DrLuca Pistilli

Luca Pistilli is a Tenured Assistant Professor in Strategy. He also serves as Academic Director of the UCD Smurfit MBA and Executive MBA. In this role, he provides academic leadership across the MBA portfolio, contributing to programme quality, curriculum coherence, student experience, and the strategic development of the programmes. He works closely with faculty, professional staff, students, alumni, and external stakeholders to ensure that the MBA and EMBA remain academically rigorous, professionally relevant, and responsive to the evolving needs of managers and organisations.

Luca joined UCD in 2019 after completing his PhD in Business Administration and Management at Bocconi University, Milan, where he was also teaching and directing multpile courses. He has held a visiting researcher position at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and has participated in several international faculty and research development initiatives.

His research examines how organisations, leaders, and entrepreneurs respond to disruption, technological change, and strategic transformation. In particular, his work focuses on organisational adaptation, dynamic capabilities, innovation, digital transformation, entrepreneurial processes, and the societal implications of strategic decision-making. His research has been published in leading international journals including Journal of Business Research, R&D Management, Journal of Business Ethics, and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.

At UCD, Luca teaches across MBA, MSc, undergraduate, and international programmes, with a particular focus on digital strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, technology management, and responsible business. His teaching connects academic research with managerial practice, helping students understand how organisations can navigate technological disruption, strategic change, and innovation challenges.