Strategic human capital
Careers, internal labor markets, promotion, lateral redeployment, and the changing value of expertise.
Academic profile
Bruno Cirillo
Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship
SKEMA Business School · Sophia Antipolis, France
I am an Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Director of the Knowledge, Technology & Organization (KTO) Research Center at SKEMA Business School, Sophia Antipolis campus, France. My research examines how firm-specific human capital influences the performance and career trajectories of knowledge workers, while also shaping a firm's innovation and strategic positioning. I also investigate knowledge workers' mobility within and between firms, with a particular focus on vertical and lateral promotions, inter-firm mobility, technology spin-offs and spinouts. These studies explore key topics such as organizational learning, technological shifts, individual performance, and career development. My work has been published in journals such as Organization Science, Research Policy, and Industrial and Corporate Change. I was honored to receive the 2013 Best PhD Dissertation Award from the Technology and Innovation Management division of the Academy of Management.
I am currently a member of the Editorial Review Board for several leading journals, including Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Journal of Management, and Journal of Management Studies.
Research
Research interests
Strategic human capital, employee mobility, and corporate venturing
I study how knowledge workers build careers and move within and between firms, how organizations deploy and retain expertise, and how corporate venturing and employee entrepreneurship create new channels for innovation and learning.
Employee mobility
Intra-firm and inter-firm mobility, matching, retention, and the movement of knowledge across organizational boundaries.
Corporate venturing
Employee entrepreneurship, corporate ventures, technological spinouts, external learning, and strategic renewal.
Research output
Selected publications
The Differential Impact of Intrafirm Collaboration and Technological Network Centrality on Employees’ Likelihood of Leaving the Firm
Tzabbar, D., Cirillo, B., & Breschi, S. Organization Science, 33(6), 2250–2273.
External Learning Strategies and Technological Search Output: Spinout Strategy and Corporate Invention Quality
Cirillo, B. Organization Science, 30(2), 361–382.
The Rejuvenation of Inventors Through Corporate Spinouts
Cirillo, B., Brusoni, S., & Valentini, G. Organization Science, 25(6), 1764–1784.
Academic leadership
KTO Research Center
I am Director of the Knowledge, Technology & Organization Research Center at SKEMA Business School.
Editorial review boards
I serve on the editorial review boards of Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, Journal of Management, and Journal of Management Studies.
Selected recognition
Awards & appointments
2026Best Reviewer Award
Journal of Management
2024 · 2025 · 2026Outstanding Reviewer Awards
Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal
2023Outstanding ERB Reviewer Award
Organization Science
2013Best PhD Dissertation Award
Academy of Management, TIM Division