WILLIE PIETERSEN was raised in South Africa and received a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University. After a period spent in the practice of law, he embarked on an international business career. Between 1974 and 1994, Pietersen ran multibillion-dollar divisions of several major global corporations, including Unilever, The Seagram Company, and Sterling Winthrop. In 1998, Pietersen was named Professor of the Practice of Management at the Columbia University Business School. He serves as an advisor and consultant to many global companies, including Sony, Ericsson, Deloitte & Touche, SAP, and The Chubb Corporation, and is Chairman of the Menlo Park-based think tank Institute for the Future.