Peter Williamson

Honorary Professor of International Management

Co-Director of the Cambridge Centre for Chinese Management

Fellow and Director of Studies in Management at Jesus College

BA (Macquarie University), MA (University of Cambridge), PhD (Harvard University)

My research interests include globalisation and its implications for corporate strategy, business ecosystems, merger and acquisition strategy, strategies for success in China and for a carbon-constrained world. I’ve served as a non-executive director and chairman of publicly listed companies and new ventures in industries ranging from whisky to sustainable energy.
 
I’m a member of the Strategy and International Business subject group at Cambridge Judge Business School, and along with my colleagues I actively contribute to both academic and business communities.

Professional experience

Professor Williamson has wide experience in research, consulting and executive education as well as serving as a non-executive. He has worked in Australia, France, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States, before returning to Britain to join Cambridge Judge Business School, where he founded the Advanced Leadership Programme, and at Jesus College, where he is Fellow and Director of Studies in Management. He is currently Chairman of the digital process automation company Bizagi, and has served as a non-executive director of both listed and private companies across a wide variety of industries, including textiles, whisky, green energy, hedge funds, software and sales training.

Professor Williamson was formerly with the Boston Consulting Group in London, and Merrill Lynch. He serves on the editorial boards of European Management Journal, and Academy of Management Learning and Education. Peter has acted as consultant on business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and international expansion to numerous companies as well as to governments and international organisations throughout the Asia-Pacific region as well as in Europe and North America. He has experience in China since 1983, assisting numerous multinationals, and more recently, Chinese companies venturing abroad.

Previous appointments

Prior to joining Cambridge Judge Business School, Professor Williamson was ten years with the Asian Business and International Management faculty at INSEAD (1997-2007). Between 2003 and 2007 he was also Visiting Professor in Strategy at the Cheung Kong Business School in Beijing. He was Visiting Professor of Global Strategy at Harvard Business School (1993-1996) and Dean of MBA Programmes and Professor of Strategic and International Management at London Business School (1987-1992).

Publications

Selected publications

  • De Meyer, A. and Williamson, P.J. (2020) Ecosystem edge: sustaining competitiveness in the face of disruption. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
  • Symeou, P.C., Zyglidopoulos, S. and Williamson, P. (2018) “Internationalization as a driver of the corporate social performance of extractive industry firms.” Journal of World Business, 53(1): 27-38 (DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2017.07.004)
  • Williamson, P.J. and Raman, A.P. (2011) “How China reset its global acquisition agenda.” Harvard Business Review, 89(4): 109-114
  • Zeng, M. and Williamson P.J. (2007) Dragons at your door: how Chinese cost innovation is disrupting the rules of global competition. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. (Also translated into Arabic, Chinese, Indonesian and Russian)
  • Doz, Y., Santos, J. and Williamson, P. (2001) From global to metanational: how companies win in the knowledge economy. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. (Also translated into Korean, Italian, and Portuguese)
  • Markides, C.C. and Williamson, P.J. (1994) “Related diversification, core competences and corporate performance.” Strategic Management Journal, 15(Special Issue, Summer): 149-165

Journal articles

Books, monographs, reports and case studies

  • De Meyer, A. and Williamson, P.J. (2020) Ecosystem edge: sustaining competitiveness in the face of disruption. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
  • Williamson, P. and Wang, M.J. (2015) “Alibaba Group’s Taobao: from intermediary to ecosystem enabler.” The Case Centre: 314-139-1.
  • Williamson, P.J., Ramamurti, R., Fleury, A. and Fleury, M.T. (eds.) (2013) The competitive advantage of emerging country multinationals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Williamson, P. and De Meyer, A. (2010) “ARM Holdings Plc: ecosystem advantage.” European Case Clearing House (ECCH).
  • Zeng, M. and Williamson P.J. (2007) Dragons at your door: how Chinese cost innovation is disrupting the rules of global competition. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
  • Williamson, P.J. (2004) Winning in Asia: strategies for the new millennium. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. (Also translated into Korean and Italian)
  • Doz, Y., Santos, J. and Williamson, P. (2001) From global to metanational: how companies win in the knowledge economy. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. (Also translated into Korean, Italian, and Portuguese)

Book chapters

  • Williamson, P.J. (2021) “Chinese cost innovation, the Shanzhai phenomenon, and accelerated innovation.” In: Fu, X., McKern, B. and Chen, J. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of China innovation. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, New York
  • Williamson, P. (2020) “Realizing the potential of the Belt and Road Initiative: what role for M&A?” In: De Cremer, D., McKern, B. and McGuire, J. (eds.) The Belt and Road Initiative: opportunities and challenges of a Chinese economic ambition. London: Sage, pp.221-235
  • Williamson, P.J. and Wan, F. (2019) “How real are the opportunities for multinationals in China?” In: Grosse, R. and Meyer, K.E. (eds.) The Oxford handbook of management in emerging markets. New York: Oxford University Press, pp.745-762
  • Williamson, P.J. and Yin, E.Y. (2013) “The new wave of disruptive innovation from China: why and how global incumbents need to respond.” In: Ling, P.P. (ed.) Disruptive innovation in Chinese and Indian businesses: the strategic implication for local entrepreneurs and global incumbents. Abingdon, UK and New York, NY: Routledge, pp.179-198.
  • Williamson, P.J. and Yin, E.Y. (2013) “Innovation by Chinese EMNEs.” In: Williamson, P, Ramamurti, R, Fleury, A. and Fleury, M. T. L. (eds.): The competitive advantage of emerging market multinationals. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.64-94
  • Williamson, P.J. and Yin, E. (2009) “Racing with the Chinese dragons.” In Alon, I. et al. (eds.): China rules: globalization and political transformation. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.69-100

