Home > Contact >

Sam Savage

Feb 2005 -- The Flaw of Averages

Professor Savage has been a Consulting Professor At Stanford University since 1990.

After receiving his Ph.D. in the area of computer science from Yale University, Sam spent a year at General Motors Research Laboratory. He then joined the Management Science faculty of the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1974. Here he quickly realized that an algebraic curtain separated management from management science, and he abandoned the field as moribund.

In 1979, out of boredom, Sam invented, developed and marketed the SHMUZZLE™ Puzzle, which was inspired by the artwork of M.C. Escher. This puzzle was popular in the early 1980’s and has recently been re-introduced (www.SHMUZZLES.com). Then with the advent of the personal computer and electronic spreadsheet, the algebraic curtain began to lift, and Sam was reborn as a management scientist. In 1985, he collaborated on the first widely marketed spreadsheet optimization package, What'sBest!®‚ which won PC Magazine's Technical Excellence Award.

In 1990 Dr. Savage came to Stanford where he continues to teach and develop management science tools in the algebra free environment of Microsoft Excel. His primary focus is on enterprise wide visualization and management of risk. He has also been a Visiting Professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School, the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterrey, the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, and the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge in the UK.

Sam’s acclaimed text and software, DECISION MAKING WITH INSIGHT has been called a “must read” by Harry Markowitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics. He has also been published in both refereed journals and the popular press - with recent articles in the Harvard Business Review, the Journal of Portfolio Management , Washington Post, the Journal of Forensic Accounting and Financial Planning Magazine. Two of his most popular essays: “The Flaw of Averages” and “Some Inflammatory Gratuitous Remarks on the Accounting Industry” are available for download from his Stanford website. Sam also consults and lectures extensively to business and government agencies and has served as an expert witness.

Sam is also the founder and president of AnalyCorp Inc.
(www.AnalyCorp.com), a firm that develops executive education programs and software for improving business analysis.