Mirko Benischke is the Dean of Education as well as Dean of Engagement and Executive Education and a Professor of Strategic Leadership at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. He holds a PhD in International Business from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

His current research focuses on the strategic decision-making of senior executives—CEOs, top management teams, and boards of directors—as well as how firms gain political access and influence and navigate increasingly complex geopolitical contexts. His research has been published in leading academic journals, including the Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of World Business, the Academy of Management Perspectives, Human Resource Management (US), and Strategic Organization.

His work on CEOs and their role in strategic decision-making has also appeared in managerial outlets like the Harvard Business Review, RSM Discoveries (Access to affordable medicines), and Amplify (Developing purpose-driven leaders).

Mirko has received several accolades for his work, including the Alan M. Rugman Most Promising Scholar Award from the Academy of International Business, along with multiple grants and other research awards. Since 2018, he has been a high-performing member of the Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM). He is currently an Associate Editor at the Journal of Management Studies and serves on the editorial boards of journals such as the Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Journal of World Business, Global Strategy Journal, and the Multinational Business Review.

As an educator, Mirko teaches topics including strategy, strategic leadership, corporate governance, global strategy, and geopolitics. He has designed and taught courses across executive education, graduate, and undergraduate levels. Notably, he has received the "Professor of the Year Award" twice for his undergraduate course on International Business.

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