Wharton Faculty & Staff >> Biography

Witold J. Henisz is a Professor of Management at The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania. He received his Ph.D. in Business and Public Policy from the Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley and previously received a M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. His research examines the impact of political hazards on international investment strategy. He analyzes (1) the political and economic determinants of government attempts to redistribute investor returns to the broader polity; (2) the strategic responses by organizations to such pressure; and (3) the determinants of the success of individual organizations in withstanding such pressure. His research has been published in top-ranked journals in international business (Journal of International Business Studies), management (Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal and Strategic Organization), international studies (International Organization and International Studies Quarterly) and sociology (American Sociological Review). For the past five years, he has served as a Departmental Editor at The Journal of International Business Studies.

Witold has won multiple teaching awards at the undergraduate and graduate levels for his elective courses that highlight the importance of integrating a deep understanding of political and social risk factors into the design of an organization’s global strategy. He has authored teaching cases on the experiences of AES Corporation in the Republic of Georgia, the management of the bankruptcy of Thai Petrochemical Industries and the development of the Rosia Montana gold mine in Romania. He also teaches sessions on Global Policy Risk for multiple open enrollment and custom Executive Education programs at the Wharton School. He is currently co-leading the redesign of the global required course in the Wharton curriculum.

Witold has served as a consultant for the World Bank, The Inter-American Development Bank, The Conference Board, Eurasia Group and the Department of Homeland Security. He previously worked for The International Monetary Fund. He is currently a principal in the political risk management consultancy PRIMA LLC and the risk management consultancy The Probity Group.