The new team will redefine how corporate management effectiveness is measured, building on the legacy of Peter Drucker’s principles
Claremont, California, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Claremont Graduate University (CGU) proudly announces the formation of the Drucker Institute Corporate Effectiveness Data Innovation Team, a forward-thinking initiative designed to define and shape corporate leadership and performance in the 21st century. Building on nearly a decade of pioneering research, this team will drive innovations that will transform the way organizations assess and achieve effectiveness.
For almost ten years, the Drucker Institute at CGU has published its widely respected Ranking of America’s Best Managed Companies. This ranking uses a comprehensive framework inspired by Peter Drucker’s definition of effectiveness: “doing the right things well.” It evaluates organizations across five essential areas: customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development, innovation, social responsibility, and financial strength.
The newly formed Data Innovation Team takes this work to the next level, incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance the evaluation process. The team will develop new methodologies and measurement systems that will better capture relational and intangible assets, addressing existing limitations in current data.
“This is about pushing the boundaries of how we measure and define corporate success,” said Dr. Michelle Bligh, President of Claremont Graduate University. “With this new team, we’re combining the timeless wisdom of Peter Drucker with the power of modern data analytics, ensuring CGU remains at the forefront of organizational leadership.”
The Data Innovation Team consists of renowned scholars, advanced graduate students, data scientists, and business practitioners. Its focus is to continue to produce the top corporate effectiveness rankings, and to build new in-house metrics for the five performance areas, while also collaborating with foundations and companies year-round to leverage predictive tools based on the Drucker Institute model.
“This is about elevating the conversation around what truly defines corporate effectiveness,” said Dr. Dave Sprott, Henry Y. Hwang Dean of the Drucker School of Management and Senior Advisor to the Institute. “We’re blending timeless principles with cutting-edge analytics to help organizations make better, more ethical, and more effective decisions.”
“Too many companies struggle to clearly communicate what really matters,” said Michael H. Kelly, Executive Director of the Drucker Institute. “We want to be a thought leader in helping organizations figure out not just what ‘doing the right things’ looks like, but how to achieve results that matter—results that serve not only shareholders, but also employees, customers, and communities. All of these stakeholders are essential to a functioning and healthy society. Our goal is to help make that alignment measurable, meaningful, and actionable.”
The initiative will be guided by the Drucker Institute’s Ranking Advisory Board, which includes distinguished faculty and thought leaders from across CGU. In the coming months, the team will expand, with opportunities for research associates and assistants, as well as a new Assistant Research Professor position.
The Drucker Institute’s Corporate Effectiveness model has been featured annually in The Wall Street Journal’s “Management Top 250” and continues to be a key benchmark for both the corporate and academic communities.
For more information about the Drucker Institute and its new Data Innovation Team, visit drucker.institute, or contact- Michael H. Kelly: 310-714-9473- michael.kelly@cgu.edu
CONTACT: Starr Hall Claremont Graduate University 805-450-4911 prstarrhall@gmail.com
