Ben Gilad

Inducted: 1991
Specialties: Competitive Intelligence Training, War Games

I started as a young business academic in the field of competitive intelligence in 1982, before it was called competitive intelligence. I co-authored the first book on organizing an intelligence function (The Business Intelligence System, AMACOM, 1988), and set up the first global institution dedicated to competitive intelligence training (www.academyci.com, since 1999). I still regret what became of my ideas when Corporate got their hands on them.

I wrote the book on war games (literally, in 2009, Business War Games, Career Press) and I’ve been running war games for the Fortunate 500 and training corporate managers in the art of predicting competitors’ moves for over 3 decades. Most of my clients don’t listen to me, but ironically keep coming back calling me “refreshingly blunt.”

I was a really good strategy professor (Rutgers U until 1998), a lousy police intelligence officer (Israel), and still am an old fashioned, free market economist (Ph.D 1981, NYU). I miss my undergrad classes at Rutgers who believed every word I said. I do not miss the MBA classes, though and I am deeply embarrassed by what has happened to US academia since I left. Can it be because I left???

Publications: I think 8 books and 100+ articles and essays; most are worthless, some are original, very few are serious. The one book I am proud of is fiction, not business (There Will Be Hell To Pay, 2021 which is semi-biographical).

I write a column on LinkedIn called The Skeptical Analyst which sums up my approach to competitive intelligence as well as life. I try to be funny, I am often cynical, and I can’t stand people who take themselves seriously. So don’t.

You can reach me at ben@giladwargames.com. If I don’t reply in 24 hours, I am probably dead.

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