Richard J. Grad

Richard Grad is an Adjunct Associate Professor teaching graduate-level organizational change and leadership courses at the Rossier School of Education. His scholarly work primarily focuses on adaptive change, polarity management, generative leadership, and enhancing the performance of nonprofit boards. He is also a Head Program Instructor for 2U short courses at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, and Pritzker Law School, focused on DE&I, Intellectual Property, and Business, Law, and Strategy. He earned a BA, summa cum laude, in 1980 from the University of California, Los Angeles, a JD in 1983 from Northeastern University School of Law, an MBA in 2014 from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and an Ed.D in 2020 in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California.

Professor Grad is an SVP and Global Head of Litigation for MGA Entertainment, where he manages corporate litigation worldwide and advises senior management on legal, operational, and risk management issues. He previously served as head of litigation worldwide for GE Aerospace. Before joining GE, he was a senior partner at Sidley Austin LLP, a global law firm, co-chairing the financial services/class action litigation group. Professor Grad has a long history of involvement in charitable, arts, cultural, and educational institutions, including serving on the boards at Public Counsel, MOCA Los Angeles, CalArts, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the REDCAT Council, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Monica, and Board Chair of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles.