Michael Bednar is an associate professor of business administration at the University of Illinois. He studies issues related to corporate governance, executive leadership, and the relationship between the media and organizations. His research has been published in leading management journals and he currently serves as an editorial board member at Academy of Management Journal and Strategic Management Journal. In addition to his research activities, Michael teaches a number of classes on topics such as leadership, organizational design, and strategy. Michael won the Faculty of the Year award in the Professional MBA program in 2014 and was recognized with a Teaching Excellence award in both the full-time and professional MBA programs in 2015 and 2016. Prior to coming to Illinois in 2008, Michael received his PhD in strategic management from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.