Mae McDonnell

Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Associate Professor of Management at the Wharton School

Mae McDonnell is the Director of the Zicklin Center for Governance and Business Ethics at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. She holds the position of Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Associate Professor of Management and has been involved in academia for several years, focusing on corporate governance, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.

Academic Background and Career

McDonnell earned her PhD in Management and Organizations from the Kellogg School of Management and her JD from Harvard Law School. She has held various academic positions, including Associate Professor and Assistant Professor of Management at Wharton, and previously served as an Assistant Professor of Strategy at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business.

Research Focus

Her research interests include organizational behavior, corporate social responsibility, stakeholder relations, and the interplay between corporations and social movements. McDonnell's work has been published in prestigious journals, and she is recognized for her contributions to understanding how corporate actions influence social activism and governance practices.

Leadership Role

As the director of the Zicklin Center, McDonnell manages initiatives aimed at advancing research and practical applications in corporate governance and ethics. The center is part of Wharton's ESG Initiative, which seeks to address contemporary challenges in business ethics and governance. She also serves on the advisory board of Fair Pay Workplace, a nonprofit focused on promoting fair compensation practices.1 2 3

Experience

Director, Zicklin Center for Governance and Business Ethics at The Wharton School (June 2022 - Present)

Associate Professor Of Management at The Wharton School (July 2020 - Present); Assistant Professor of Management at The Wharton School (July 2015 - July 2020); Assistant Professor of Strategy at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business (May 2013 - April 2015); Visiting Assistant Professor of Business Law at Northwestern University School of Law (September 2011 - July 2013), Advisory Board Member at Fair Pay Workplace (November 2020 - Present)

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Management and Organizations at Kellogg School of Management (2008 - 2013); Doctor of Law (JD), Law at Harvard Law School (2006 - 2009); B.A. in Philosophy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2002 - 2006)