David Drake

David Drake is an assistant 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 joined Leeds from Harvard Business School, where he was a member of the faculty for seven years. He teaches the undergraduate core operations management course, and has previously taught core operations management and operations strategy courses to MBAs. Through his research, Professor Drake has worked closely with a number of firms experiencing emission regulation under the EU-ETS, and attended the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (UN COP15) as a delegate. Professor Drake earned his MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, and his MSc and PhD in management from INSEAD.