About

Professor Jochen Menges is an internationally recognised expert in leadership, human resource management, and organisational behaviour,holding the Chair of Human Resource Management and Leadership at the University of Zurich and directing its Center for Leadership in the Future of Work. In addition, he holds a position as Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour at Cambridge Judge Business School, where he is part of the Organisational Behaviour group and a founder of its Experimental Laboratory.

Jochen’s academic journey began with psychology degrees from the University of Heidelberg, followed by a PhD in management from the University of St. Gallen, and a research year at Yale University. His research investigates how leaders and followers interact, how emotions and motivation influence workplace behaviour, and how organisations can foster productivity and well-being. He uses experimental, survey, archival, and field methods to answer these questions.

His scholarly work has been published in leading journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Journal of Applied Psychology, and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and he frequently contributes to Harvard Business Review. Jochen’s work on leadership and emotions has earned prestigious awards including the Annual Prize for the Best Leadership-related Article and the Annals of the Academy of Management Best Article Award. His insights have been disseminated through two TEDx talks and widespread media coverage by BBC, CNN, The Economist, The Financial Times, Le Monde, and The New York Times.

Beyond academia, he has consulted with major organizations such as Google, Microsoft, British Telecom, Jaguar Land Rover, and the World Bank. Jochen co-founded the Global HR Valley, which supports future work and leadership practices as part of the World Economic Forum’s Reskilling Revolution, and has led major global studies on HR, work futures, and employer quality. He has also taught at start-up incubators in Silicon Valley and Boston, and at military academies such as the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

An award-winning educator, he has influenced students at all levels and launched initiatives like the Future Leaders Fundraising Challenge, supporting charitable causes. Jochen serves as Associate Editor for Academy of Management Discoveries and sits on editorial boards for key journals in management and leadership.

Professor Jochen Menges is a distinguished academic in leadership, organizational behavior, and human resource management. He holds the Chair of Human Resource Management and Leadership at the University of Zurich’s Department of Business Administration, where he also directs the Center for Leadership in the Future of Work.

Jochen completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in psychology at the University of Heidelberg, followed by a PhD in management at the University of St. Gallen, supported by scholarships such as from the German National Academic Foundation. Early in his career, he was a Research Associate at St. Gallen’s Institute for Leadership and Human Resource Management and spent a year as a Visiting Scholar at Yale University. He later joined WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management as Chair of Leadership and HRM in Düsseldorf, before moving to the University of Zurich in 2018.

Parallel to his primary appointment, Jochen is a Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Cambridge Judge Business School, contributing to both research and pedagogy. His research has deeply influenced the field, especially on the social dynamics of leadership, emotional climates in organizations, and mechanisms of motivation and performance.

He has published extensively in top academic journals and served on editorial boards for The Leadership Quarterly and Academy of Management Journal, among others, and is an Associate Editor for Academy of Management Discoveries. His scholarly contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including best paper awards from major academic societies.

Jochen also integrates practical impact with scholarship, co-founding the Global HR Valley ecosystem linked to the World Economic Forum and collaborating on global research initiatives on the future of work. He has taught and consulted internationally, including at start-up incubators and prestigious military academies, and continues to mentor doctoral candidates and lead interdisciplinary research projects.