T. Alexander Puutio
Alexander Puutio, Ph.D., is an educator, author, and advisor specializing in artificial intelligence, leadership, and organizational transformation. With more than 15 years of experience at the United Nations, Boston Consulting Group, and in executive advisory roles, he helps leaders navigate strategic change, harness emerging technologies, and strengthen organizational performance. He teaches AI strategy, leadership, and management at Harvard’s Division of Continuing Education, where he was voted a Favorite Professor by the Harvard Extension Student Association in 2025. He also teaches at Columbia SIPA and NYU Stern.
Alexander’s work bridges strategic leadership and the practical implementation of AI. He has advised multinational corporations, governments, and international organizations on organizational transformation, executive decision-making, and operational effectiveness. His experience spans AI-enabled business process redesign, large-scale digital transformation, and the implementation of AI agents in financial services. He is also the founder of Vertical AI, a platform focused on improving organizational decision-making through artificial intelligence.
Beyond technology, Alexander’s leadership and strategy work focuses on helping executives strengthen organizational capabilities, improve decision-making, and lead through complex change. He has supported major institutional reforms across the United Nations’ global network of more than 120 offices, advised corporations and governments on strategic planning and organizational performance, and designed executive development programs focused on leadership, influence, and management. His approach integrates management science, decision theory, and organizational psychology with practical experience advising senior leaders across industries and sectors.
Alexander is the author of AI for MBAs: The Future of Business with Advanced AI Applications (Taylor & Francis/Routledge, 2026) and the forthcoming The Curiosity Code (Penguin). His research, published in journals associated with MIT, Cambridge, and Oxford, explores AI-assisted decision-making, leadership judgment, and organizational performance. Drawing on conversations with more than 750 CEOs and business leaders, he connects academic research with the practical challenges facing today’s executives. He also contributes to Forbes and other major publications, reaching approximately 2 million readers annually.
Alexander holds doctoral degrees in Law and Economics from the University of Turku, an LL.M. from Fordham University, and is pursuing further doctoral studies in History at the University of Cambridge.
Programs Alexander Teaches
Influence & Persuasion in Leadership
