2023 Best 40-Under-40 MBA Professors: Ali Aouad, London Business School

Ali Aouad

London Business School

“I am a medical doctor by profession. I was educated at the University of Cambridge and University of London and completed clinical training at the University of Oxford. I have been taught by very eminent professors. Having never done a course in management science and business statistics, Prof Aouad’s teaching and methodology made the Business Data Analytics course both highly understandable and enjoyable. Not only that, he has instilled in me an interest to delve deeper into the subject and possibly take further courses in the area. I would rate him one of the finest teachers who has ever taught me.” – Dr. Koshy Eapen

Ali Aouad, 33, is an assistant professor of Management Sciences and Operations at London Business School.

His research interests are in the interface of algorithm design under uncertainty and the operations of digital platforms, ranging from marketplaces to cultural institutions.

Before joining London Business School, he was an applied scientist at Uber Technology in 2018 and received a Ph.D. from the Operations Research Center at MIT in 2017.

He is the winner of the 2022 Second Prize of the INFORMS Junior Faculty Interest Group, the 2021 LBS Junior Faculty Research Award, and a 2021 Finalist in the 2021 Best OM paper in Operations Research. He was selected for funding in the European Research Council’s 2022 Starting Grant. He also won the LBS’ Best Teacher Award, MAM 2022.

BACKGROUND

At current institution since what year? 2018

Education: Ph.D. in Operations Research (MIT)

List of MBA courses you currently teach: Data Analytics for Management, Decision Analytics & Modelling

TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR

I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when… An academic position was not something I envisioned, but then, I grew interest in both research and teaching. Problem-solving in research was a fascinating experience. I sat in MBA classes taught by former advisors at MIT and really enjoyed learning about operations and analytics.

What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? We are studying who should control prices in gig economy platforms. We find that letting workers control prices can lead to inefficiencies, unless demand and supply are well-balanced, or customers and workers are willing to wait for a lengthy matching process.

If I weren’t a business school professor… I would work in a job at the intersection of the technology sector and policy.

What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I try to care about everyone’s learning in the classroom.

One word that describes my first time teaching: A student told me it was like a foreign language course… I made some adjustments.

Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: Manage your time wisely.

Professor I most admire and why: This is a difficult choice! I admire my recent co-authors Victor Martinez-de-Albeniz (IESE) and Kamalini Ramdas (LBS). They think about collecting or generating new data innovatively to expand the set of research questions we can tackle.

TEACHING MBA STUDENTS

What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? Having a positive, real-life impact on students, their intellectual and professional aspirations. Business students try to relate the classroom learnings as much as possible to their work experience, current projects, etc.

What is most challenging? Business students try to relate the classroom learnings as much as possible to their work experience, current projects, etc.

In a word, describe your favorite type of student: Curious.

In a word, describe your least favorite type of student: Overly confident.

When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as… Fair but generous.

LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

What are your hobbies? Literature, boxing, Chinese art.

How will you spend your summer? Reading, farniente, cultural visits… or thinking about mathematical problems related to my research.

Favorite place(s) to vacation: Italy

Favorite book(s): Tolstoy or Dostoevsky by George Steiner; Who gets what – and why? by Alvin E. Roth; Beyond Nature and Culture by Philippe Descola

What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? In the past year, I liked Triangle of Sadness. The social satire is very funny, and Part 3 (survivors of a shipwreck being stranded on an Island) resonated with an unfortunate experience…

What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? Moroccan music (from Andalusi music to Gnawa), which I find powerful and moving.