Working papers

Awards and honours

  • Sloan-Pricewaterhouse Coopers Award honouring those articles that have contributed to the enhancement of management practice, 2005
  • Lloyds Tercentenary Fellow, 2001
  • Fulbright Scholar, 1980-1984
  • Frank R. Knox Memorial Fellow, 1980-1984

News and insights

2021 brainfood williamson turning the tables 883x432 1

Western companies should now copy China for digital innovation, says a journal article co-authored by Professor Peter Williamson of Cambridge Judge Business School.

A 3D rendering of a little Earth surrounded by a van, a lorry and a plane flying overhead, with cardboard boxes in front of the Earth.

Pandemic-prodded predictions of relocalising supply chains and reshoring production 'grossly exaggerate' what will actually happen in practice, writes Peter Williamson of Cambridge Judge Business School.

2020 thinkers williamson deglobalisation 883x432 2

Worrying signs of a knee-jerk reaction to COVID-19, says Peter Williamson, Honorary Professor of International Management. There are worrying signs of a knee-jerk reaction to the coronavirus pandemic, a spasm toward protectionism, nationalism and the abandonment of international cooperation. This is clearly the wrong approach.  Turning inward would cripple manufacturing efficiency. The prices consumers pay would rise. Innovation and productivity growth, already under threat, would slow down. In short, people’s lives would suffer.  The reality is that our globally interconnected economy has helped in dealing with the pandemic. Vital raw materials such as testing reagents have moved across borders to where they are in short supply. Personal protective equipment and even ventilators from across the globe are now helping to alleviate shortages in many of the worst-hit countries. Contrary to dire predictions, global supply chains including food have held up pretty well.  Yet despite what history tells us of the dangers of protectionism, the United States in particular seems intent on undermining the supply side of the global economy. The semiconductor industry underlines the dangers of such an approach at a time when mobile phones and the semiconductors they use are the very devices we’re now relying on to maintain our safety, sanity, and some vestige of normality in our lives.  Rules proposed by the Trump administration would disrupt the global semiconductor innovation and supply chain by stipulating…

Media coverage

Kompas.com | 14 March 2023

Businesses in Indonesia are potential but strict, business actors need to set operational strategies appropriately

Peter Williamson, Honorary Professor of International Management at Cambridge Judge Business School, is mentioned in this article about Western companies operating in Asia.

The New York Times | 11 April 2022

Globalisation isn’t over. It’s changing.

Peter Williamson, Honorary Professor of International Management at Cambridge Judge Business School, is cited in an article in The New York Times that says the idea of “deglobalisation” may be fashionable but it is incorrect — as deglobalisation is merely changing.

Forbes | 21 December 2021

How ready are companies for the post-pandemic world?

An article looking at how organisations are getting ready for post-Covid world cites two papers co-authored at Cambridge Judge Business School.

A report launched by the World Economic Forum, co-authored by Cambridge Judge PhD student Ariel de Fauconberg, outlines how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can best position themselves to be ‘future-ready. “Our global assessment showed no significant differences of future readiness of SMEs at the regional or the industry level,” the paper says.

And another study co-authored by Professor Peter Williamson “highlights the value of such collaborations in the context of the UK government’s VentilatorChallengeUK (VCUK) to try and ensure an adequate supply of ventilators to hospitals.”

Cambridge Independent, 10 June 2021
‘West can learn from Chinese digital successes’, say Cambridge authors

Business Weekly, 7 June 2021
Learn from China re profitable digital innovation

Bloomberg, 26 March 2021
Talk of de-globalisation is fashionable but wrong

Strategy & Business, 5 October 2020
Creating a powerful ecosystem to sustain competitiveness

China Daily, 28 September 2020
Shaping the future

China Daily, 24 September 2020
Country makes giant strides in innovation

Business Because, 18 September 2020
What does Huawei’s UK 5G ban mean for the Internet Of Things?

China Daily, 27 August 2020
Unified effort will be crucial to recovery

Shanghai Daily, 19 August 2020
Worrying signs of knee-jerk reaction to COVID-19

Sputnik News, 22 May 2020
Trump’s anti-China rhetoric is unproductive but might help him win 2020 race, analysts suggest

Government Computinge, 13 February 2020
Internet needs monitoring by WTO-type body, says new report

CCTV (English), 29 January 2020
UK gives Huawei green light to help build 5G network

Harvard Business Review, 30 September 2019
How to monetize a business ecosystem

Sputnik News, 29 August 2019
‘US creating alternative 5G network is a pipe-dream’

China Daily, 24 January 2019
Huawei should focus on key supporters

China Daily, 21 January 2019
Huawei faces up to protectionism

The Telegraph, 24 December 2018
As in the past, opening up is the key to China’s future

Market Screener, 10 October 2018
China Mobile: Dual drivers

Value Walk, 2 October 2018
Alternative benchmark for China’s GDP – update 2017 and first half-2018

The New York Times, 15 July 2018
China’s strong economic growth figures belie signs of weakness

China Daily, 3 March 2018
New era for R&D

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