Susan Robertson is widely recognized as a powerhouse in the fields of strategic innovation, executive leadership, and creative problem-solving. Throughout her distinguished career, Susan Robertson has consistently bridges the gap between high-level strategic marketing and real-world corporate execution. Her unique approach to fostering creative mindsets within complex organizations has made her a highly sought-after advisor, keynote speaker, and educator. By combining practical business methodologies with deep insights into human behavior and brain science, she helps leadership teams transform their operational models to navigate disruptive industry changes.
The professional footprint of Susan Robertson extends across top Fortune 500 companies, global educational institutions, and international non-profit organizations. As an instructor in the Professional and Executive Development program at Harvard University, she teaches applied human creativity and strategic thinking to leaders from across the globe. Understanding the trajectory of Susan Robertson requires examining her academic foundations, her early triumphs in corporate brand management, her evolution into a global innovation consultant, and her ongoing dedication to developing the next generation of creative business leaders.
Biography Overview:
| Full Name | Susan Robertson |
| Primary Profession | Executive Innovation Strategist, Keynote Speaker, Executive Educator |
| Academic Credentials | Master of Business Administration (MBA), Marketing — Indiana University Bloomington |
| Academic Faculty Role | Instructor, Harvard University Professional and Executive Development |
| Key Specializations | Creative Problem Solving (CPS), Applied Neuroscience in Leadership, Corporate Innovation Strategy |
| Major Brands Managed | Gatorade, Quaker Rice Cakes, Calgon, Sunbeam Appliances, Fruit of the Loom, Star Wars & Batman Licensed Toys |
| Notable Corporate Clients | PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, Bank of America, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hasbro |
| Featured Keynote Stages | NASA Innovation Expo, International Conferences across 10+ countries (South Korea, Sweden, Brazil, UK) |
| Board & Civic Leadership | Board of Directors, Creative Education Foundation; Mentor, Take Stock in Children |
Early Academic Foundations at Indiana University Bloomington
The academic journey of Susan Robertson established the analytical rigor and market-focused strategic framework that defined her subsequent accomplishments. She pursued her higher education at Indiana University Bloomington, earning a prestigious Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialized focus in Marketing. During her time at Indiana University, Susan Robertson distinguished herself through her keen focus on consumer psychology, competitive positioning, and quantitative product development strategies.
The MBA program at Indiana University Bloomington is globally renowned for its emphasis on practical business execution and integrative management training. For Susan Robertson, this rigorous curriculum provided a foundational mastery of brand economics, market research, and consumer insights. Her academic focus on Marketing was not merely theoretical; it centered on how companies can systematically introduce novelty to the marketplace while managing financial risk. This critical synthesis of business structure and commercial innovation served as the launching pad for her early corporate executive career.
Building a Corporate Career in Product Innovation
Equipped with her Indiana University MBA, Susan Robertson entered the corporate ecosystem, taking on high-stakes roles in brand management and product development. Over a corporate career spanning more than fifteen years, she managed key business initiatives for some of the world’s most recognizable brands and consumer packaged goods companies. She worked alongside major corporations, including PepsiCo, Hasbro, Fruit of the Loom, and Sunbeam Appliances, directing cross-functional teams to launch iconic consumer products.
During her tenure in corporate product development, Susan Robertson managed product launches for legendary brands, including Gatorade, Quaker Rice Cakes, Calgon, and officially licensed toy lines for Batman and Star Wars. Her responsibilities involved taking concepts from early-stage ideation through manufacturing, brand strategy, and retail placement. Working with multi-million-dollar product lines taught Susan Robertson how corporate hierarchies often stifle groundbreaking concepts, inspiring her to focus on corporate creative problem-solving.
The Transition to Strategic Consulting and Executive Coaching
Recognizing a widespread need for strategic creative processes across major industries, Susan Robertson shifted from internal corporate management to executive consulting. She launched her consulting practice to help organizations remove internal friction and embrace continuous innovation. Over twenty years of consulting experience, Susan Robertson has worked directly with executive teams at major corporations such as Kellogg’s, Novartis, Bank of America, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Her consulting methodology focuses on designing structured innovation discovery processes. Rather than treating creativity as an unpredictable spark, Susan Robertson teaches organizations to approach innovation as a repeatable, disciplined system. By facilitating executive ideation sessions, customer co-creation events, and strategic alignment summits, she helps enterprises convert raw market data into actionable revenue streams. Her work consistently shifts corporate mindsets from defensive risk-aversion to proactive market leadership.
Academic Appointment at Harvard Professional Development
A major milestone in the career of Susan Robertson is her role as an instructor in Harvard University’s Professional and Executive Development programs. In this role, she educates senior executives, directors, and emerging leaders from around the world. Her courses focus on applied human creativity, agile problem-solving, and the neuroscience of innovation. By teaching at Harvard, Susan Robertson bridges cutting-edge academic research with immediate practical workplace application.
At Harvard, Susan Robertson emphasizes that creative thinking is a learnable, scalable professional skill rather than an inherent personal trait. Her curriculum guides participants through cognitive techniques that break habituated thinking patterns and overcome institutional inertia. Executives who complete her courses gain concrete frameworks to build innovative team environments, rethink legacy business models, and execute strategic organizational change.
