Theodore Levitt was a renowned American economist and marketing expert born in 1925 in Germany. He received his PhD in Economics from Ohio State University and joined Harvard Business School in 1959. Levitt made significant contributions to marketing theory, including coining the term "globalization" and emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs. He authored several influential books and articles and received numerous honors for his work, becoming one of the most important business thinkers of the 20th century. Levitt stressed that companies must focus on customers and market development to survive in competitive environments.