Nelson Fraiman

Professor Fraiman joined Columbia Business School in 1995. He is a professor of professional practice in the Decision, Risk, and Operations division and is Director of the W. Edwards Deming Center for Quality, Productivity and Competitiveness. He teaches the core Operations Management and the elective Process Improvement and Growth. 

He is also the faculty director of ECLA (Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness in Latin America), a program for Latin American entrepreneurs who aim to be successful across borders. The program started in 2010. Prior to Columbia Business School he spent seventeen years in industry and consulting.  

His current research centers on entrepreneurship and process improvement. He has written cases on operational excellence on the Ritz Carlton Hotel and the supply chain strategies of Zara and Mango. He has also conducted executive education programs in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Holland, Israel, Mexico, Paraguay, South Korea, United States and Uruguay. He has also lectured in Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Peru, Spain, Singapore, and United Kingdom. 

Professor Fraiman holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, an M.S., M.B.A., M. Phil and a Ph.D., all from Columbia University. He is fluent in English and Spanish and has working knowledge of French, Italian, and Portuguese. He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay.