George W. Anderson

George Anderson is a program director for Microsoft and an adjunct professor and guest lecturer for several universities. George holds Stanford Innovation & Entrepreneurship as well as Innovation Leadership credentials, PMIs Wicked Problem Solving and Proscis Change Practitioner certifications, an MBA with a focus in Human Resource Management, and a PhD in Applied Management and Decision Sciences.

As a program director, George assembles and leads global tech teams that help organizations transform themselves. Georges architects and consultants provide the technology and business skills necessary to design and develop business-enabling technology solutions, and George and his project managers provide the leadership, governance, and communications necessary to deliver those solutions.

In these ways, Georges teams solve problems that drive meaningful change and measurable value. George knows first-hand the power of thinking and executing differently to change our world and often shares those learnings and experiences. He has co-led worldwide design thinking communities within Microsoft and has incorporated design thinking techniques and exercises into several of Microsofts governance methods and project delivery methodologies.

Since 2002, George has also been assembling authoring teams to publish popular technology planning and implementation books, including Teach Yourself SAP in 24 Hours (2015) and SAP Implementation Unleashed (2009). More recently, he has shared how Design Thinking can be applied to our work and personal lives through Stuck Happens: 95 Simple Life Hacks for Thinking and Thriving (2021). And George and his team shared guidance and techniques organized around PMIs Process Groups in Design Thinking for Program and Project Management (2019).

Design Thinking for Tech: Solving Problems and Realizing Value in 24 Hours marries Georges love of people, high-tech software development, platform-based business solutioning, and Design Thinking. It bridges the real-world intersection of technology and more than 130 Design Thinking techniques and exercises useful in learning, empathizing, and solving difficult problems while providing early and repeatable value along the way. Connect with George on LinkedIn or through email at George.Anderson@Microsoft.com.