Dr. Robert G. Cooper is a globally recognized authority and pioneering thought leader in innovation management and new product development. He currently serves as ISBM Distinguished Research Fellow at Penn State University's Smeal College of Business Administration and holds the position of Professor Emeritus at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business in Canada. Dr. Cooper possesses a unique interdisciplinary background with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Engineering complemented by both an MBA and PhD in Business. His distinguished academic career spans over forty years including fifteen years as a professor at McMaster University and a decade at McGill University's Bronfman School of Business where he served as Associate Dean and Director of the MBA Program.
Dr. Cooper is renowned as the creator of the Stage-Gate® system a comprehensive methodology for managing new product development that has been implemented by approximately eighty percent of North American companies according to his research. Through decades of studying more than three thousand new product projects across thousands of organizations he has established evidence-based best practices that have revolutionized corporate innovation processes worldwide. His seminal book Winning at New Products now in its fifth edition has become the definitive guide in the field influencing executives and product managers globally. Dr. Cooper's development of the NewProd® system for screening and diagnosing new product projects has further enhanced organizational capabilities in identifying promising innovations while avoiding costly development failures.
As co-founder of Stage-Gate International Dr. Cooper has directly consulted with dozens of Fortune 500 companies helping them implement his research-based methodologies to enhance innovation capabilities and generate billions of dollars in new wealth. He has received numerous prestigious accolades including three Maurice Holland Awards from the Industrial Research Institute and designation as a Crawford Fellow by the Product Development and Management Association. Dr. Cooper continues to advance the field through ongoing research and practical applications maintaining his position as one of the world's foremost experts in product innovation management. His work remains critically relevant in today's business environment where effective innovation management is increasingly essential for organizational success and competitive advantage.
