ABOUT
Killian McCarthy is a Professor of Strategy. His research focuses on how firms create and
sustain value in dynamic environments through Strategy, Scaling, and Systems.
Killian has studied more than 500,000 acquisitions, 100,000 alliances, 50,000 corporate venturing deals, and 5,000 divestitures. His work has been published in top-tier scientific journals such as Research Planning and in high-visibility outlets such as Harvard Business Review, and it has attracted more than EUR 1.5 million in funding.
Killian believes that knowledge should be shared in a practical way. He therefore also offers strategic advice, holds workshops, and conducts custom research for industry.
Killian is a Professor of Strategy, with appointments at Radboud University Nijmegen (the Netherlands), Kyiv School of Economics (Ukraine), and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Beyond university, Killian also writes as a columnist for M&A Magazine and provides strategic advice to industry.
Killian’s research focuses on how firms create and sustain value in dynamic and competitive environments.
To understand this, he examines three interrelated topics “Strategy, Scaling, Systems”.
addresses challenges
01/03How do firms position themselves to create value by aligning internal resources with external opportunities and adapting to market dynamics?
addresses challenges
02/03How do firms use tools like mergers and acquisitions to unlock synergies and scale their operations for sustainable growth?
addresses challenges
03/03How do firms navigate public policy and regulatory shifts, respond to global changes, and maintain legitimacy in a changing operating environment?
SCIENTIFIC & PRACTICAL IMPACT
Killian’s work has attracted major EU and national funding, including a EUR 1.5 million EU-funded project on innovation ecosystems in 2026, building on earlier work that included an NWO-funded project on innovation in the construction industry (2016) and participation in a EUR 1.2 million EU-funded project on collaboration in FinTech (2018). The results of his research have been featured in top-tier scientific journals such as Research Policy and Long Range Planning, as well as high-visibility outlets such as Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review.
Killian also believes that knowledge should inspire action. Whether teaching future leaders in the classroom, speaking at global conferences, running workshops and executive trainings, or advising industry, his goal is to translate insights from cutting-edge, complex research into clear, actionable strategies that help organizations thrive.
Killian dedicated years to understanding and shaping value creation. Before joining Radboud University, he was a Professor at the University of Groningen and a Visiting Professor at Loughborough University London and National Chiao Tung University Taiwan.
He earned a PhD in Economics from Groningen, Master's Degrees in Economics from Utrecht University and the University of Vienna, and a Bachelor's, with a double major in Economics and Law, from the National University of Ireland, all of which were earned with the highest honours.
Each step of his education and career has provided him with new insights and solutions to dealing with complex challenges, all of which he is happy to share, to better enable businesses to navigate change confidently.
