Christopher Rowell

Chris is currently following the emergence of the blockchain field in British Columbia and more broadly, and is especially interested in the organizational and strategic implications of distributed trust. He is enthusiastic about how blockchain (and other distributed trust technologies) can enable the disintermediation of interactions, the decentralization of data ownership and control, and the corresponding empowerment of individuals. At the same time, he is trying to better understand the potential limitations to decentralization, by questioning what roles centralized organizations might play in this new world; that is how companies can survive, create value, and compete in platform ecosystems that are owned and run by distributed communities.

Chris also researches new market emergence, digital platform strategies, and how entrepreneurial ventures signal legitimacy and credibility in volatile and ambiguous settings. He currently teaches courses in the strategic management of blockchain technologies (Executive Education, open enrolment) and management and organizational behaviour (undergraduate level) at the UBC Sauder School of Business.