On October 17, members gathered at the SMS Annual Conference in Berlin for the 2026 Annual Business Meeting, where the Executive Committee of the SMS Board of Directors reflected on a year of meaningful progress across the Society and its community of scholars and practitioners. The meeting kicked off with President Myles Shaver outlining the three strategic priorities guiding SMS: practitioner strategy, strengthening governance, and geographic expansion. This was followed by key society updates and initiatives from 2026 plus a look towards 2027.
Key Society updates included:
Expanding SMS Global Reach
SMS deepened outreach to regional management societies and co-hosted a meet-the-editor session with the Japan Academy of Business Administration (JABA). SMS Hong Kong welcomed 301 registrants, the highest Special Conference attendance in a decade, and the pilot Virtual Workshop Conference drew 140 registrants, 70% of them from outside Northern America and Europe.
The “Big Six” Refresh
SMS launched a refreshed version of the Six Big Questions in Strategic Management—the “Big Six”—to explore these connections between scholarship and practice. The framework has been updated to reflect changes in business and technology and the strategic challenges facing organizational leaders today.
Research Amplified
The new SMS Media Team helped bring journal research to wider audiences, and expanded SMS’ reach through the SMS Explorer and social media. The SMS Media Team centralizes these communications through enhanced processes and publishing.
Celebrating Excellence
Phanish Puranam and Frank Rothaermel were inducted as SMS Fellows. The meeting also recognized this year’s SMS Award recipients and the SMS Journals Best Paper Prize winners.
Twenty Years of SEJ
The Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal marked its 20th anniversary with a gathering at UT Austin, where 47 scholars from seven countries reflected on two decades of entrepreneurship research.
Investing in Scholars
The Strategy Research Foundation (SRF) has awarded $872,000 in research grants since 2021, including $202,000 to 16 scholars in 2025. Its inaugural Early Career Research Grant cohort received over $56K, and SMS introduced the new Global Community Bridge Travel Grant to help scholars from underrepresented regions attend the Annual Conference.
(New!) Support the Strategy Research Foundation
President Myles Shaver encouraged members to donate to the Strategy Research Foundation. As a 501(c)3 organization, SMS is eligible to receive tax-deductible donations to support the SRF mission. Your gift, of any size, helps fund rigorous, business-relevant research. Learn more and make a gift today!
A Thriving Member Circle
Engagement in Member Circle continues to rise, with members sharing data sets, reading lists, teaching materials, and event recordings. Members were encouraged to download the Member Circle App to stay connected. It can be found on the App Store as ‘Mobilize Community Management’ or on the Google Play Store as ‘Forj Connect.’
Thank You and Looking Ahead
SMS thanked its outgoing journal editors, Fellows and SRF leaders, IG&C chairs, and Board members, including Past President Yan Anthea Zhang. Ulrich Pidun of Boston Consulting Group was appointed practitioner Director-at-Large, and members were invited to vote in the Board election, which opened November 1.
Building on record attendance of more than 1,500 in Berlin, SMS looks forward to its 47th Annual Conference in Vancouver, October 16–19, 2027. Special thanks were extended to the 2026 Program Chairs for their hard work and dedication for this record-breaking conference and the 2027 Program Chairs were introduced and welcomed.
Events to look forward to include an expanded SMS Virtual Conference, featuring a call for research proposals, plus future Special Conferences in development.
See the Full Annual Business Meeting Presentation on Member Circle
This is just a glimpse of the year’s highlights. The full 2026 Annual Business Meeting presentation, including award recipients, financial highlights, and leadership details, is available in Member Circle, the members-only online community. Log in or become a member to see this year’s full presentation.
