Robert E. Kennedy (University of Michigan)

Robert (Bob) Kennedy is executive director of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan. He also is the Tom Lantos Professor of Business Administration at Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business, where he teaches Corporate Strategy and International Business courses in the MBA and Executive Education programs [http://www.bus.umich.edu/FacultyBios/FacultyBio.asp?id=000639166] .

Kennedy’s research focuses on the opportunities and challenges facing businesses in emerging market countries and has been widely published in leading economics and strategy journals. In the mid- and late-1990s, much of this work focused on industry dynamics and business strategy in post-liberalization economies. Since 2000, Kennedy has explored the drivers and implications of the globalization of service activities, also known as "offshoring." The globalization of service activities is having a profound impact on businesses and governments in both developed and developing countries and has proved a fruitful area for research, curriculum development, and public speaking.

Along with WDI Senior Researcher Ajay Sharma, who leads the Institute’s [http://wdi.umich.edu/ResearchInitiatives/Globalization/ Globalization of Services initiative] , Kennedy is in the final writing stages of the book, "The Services Shift: Seizing the Ultimate Offshoring Opportunity." The book is due out in January 2009 from [http://www.pearsoned.com/index.htm Pearson Education] , the world’s leading educational publisher, will produce the book under the [http://www.whartonsp.com/index.asp Wharton School Publishing] label.

Kennedy is a well-known speaker and educator. He has authored more than 80 articles, notes, and case studies on emerging market issues. [http://wdi.umich.edu/files/People/Kennedyvita.pdf (vita)] Since 2003 (through 2008), his teaching materials have been used at every one of "Business Week's" top 25 business schools.

Kennedy came to the William Davidson Institute from Harvard Business School, where he was associate professor of business administration. Prior to joining the Harvard faculty, he spent five years as a partner in a Poland-focused venture capital fund and worked in more than a dozen countries as a management consultant.

Kennedy also serves on several boards of directors, including: - [http://www.macbeedon.com/ MacBeedon Partners LLC] , - [http://www.redcordusasales.com/v6/ ActiveCore] ,

and advisory board positions with several social enterprise and offshoring organizations, including: - [http://www.ifc.org/gbsn Global Business School Network] , - [http://www.acumenfund.org/ Acumen Fund Fellows Program] , - [http://equaterra.com/ Equaterra] , - [http://janeeva.com/ Janeeva] , and - [http://chryscapital.com/ ChrysCapital]

Kennedy received bachelor's degrees in economics and political science from Stanford University, a master's degree in management science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and master's and doctorate degreein business economics from Harvard University. [http://www.bus.umich.edu/FacultyBios/CV/rekenned.pdf]