Darden Ideas to Action: Most Read Stories of 2022

An expert in strategic leadership, Cheng’s research focuses on corporate governance and top management teams. Specifically, she studies how board directors and executives shape strategy, governance and performance through her examination of the nuances of boardroom deliberations and executives’ attributes. Her work has been featured in mainstream media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Fortune, CNBC and Harvard Business Review.

Prior to joining Darden’s Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship area, Cheng received a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Wellesley College. She then served as an economic consultant before earning her Doctorate in Business Administration in strategy from Harvard Business School.

B.A., Wellesley College; DBA, Harvard Business School

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Harris is an expert on both ethics and strategic management. His research centers on the interplay between ethics and strategy, with a particular focus on the topics of corporate governance, business ethics and interorganizational trust. Harris has written extensively on the topics of executive compensation and other governance-related topics.

Harris worked as a certified public accountant and consultant for several leading public accounting firms in Boston and Portland, Oregon, and served as the CFO of a small technology firm in Washington, D.C. He consults with several top financial services companies on the topics of strategic management, ethics and compliance.

He recently published The Strategist’s Toolkit, a primer on strategic thinking, with Darden Professor Mike Lenox. He also co-authored the recently published paper “Model-Theoretic Knowledge Accumulation: The Case of Agency Theory and Incentive Alignment” in the Academy of Management Review and a forthcoming paper titled “A Comparison of Alternative Measures of Organizational Aspirations” for the Strategic Management Journal.

B.S., M.Acc., Brigham Young University; Ph.D., University of Minnesota

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Lenox’s expertise is in the domain of technology strategy and policy. He studies the role of innovation in helping a business succeed. In particular, he explores the sourcing of external knowledge by firms and this practice’s impact on a company’s innovation strategy. Lenox has a longstanding interest in the interface between business strategy and public policy as it relates to the natural environment; his work explores firm strategies and nontraditional public policies that have the potential to drive green innovation and entrepreneurship.

In 2013, Lenox co-authored The Strategist’s Toolkit with Darden Professor Jared Harris. His latest book, 

Lenox is a prolific author; his most recent book, Strategy in the Digital Age: Mastering Digital Transformation, examines how digital technologies and services enable the creation of innovative products and services, as well as identifying new competitive positions.

B.S., M.S., University of Virginia; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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Moriarty is an authority on public trust in business, communicating with stakeholders and business ethics. He teaches in the Management Communication area at Darden, where he previously served as an adjunct lecturer and director of the Institute for Business in Society. Additionally, he served as director of the Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics, an independent business ethics center housed at Darden.

From 2011 to 2014, Moriarty was selected one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior by Trust Across America. He is co-editor of the book Public Trust in Business, and his articles on public trust in business and government have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post and Forbes.

B.A., Boston College; M.A., Wake Forest University; Ph.D., University of Virginia

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An expert in diversity, authenticity and leadership development, Roberts’ research and consulting focuses on the science of maximizing human potential in diverse organizations and communities. The author of more than 50 research articles, teaching cases and practitioner-oriented content aimed at strategically activating one’s best self through strength-based development, her work has also been featured in global media outlets. She has also edited three books: Race, Work and Leadership; Positive Organizing in a Global Society; and Exploring Positive Identities and Organizations.

Prior to joining Darden, Roberts served on the faculties of Harvard Business School, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and Antioch University’s Graduate School of Leadership and Change.

B.A., University of Virginia; M.A., Ph.D., University of Michigan

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Whitler is an authority on marketing, with expertise in marketing strategy, brand management, and marketing performance. Her research centers on understanding how a firm’s marketing performance is affected by its C-suite and board.

A prolific writer as well as researcher, Whitler has authored nearly 100 articles related to C-level marketing management challenges and is a contributor for Forbes and CMO.com. Social Media Marketing Magazine named her one of the Top 100 Marketing Professors on Twitter.

Whitler has held leadership roles, including GM and CMO positions, within the consumer packaged goods and retailing industries, including Procter & Gamble, David’s Bridal and PetSmart. She has helped build $1B+ brands, including Tide, Bounce, Downy and Zest.

B.A., Eureka College; MBA, University of Arizona Eller School of Business; M.S., Ph.D., Indiana University Kelley School of Business

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