Key Methodologies: Neuroscience and Creative Problem Solving
The core philosophy of Susan Robertson rests on integrating applied neuroscience with proven Creative Problem Solving (CPS) frameworks. As a senior faculty member at the Creative Problem Solving Institute, she has spent years studying how the human brain processes risk, novelty, and collaborative ideation. Susan Robertson highlights that traditional corporate environments often trigger cognitive defense mechanisms that cause leaders to reject unfamiliar ideas prematurely.
To counteract this pattern, Susan Robertson introduced actionable behavioral hacks that transform organizational cultures. One of her hallmark frameworks focuses on shifting internal dialog from reflexive skepticism to constructive exploration—moving teams from saying “Yes, but…” to asking “How might we…?” By replacing immediate criticism with open-ended inquiry, Susan Robertson empowers teams to explore high-potential ideas while maintaining analytical rigor.
Global Keynote Speaking and Thought Leadership
As an internationally recognized keynote speaker, Susan Robertson has taken her insights on innovation to stages across the globe. She has delivered address sessions across diverse continents, speaking in nations such as South Africa, South Korea, Italy, Sweden, China, France, Brazil, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Notable speaking engagements include serving as a featured keynote presenter at the prestigious NASA Innovation Expo.
Her keynote presentations, such as “The Secrets of Visionary Thinkers: Living in Possibility” and “A Culture of Curiosity,” focus on breaking down complex behavioral science into practical strategies. Susan Robertson uses dynamic storytelling, interactive exercises, and workplace examples to engage audiences. Event organizers routinely praise her ability to deliver high-energy presentations that leave participants equipped with immediate tools to drive organizational change.
Service, Board Leadership, and Philanthropy
Beyond her commercial and academic work, Susan Robertson maintains a deep commitment to non-profit leadership and social empowerment. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Creative Education Foundation, an international non-profit organization dedicated to fostering creative thinking and problem-solving skills across education and community sectors. Her involvement ensures that deliberate creative training is accessible to diverse populations worldwide.
Additionally, Susan Robertson actively contributes as a volunteer mentor with Take Stock in Children. This organization is dedicated to helping economically disadvantaged youth break the cycle of poverty through education, structured mentorship, and college scholarships. Through her mentorship efforts, Susan Robertson applies her problem-solving frameworks to empower young students, demonstrating her personal dedication to developing human potential across all levels of society.
Impact on Corporate Innovation and Organizational Culture
The long-term impact of Susan Robertson on corporate leadership is visible across the dozens of Fortune 500 enterprises that have adopted her methods. By helping organizations move past outdated brainstorming routines, she has enabled businesses to accelerate product launch timelines and build resilient team cultures. Her practical frameworks demonstrate that fostering psychological safety directly improves operational metrics and competitive advantage.
Executives who have partnered with Susan Robertson emphasize her rare ability to balance empathetic facilitation with sharp strategic focus. By equipping leaders with practical tools to manage corporate uncertainty, she has helped transform rigid corporate cultures into agile networks capable of sustained innovation. Her work proves that when organizations value curiosity as a business metric, sustainable success follows.
Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of Susan Robertson
In summary, Susan Robertson stands out as a true visionary in brand strategy, corporate innovation, and executive education. From her initial academic training earning an MBA in Marketing from Indiana University Bloomington to her leadership roles across Fortune 500 product launches, she has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of market dynamics. Her subsequent evolution into a Harvard instructor, international keynote speaker, and corporate advisor has expanded her influence globally.
Through her ongoing teaching, non-profit board service, and published insights, Susan Robertson continues to shape how modern organizations navigate change and unlock human creativity. By grounding abstract concepts of creativity in proven neuroscience and commercial strategy, she provides leaders with the tools needed to build agile, future-ready organizations. The career of Susan Robertson serves as an inspiring blueprint for anyone seeking to merge academic rigor, strategic business acumen, and meaningful creative leadership.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is Susan Robertson?
Susan Robertson is an executive innovation strategist, keynoter, author, and instructor at Harvard University’s Professional and Executive Development program. She specializes in helping Fortune 500 companies build cultures of innovation and applied creativity.
What is Susan Robertson’s educational background?
Susan Robertson holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing from Indiana University Bloomington. This educational background provided her with advanced expertise in consumer insights, strategic planning, and commercial product execution.
What major consumer products did Susan Robertson manage early in her career?
Before transitioning into management consulting, Susan Robertson spent over fifteen years leading new product development for iconic brands, including Gatorade, Quaker Rice Cakes, Calgon, Sunbeam Appliances, Fruit of the Loom, and licensed toy lines for Batman and Star Wars.
Where does Susan Robertson teach executive courses?
Susan Robertson is a faculty member for the Professional and Executive Development division at Harvard University. She teaches courses focused on the neuroscience of creative thinking, innovation strategy, and leadership problem-solving.
What key organizations has Susan Robertson advised as a consultant?
Throughout her consulting career, Susan Robertson has worked with senior leadership teams at world-renowned organizations, including Kellogg’s, Bank of America, Novartis, PepsiCo, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
What non-profit and community initiatives is Susan Robertson involved in?
Susan Robertson serves on the Board of Directors for the Creative Education Foundation. She also actively volunteers as a youth mentor with Take Stock in Children, helping disadvantaged students achieve educational success.
What are the main themes of Susan Robertson’s keynote speeches?
Her primary keynote topics focus on applied innovation, such as “The Secrets of Visionary Thinkers: Living in Possibility” and “Banning the ‘Yes, But…'” These presentations teach organizations how to use brain science and structured habits to foster agile problem-solving.