CHETAN WALIA
Biography
He holds a PhD in Business Strategy and Creativity—a rare combination that reflects both analytical depth and inventive thinking.
His work has been published by three of the world’s top five publishers—Sage, Springer, and Taylor & Francis—as well as Forbes.
Dr. Walia has served as a faculty member at the University of Bradford, where he taught Management Consulting to both Executive MBA and PhD students.
Over the years, he has acted as a strategic advisor to businesses, and as a consultant to consultants—helping leaders at the very highest level sharpen their thinking, unlock growth, and architect lasting impact.
He has been through all sorts of businesses to discover his passion
• A chemical factory
• A stockbroking firm
• Photography (as a business)
• Graphics
• Restaurant
• A call centre
• An art gallery
Learnt the hard way so you don't have to
The Difference Between Being Creatively Strategic and Strategically Creative
Thought Leadership
Thought leadership through research 📝: Chetan has made scholarly contributions to journals and academic books, and authored MBA curriculums for Universities.
Thought leadership through client work 📽️: He has consulted with various industries, leaders, and companies around the world, including some of the top brands.
Thought leadership through publications 📚: Chetan Walia has published books in the area of strategy, organisational success, breakthroughs, sales, managerial success, and creativity.
Thought leadership through accreditations ䷪: Chetan is a Doctor of Philosophy and Chartered Fellow CIPD.
Thought leadership through awards 🏆: He has been awarded as Top 100 Leaders in Eduction, Top 50 Thought Leaders, and with Outstanding Leadership Award.
"I challenge and invite you to Be Brilliant. I challenge you to join the paths of those who dared to create their own, and walked their talk."
There’s a critical difference between being creatively strategic and strategically creative.
When you’re creatively strategic, you bring playfulness and flexibility into the strategy-making process. You allow creativity to flow freely and shape the direction of your strategy, while still staying grounded in the context of your business goals. It’s about combining playfulness with purpose, where creativity enhances and guides the strategic intent to unlock new, untapped possibilities.
On the other hand, strategically creative is a false approach. This is where strategy has already been rigidly set, leaving little to no room for creativity to move. In this mindset, creativity is simply an afterthought—a tool for implementation that serves to “dress up” a strategy that has already been decided. This is where the hindsight problem creeps in—strategy has already been fixed, and creativity is merely used to patch it up.
In the creatively strategic world, strategy grows with creativity, ensuring your business thrives in a constantly evolving environment. In the strategically creative world, strategy is fixed, and creativity is forced into predefined boxes, limiting its potential to drive true innovation.
Dr Chetan Walia is one of the rare professionals who can truly say he is a strategist, advisor, and author—and back it up with decades of meaningful impact.
Over the last 25 years, he has advised global giants including EY, McKinsey, the World Bank, Siemens, Canon, Bloomberg, and the United Nations—alongside hundreds of high-growth companies, boutique firms, and visionary entrepreneurs.
He has also contributed to academic and cultural institutions, including curriculum design for leading business schools and keynote roles at global forums. His unique blend of intellectual depth and strategic clarity has positioned him as a trusted voice across industries and continents.
