Koelbel - 469H
David Drake is an associate professor in the Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Operations Management (SEO) Department at the Leeds School of Business and is an authority in sustainable operations management. Through his research, Professor Drake studies firms' environmental and social performance. In his work related to environmental operations, he pays particular focus to industry's role in combating climate change, exploring how emissions regulation influences the capacity portfolios that firms invest in; how such regulation, when unilaterally imposed, impacts technology choice, offshoring, and regional competitiveness; and how creative collaboration can improve the economic feasibility of clean technology development and adoption. Professor Drake's work in socially responsible operations explores the design and implementation of innovative business models that improve quality of life in areas of extreme poverty through the products and services offered, the resources preserved, and the opportunities for economic gain created. Professor Drake has published his research in the field's premier journals and authored pedagogical cases used to teach concepts at the intersection of sustainability, operations strategy, and supply chain management to students and executives worldwide.
Professor Drake has earned numerous awards for his research, teaching, course development, and service. Professor Drake's research is among the most-cited work in sustainable operations management, and has been recognized with the 2023 Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility (CESR) Highest Impact Paper Award, 2022 Kahle Family Research Award, 2021 CESR Highest Impact Paper Award, and as the runner-up for the 2019 INFORMS Public Sector Research Best Paper Award and the 2016 Best Paper Award for research published inÌýProduction and Operations Management. For his teaching and course development, Professor Drake has been recognized with the 2023 Joseph Frascona Teaching Excellence Award, multiple MBA core teaching awards, and the 2018 Page Prize which is a global award recognizing the best integration of sustainability in business curricula. In 2024, Professor Drake received the Stone Family Faculty Scholar Award in recognition for exceptional contributions to the Leeds School of Business.
Professor Drake joined Leeds from Harvard Business School where he was a member of the faculty for seven years. He teaches the MBA core operations management course in the full-time, evening, and hybrid programs. Professor Drake has previously taught operations strategy and decision modelling courses to MBAs, core operations management courses to undergraduates, and a doctoral research seminar. Through his research, Professor Drake has worked closely with a number of firms experiencing emission regulation under the EU-ETS and advised the RapporteurÌýof the Economics Committee for the EU Parliament. Professor Drake spent five years at Random House where he led the publishing operations projects team and the production purchasing team. He earned his MBA from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, and his MSc and PhD in management from INSEAD.