Dr. Elizabeth J. Altman is an associate professor of management at the Manning School of Business, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and research affiliate at the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy. Altman has served as a visiting assistant professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point and a visiting scholar at the Harvard Business School. Altman teaches strategy, organizational theory, and human resources management in undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral programs. Her research focuses on strategy, innovation, platform businesses and ecosystems, future of work, workforce ecosystems, AI and emerging technologies, organizational identity, and organizational change. Altman is lead author of the book “Workforce Ecosystems: Reaching Strategic Goals with People, Partners, and Technologies” (MIT Press).
Altman spent 19 years in industry. She was a vice president at Motorola in executive and leadership roles in industrial design, product development engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and strategy. Awarded a U.S. Dept. of Commerce and Japanese government fellowship, Altman worked as an engineer for Sony in Japan. She lectures and consults worldwide for multi-national clients on strategy, platform businesses, and workforce ecosystems, and has served on corporate and non-profit boards.
Altman’s work has been published in the Harvard Business Review (HBR), MIT Sloan Management Review, Academy of Management Annals, Journal of Management Studies, Marketing Letters, and other internationally recognized management journals and books. Her HBR article with Prof. Andrei Hagiu was included in an edition of the “HBR 10 Must Reads 2019” book and in “HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Business Model Innovation” and “HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Platforms and Ecosystems.” In addition to her recent book on workforce ecosystems, Altman co-authored the book, “The Innovator’s Guide to Growth: Putting Disruptive Innovation to Work,” (Harvard Business Press).
Altman holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, a Master’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s of Science in Management both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University where she served on the Board of Trustees and is on the Cornell University Library Advisory Council. Altman is a life member of the Cornell University Council and an emeritus member of the Cornell College of Engineering Advisory Council and the President’s Council of Cornell Women. Altman was named one of Boston Magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential Women in Boston,” and one of Boston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” top business and community leaders. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.