Barbara Minto

Barbara Minto is an internationally acclaimed author and consultant in the field of management and decision making theory. She is best known for her Pyramid Principle, a framework that has been used to help business executives and professionals make more strategic decisions.

Born in England in 1937, Minto started out as a lawyer and quickly made a name for herself in the corporate world. After graduating from the University of London in the early 1960s, she joined the International Harvester Company in London, where she specialized in legal strategizing. In 1970, she moved to Boston to work as a consultant for McKinsey & Company, a prestigious management consulting firm. There, she began developing and refining the Pyramid Principle, which is grounded in the notion that communication should be logical, strategic, and persuasive.

It was during her time at McKinsey & Company that Minto wrote her first book, The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking, which has been published in over 11 languages and sold more than 400,000 copies. In this book, she outlines the importance of “logical thinking” and demonstrates how it can be used to organize ideas for any kind of document, from reports to presentations. The Pyramid Principle shapes thinking by helping people create a “pyramid” of ideas that are supported by evidence, making it easier to build a persuasive argument.

The Pyramid Principle has become an influential concept in the business world, and it is widely used by companies such as Accenture and Bain & Company to improve their reports, presentations, and strategies. The concept is also popular among graduate business schools, including Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Cornell University's Johnson School of Management.

In addition to The Pyramid Principle, Barbara Minto has written several other books about decision-making theory, including Decision Quality: Value Creation from Better Business Decisions and How To Mentor—Leadership, Knowledge, And the Teaching Techniques. She has also published a number of articles in the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal.

In addition to her books and articles, Minto regularly speaks at business conferences and universities around the world, giving keynote addresses and workshops on the Pyramid Principle and decision making theory. She is also a sought-after public speaker, having addressed audiences at TEDx, the World Economic Forum, and other prestigious organizations.

In recognition of her achievements, Minto has been awarded honorary degrees from the universities of St. Andrews, Cranfield, and Brighton, and she was appointed Commander of the British Empire in 2012.

Barbara Minto has been a major innovator in the field of decision making theory and her Pyramid Principle continues to be an influential concept in the business world today. She is a valued speaker, teacher, and author whose work has made an indelible mark on the way executives and professionals approach decision-making.