Dr. Richard L. Daft, is the Brownlee O. Currey, Junior. Professor of Management and Principal Senior Lecturer in the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University, where he specializes in the study of leadership and organization theory. Professor Daft is also a fellow of the Academy of Management and has served on the editorial boards of Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, and Journal of Management Education. He was associate editor-in-chief of Organization Science and associate editor of Administrative Science Quarterly. Richard has co-authored or authored 13 books, including Organization Theory And Design, The Executive And The Elephant, The Leadership Challenge and Management. He also has authored dozens of scholarly papers, articles, and chapters

Dr. Daft has received several research grants in organizational innovation and change, organization design, strategy implementation, and organizational information processing. A respected consultant and active teacher, he has served as associate dean and helped manage a start-up enterprise. Richard has provided management development and consulted for numerous organizations, including the AutoZone, American Banking Association, Allstate Insurance, Vulcan Materials, Bridgestone, Pratt & Whitney, TVA, State Farm Insurance, the United States Air Force, the U.S. Army, USAA, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Central Parking System, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.