Human Resources, he and his colleagues have fundamentally shaped the profession, focusing on HR outcomes, governance, competencies, and practices, a body of work that has earned him the title of “HR thought leader of the decade.” He spearheaded a "gift" book on the future of HR, The Rise of HR, distributed to over 1.5 million professionals, showcasing his commitment to the profession. He has authored over 30 books and 200 articles, and served on the Board of Directors for Herman Miller for 16 years.
As a highly sought-after keynote speaker, David Ulrich has delivered speeches to large audiences in 90 countries and conducted workshops for over half of the Fortune 200 companies. Honors such as the Lifetime Achievement Award from HR Magazine for being the "father of modern human resources" underscore his unique authority. His presentations are valued for their ability to turn complex organizational ideas into simple, actionable solutions that create real, measurable value for leaders and organizations navigating change.
