From a student at Ivey to a 25-year-career with London Business School – and now back at Ivey to serve as Dean – Julian Birkinshaw’s journey has come full circle. In the article below, he shares his passion for case-based learning, insights on innovation, and his ambitious strategy to grow Ivey’s global reputation.
The past: From London Business School to Ivey Business School
London Business School (LBS) and Ivey Business School are separated not just by geography – London, England, versus London, Ontario – but also by their distinct cultures and teaching styles. Julian Birkinshaw, MBA ’91, PhD ’95, has experienced both and found them deeply enriching in their own ways.
LBS’s strength lies in its international reputation, attracting students and faculty from around the world. Meanwhile, Ivey’s strength is its deep commitment to the case-based learning approach, a method that shaped Birkinshaw’s perspective 30 years ago during his education at Ivey and is becoming even more relevant in today’s digital world.
As a professor at LBS, Birkinshaw naturally gravitated toward the case-based method, even as others adopted different teaching styles, from traditional lectures to role-playing exercises. He notes that case-based learning fosters a dynamic, interactive experience that demands dedication from both faculty and students. At Ivey, this commitment ensures that students receive world-class instruction from professors fully engaged in the learning process.
Ivey’s faculty are both researchers and educators and passionate about both roles. This dual commitment creates a classroom environment rich in discussion, critical thinking, and mutual engagement, where faculty and students are equally invested in the pursuit of knowledge.
The present: Entrepreneurship, Resurgent, and the future of Canadian business
1. On entrepreneurship
Western University recently opened the doors to the new Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation for the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship, Powered by Ivey. Birkinshaw noted the importance of this building, not only in enhancing Ivey and Western’s reputation, but also in bringing value to students.“You can teach people to be better entrepreneurs,” he says.
Citing that research has shown those with a business education are more likely to succeed in their entrepreneurial ventures than those without formal training, Birkinshaw strives to position Ivey at the forefront of entrepreneurship education.
2. On Resurgent and the TedX Talk
Birkinshaw hosted a TedX Talk in 2022 on the themes of his upcoming book Resurgent, set for release in July 2025. In both his talk and the book, Birkinshaw explores the dynamics between established companies, first-movers (companies that enter a market first), and the impact of innovation on both. Many established companies are better able to adapt to technological change than they are often given credit for. While the spotlight tends to be on disruptors like Uber, Tesla, and Google, Birkinshaw says being a first-mover isn’t always an advantage. He cites that many successful companies, such as Facebook, were not first-movers. Instead, they learned from the mistakes of early entrants and refined their ideas to become the conglomerates we see today.
Birkinshaw says people often don’t appreciate the “old guard,” failing to recognize that large, established companies have the abundant resources necessary to innovate. They have the capital, time, and expertise, which allow them to approach trends strategically and learn from their competitors’ missteps rather than hastily jumping in.
Resurgent is co-authored with John Fallon, who previously worked at Pearson textbooks, a prime example of an industry leader leveraging its resources to innovate in response to external competition. As digital transformation disrupted the textbook market, Pearson adapted by moving its textbooks to online platforms, evolving with industry trends. In Resurgent, Fallon and Birkinshaw examine how rigid structures can hinder growth and innovation within companies – but by rethinking these structures, we leave room for innovation.
3. On the Canadian business industry
A common phenomenon in Canada is the migration of talent to larger and more robust cities around the world. Numerous successful and entrepreneurial Canadians leave for places like Silicon Valley and the U.K. When Birkinshaw first arrived in London, Ontario 30 years ago, there was concern that Canada’s business climate was not conducive to entrepreneurship.
Birkinshaw offers a straightforward perspective on how to address this issue.
“You’ve got to build a business environment in which people want to work,” he says.
Several key factors contribute to creating such an environment. First, the role of government is crucial. Policy-makers can either overregulate or liberalize the rules of entrepreneurship. They can also invest in physical and digital infrastructure to make Canada a more attractive place for businesses to grow in.
Education is another critical element, and Birkinshaw highlighted the role of Ivey and its competitors in shaping future entrepreneurs. He says fostering a mindset where entrepreneurship and innovation are highly valued might encourage Ivey’s graduates to build their businesses in Canada.
Finally, as with any business issue, funding is essential. Canada needs more venture capital investment to support and scale new businesses, he says.
“Canada isn’t in bad shape – we have lots of upward mobility and future potential,” he says. “I think we can afford to be optimistic about the climate in Canada and Canadian business.”
The future: Unleashing Ivey’s bold ambition
Six months ago, Birkinshaw stepped into the Ivey Next strategic plan created by his predecessor, Sharon Hodgson, and her team. This plan sets ambitious goals, including addressing three critical issues facing business and society: the evolution of work, Canada’s place in the world, and sustainability. Birkinshaw is committed to building on these priorities while incorporating his own vision.
His plan for Ivey’s future focuses on two key dimensions:
1. Expanding Ivey’s global presence
While Ivey is widely recognized as a top Canadian business school with an unparalleled alumni network, its global recognition remains limited. However, the School is known internationally for its case studies, as the world’s second-largest case publisher. Birkinshaw says he sees an opportunity to expand Ivey’s global impact by leveraging Ivey Publishing to distribute more cases and learning materials worldwide.
Additionally, executive and master’s programs, which attract international students, offer another avenue for increasing global prominence. While the HBA program will continue to primarily serve Canadian students – currently approximately 93 per cent, which is common for undergraduate education – diversifying faculty and student recruitment in graduate and executive education will further enhance Ivey’s international reputation.
Birkinshaw envisions Ivey’s future growth as a product of bold ambition.
“As I look to the future, I want us to be bolder. I want us to be prepared to try to have an image and a story about our excellence, which the world takes note of,” he says.
2. Leading in the digital revolution
To be bold, Ivey must embrace innovation, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI). AI is reshaping how people learn, work, and live – and Birkinshaw envisions Ivey at the forefront of this change. While case-based teaching will always be at the centre of Ivey’s learning experience, technology can enrich the learning by helping students prepare for class, delivering real-time feedback, and making foundational materials more accessible.
Rather than fearing change, Ivey must harness technology to enrich the learning experience, Birkinshaw says. His goal is for Ivey to develop its own forward-thinking approaches to integrating AI and digital tools into business education, ensuring it remains a leader in a rapidly evolving world.
Final advice
We live in a strange and dynamic world – one where AI, like ChatGPT, has transformed how we access information. With AI providing instant answers, Birkinshaw says we don’t need to know as much as we used to and we no longer prioritize deep understanding of concepts. While this shift offers significant advantages, he suggests it also presents challenges, placing greater emphasis on knowledge application. “Your ability to succeed in your life isn’t about what you know. It’s about how you apply what you know to real-life contexts and problems. It’s how you work with other people in those settings,” says Birkinshaw.
In other words, don’t use ChatGPT as a shortcut to completing assignments – use it as a tool to make your work better.
Birkinshaw also highlights the importance of human interaction in learning, a core aspect of case-based teaching, which fosters collaboration and critical thinking.
“The better the technology gets, the more important it is that you develop those social skills and interactive skills, which is what you get in the Ivey classroom,” he says.
As the new leader of Ivey, Birkinshaw is driving the School forward with a bold vision: to innovate, expand, and push to new horizons. For him, the future of business isn’t a distant concept – it’s unfolding right here in our own backyard.
For more insights, tune in to Birkinshaw’s podcast: Ivey Impact Podcast