Kristin W. Mugford

Kristin Mugford is the Melvin Tukman Senior Lecturer of Business Administration in the Finance Unit at the Harvard Business School.  She currently teaches "Creating Value through Corporate Restructuring," a popular elective course that analyzes how economic stress and restructuring creates challenges and opportunities for businesses and their stakeholders. She is currently the Faculty Chair for field-based learning and co-curricular programs in the MBA program and has also taught Venture Capital and Private Equity, and the FIELD Global Immersion.  She received the Robert F. Greenhill Award, the HBS Student Association Faculty Teaching Award, the Charles M. Williams Award for teaching excellence, and the Apgar Award for Innovation in Teaching.

In 2013 Kristin retired from her position as Managing Director of Bain Capital, one of the world's leading private investment firms. Bain Capital and its affiliated advisors make private equity, public equity, fixed income and credit, venture capital, and absolute return investments across multiple geographies and industries. 

Kristin joined Bain Capital's private equity business in 1994 and at the age of 32, became the first female Managing Director in the firm's history. Kristin helped start Bain Capital Credit (founded as Sankaty Advisors), and prior to her retirement was responsible for the oversight of their high yield investments and a senior member of Bain Capital Credit's management team and investment committee. Bain Capital Credit is one of the leading corporate and distressed debt managers, managing over $40 billion in offices around the world. 

Kristin began her career at the Walt Disney Company, where she worked in corporate strategic planning and the consumer products division. She graduated from Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar and holds an AB with honors from Harvard College. 

Cases and Teaching Materials

• Antill, Samuel, Stuart Gilson, and Kristin Mugford. "Hertz in Bankruptcy: A Wild Ride in Pandemic Times." Harvard Business School Case 222-064, February 2022. (Revised March 2022.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, Stuart C. Gilson, and Samuel Antill. "Hertz in Bankruptcy: A Wild Ride in Pandemic Times." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 222-713, April 2022. View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, and Emily Evert. "Turnaround at Quiksilver: Surfing Big Waves." Harvard Business School Case 222-074, March 2022. View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, and Sarah Gulick. "Exercise for Revlon: Surviving Covid-19." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 221-710, April 2021. View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, and Sarah Gulick. "Revlon: Surviving Covid-19." Harvard Business School Case 221-084, March 2021. (Revised January 2022.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, and Kevin Chu. "Gap Inc. and the Spinoff of Old Navy." Harvard Business School Case 220-063, March 2020. View Details
• Gilson, Stuart C., Kristin Mugford, and Sarah L. Abbott. "Sabine Oil & Gas Corporation." Harvard Business School Case 218-004, April 2018. (Revised April 2019.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, and Sarah L. Abbott. "Sears: The Demise of an American Icon." Harvard Business School Case 219-106, April 2019. (Revised December 2021.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin. "Scandal at Steinhoff." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 219-734, March 2019. View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, and Mike Harmon. "Quiksilver Inc. and Oaktree Capital Management." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 219-733, March 2019. (Revised January 2021.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, and Mike Harmon. "Quiksilver Inc. and Oaktree Capital Management." Harvard Business School Case 219-097, February 2019. (Revised January 2021.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, and Phil Caruso. "Scandal at Steinhoff." Harvard Business School Case 219-098, February 2019. (Revised October 2022.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin. "Sabine Oil & Gas Corporation." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 218-744, April 2018. View Details
• Mugford, Kristin. "The TARP Bailouts: Saving the Banking and Automotive Industries." Harvard Business School Case 218-107, March 2018. (Revised January 2019.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, Seema Amble, and Tian Feng. "Restructuring Ukraine." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 217-706, May 2017. View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, Seema Amble, and Tian Feng. "Restructuring Ukraine." Harvard Business School Case 217-049, April 2017. (Revised February 2020.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin. "Bankruptcy at Caesars Entertainment." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 217-707, February 2017. View Details
• Mugford, Kristin. "Bankruptcy at Caesars Entertainment (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 217-058, February 2017. (Revised January 2022.) View Details
• Mugford, Kristin, and David Chan. "Bankruptcy at Caesars Entertainment." Harvard Business School Case 216-052, February 2016. (Revised March 2019.) View Details
• Gilson, Stuart C., and Kristin Mugford. "Bankruptcy in the City of Detroit." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 216-703, December 2015. View Details
• Gilson, Stuart, Kristin Mugford, and Annelena Lobb. "Bankruptcy in the City of Detroit." Harvard Business School Case 215-070, April 2015. (Revised April 2022.) View Details
• Gompers, Paul A., Kristin Mugford, and J. Daniel Kim. "Harrah's Entertainment." Harvard Business School Case 213-054, October 2012. View Details
• Gompers, Paul, Kristin Mugford, and J. Daniel Kim. "Bain Capital: Outback Steakhouse." Harvard Business School Case 212-087, February 2012. (Revised November 2012.) View Details

Other Publications and Materials

• Mugford, Kristin. "Sunbeam-Oster Co., Inc. Exhibits." Harvard Business School Spreadsheet Supplement 219-732, February 2019. View Details

Awards & Honors

Received the 2021 HBS Student Association Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Received the 2020 HBS Student Association Faculty Teaching Award for exceptional contributions to the graduating class's HBS experience.

Received the 2017 Robert F. Greenhill Award.

Received the 2016 HBS Student Association Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching.

Received the 2016 Charles M. Williams Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Received the 2015 HBS Student Association Special Faculty Recognition Award.

Received the 2015 Apgar Award for Innovation in Teaching at HBS with Stephen Kaufman for the creation of the Bridges Program.