John Horn


Professor of Practice in Economics

John Horn

John Horn


John was a Senior Expert in the Strategy Practice of McKinsey & Company, based out of the Washington, DC, office, before joining Olin. He spent most of his 9 years there working with clients on competitive strategy, war gaming workshops and corporate and business unit strategy across a variety of industries and geographies. John helped over 100 clients with war game workshops and developed a set of simulation exercises to help companies understand the challenges of reallocating resources. He was also an adjunct professor at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Prior to joining McKinsey, John assisted major U.S. financial institutions with fair lending compliance as a consultant with Ernst & Young LLP. He also worked as an economic consultant with The Brattle Group, specializing in economic expert testimony in litigation support, including anti-trust and patent infringement cases.

Area of Expertise


Business/Corporate Strategy, Economics, International Business, International Economics, Management Strategy, Microeconomics/ Industrial Organization, Monetary Policy, Entrepreneurship, Negotiation, Management Strategy

Education


  • Ph D 1998, Harvard University
  • MA 1994, Harvard University
  • BA 1991, University of Michigan

Awards/Honors


  • MBA Reid Teaching Award, Washington University in St Louis, 2015
  • PMBA Reid Teaching Award, Washington University in St Louis, 2014
  • MBA Reid Teaching Award, Washington University in St Louis, 2014
  • Top 15% Award for Teaching Evaluation Scores, Robert H Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, 2008

Teaching Interests


Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, International Economics, War Gaming, Corporate Strategy, Business Unit Strategy, Behavioral Strategy

Research Interests


Competitive Dynamics, Entrepreneurship

Selected Publications


  • "Inside the Competitor's Mindset: How to Predict Their Next Move and Position Yourself for Success", 2023
  • "Deals Without Delusions", Harvard Business Review, with Daniel Lovallo, Patrick Viguerie, Robert Uhlaner, 2007
  • "Targets That Work", Harvard Business Review, Issue 5, 102-107, with Radhakrishnan Gopalan, Todd Milbourn, 2017
  • "Learning to Let Go", McKinsey Quarterly, with Dan Lovallo, Patrick Viguerie, 2006
  • "Battle-Test Your Innovation Strategy", McKinsey Quarterly, with Marla Capozzi, Ari Kellen, 2012
  • "Beating the Odds in Market Entry", McKinsey Quarterly, with Dan Lovallo, Patrick Viguerie, 2005
  • "Predicting Your Competitor's Reaction", Harvard Business Review, with Kevin Coyne, 2009
  • "A Truer Picture of China's Export Machine", McKinsey Quarterly, with Vivien Singer, Jonathan Woetzel, 2010
  • "Overcoming Biases in M&A: A Process Perspective ", 83-104, with Massimo Garbulo, Dan Lovallo, 2010
  • "Restarting the Small-Business Growth Engine", McKinsey Quarterly, with Darren Pleasance, 2012