ExecMBA Podcast #423: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Professor Rory McDonald

ExecMBA Podcast #423: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Professor Rory McDonald

From The ExecMBA Podcast by UVA Darden School of Business

June 5, 2026 · 60 min · Episode 425

About this episode

A conversation with Professor Rory McDonald about his research on competition and innovation in technology-enabled markets.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Rory McDonald. McDonald’s research focuses on how firms compete and innovate effectively in new technology-enabled markets. Drawing on a mix of in-depth fieldwork and archival data, he studies how executives develop viable strategies in these contexts and how they obtain resources that improve their chances of success. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with McDonald about his background, what led him to Darden, how the Strategy course fits into the Darden core curriculum, his popular electives, “Disruptive Strategy” and “Disruptive Innovation,” his current research interests and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

People in this episode

Guest: Professor Rory McDonald

Topics covered

  • faculty spotlight
  • innovation
  • strategy
  • technology
  • business education

Keywords

  • Darden
  • Professor Rory McDonald
  • strategy course
  • disruptive strategy
  • disruptive innovation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UVA Darden School of Business, Darden Admissions, Discover Darden Admissions, Instagram

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