Thomas Zellweger

Family business, entrepreneurship, corporate governance, strategic management

Visiting Professor, Stanford University, USA
Visiting Professor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Visiting Professor, Babson College, USA
Visiting Professor, University of British Columbia, Canada
Visiting Professor, University of Witten/Herdecke, Germany
Derivative Consulting, Brussels, Belgium
Helbling Corporate Finance, Zurich, Switzerland
Arthur Andersen, Zurich, Switzerland

Family Firm Governance and Strategy
Succession in Family Firms
Entrepreneurial Finance

- 2024 International Family Enterprise Research Academy, best paper award
- 2022: Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, Entrepreneurship Division
- 2020: Equa Best Paper Award, 6th International Forum on Mittelstand, University of Mannheim
- 2020: Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, Entrepreneurship Division
- 2020: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: unter den einflussreichsten Ökonomen Deutschlands (Forschung)
- 2019: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: amongst the most influential economists in Germany (research)
- 2019: Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, Strategy Division
- 2018: Best Management Book of the Year Award by the European Academy of Management (EURAM) for «Managing the Family Business: Theory and Practice»
- 2017: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: amongst the most influential economists in Germany (research)
- 2016: All University best teacher award nominee
- 2016: Emerald Citations of Excellence for 2016
- 2015: Jürgen-Hauschildt-Preis for best innovation paper
- 2014: Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, Entrepreneurship Division
- 2014: Best Paper Award, Deutschsprachiges Family Business Forschertreffen
- 2012: Best Paper Nominee, International Family Enterprise Research Academy
- 2012: Jeff Rothstein Award, International Family Enterprise Research Academy
- 2011: Best unpublished paper award, Family Firm Institute
- 2011: Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings, Ent. Division
- 2009: Outstanding Reviewer Award, Family Business Review
- 2008: Best Unpublished Paper Award, Family Firm Institute
- 2008: Family Enterprise Research Conference, Honorable Mention
- 2008: JSBM Office Depot Best Paper Award at USASBE
- 2007: Joe Goodman Award of the Family Firm Institute
- 2007: Grant by Swiss National Research Foundation (SNF)
- 2006: Honorable Mention Best Doctoral Dissertation Award Family Firm Institute
- 2006: Wehrhahn Award at University of St. Gallen: Best dissertation

Thomas Zellweger holds the Chair in Family Business at the University of St.Gallen, Switzerland, where he is also the Director of the Swiss Research Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (KMU-HSG). After two years as a marketing director in a fintech startup in Brussels, Thomas completed his PhD at the University of St.Gallen with highest distinction. His research has been published in the leading academic journals, such as in the Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Journal, Strategic Management Journal and Organization Science, amongst other outlets. The European Academy of Management in 2018 awarded the best book of the year award to his textbook "Managing the Family Business: Theory and Practice." His research also received several international awards and has been discussed in the international media, such as in The Economist, Bloomberg, Forbes, and the New York Times. Research stays and visiting professorships have taken him to Stanford University, the Wharton School, and the University of British Columbia, among other locations. Thomas is a member of several company boards and advises business owners and entrepreneurs on governance and strategic questions.