Who is he?

A computer scientist and mathematician whose ’90s theme of ‘corporate re-engineering’ encouraged many companies to restructure themselves. Unfortunately, this often went hand-in-hand with downsizing, for which Hammer took the blame.

How did he get here?

Hammer started out as a professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. An article he wrote for the Harvard Business Review in 1990 led to a best-selling book, and he now lectures and consults on management issues.

What he’s written.

Reengineering the Corporation (with James Champy, 1993), Beyond Reegineering (1996), and The Agenda (2001).

What they say about him.

‘A good example of the one-big-idea guru’ – Carol Kennedy, author of Guide to the Management Gurus.

Soundbite.

‘Management has always been and continues to be among the most complex, risky and uncertain of all human endeavours.’

What’s next?

His new book The Agenda is a move towards a more customer-focused strategy. And after the bashing he got for ‘downsizing’, expect an emphasis on people rather than processes.