Hall, who is a senior partner at Lippincott, a global creative agency, assists senior executives in improving innovation outcomes and driving growth, working closely with them on new product development initiatives, as well as on systematic improvements to their innovation processes. Formerly, he was a principal at the growth strategy consultancy, The Cambridge Group (part of The Nielsen Company) where he focused on helping clients meet top priority goals for growth, profitability and innovation. Primary author of the annual (2012-2016) "U.S. Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Reports," Hall also headed the company's Breakthrough Innovation Project and led its global expansion.
For 15 years, Hall has collaborated with Harvard Business School Professor and global innovation authority Clayton M. Christensen on the publication of "The Innovator's Solution" (2003) and "Marketing Malpractice: The Cause and the Cure" (2005). Their latest endeavor (co-authored with Karen Dillon and David Duncan) digs deep into the science of innovation and Professor Christensen's influential Jobs to be Done theory. "Competing Against Luck" (was published in 2016.
Especially knowledgeable in and passionate about innovation in emerging markets, Hall partnered with Professor Christensen and Ann Christensen to co-found Innovation Without Borders™, which delivers their unique innovation tools and frameworks to senior executives and entrepreneurs in rising regions of the world, including such countries as Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and the Philippines. Since 1997, Hall also actively advises a network of 1000+ emerging market chief executives build profitable growth companies through the Endeavor organization.
An engaging advisor, speaker and writer, Hall has published articles on innovation in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Ad Age, Huffington Post, Time, Business Insider, Chief Executive and CMO magazine. He also co-authored "The Online Advertising Playbook," published in 2007.
Prior to joining Nielsen, Hall served as chief operating officer at Meteor Solutions, a leading social media analytics and marketing company. From 2003-2008, he was chief strategy officer for the Advertising Research Foundation, where he leveraged deep expertise in media, digital technologies and research methodologies to help senior executives succeed in challenging competitive contexts.
Hall started his career in venture capital/private equity, working for Advent International, both in the U.S. and Latin America. He then transitioned from finance to operations, managing five venture-backed businesses — four of them technology/internet related, and one with retail, manufacturing and real estate development units.
Hall holds a bachelor of arts degree from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard University. At Harvard, he worked as an independent researcher with professor, competitive strategy guru and renowned economist Michael E. Porter to develop and implement strategies for competitive inner-city economies.
Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice