Our people
Meet the academics and researchers who are passionate about the circular economy in business.
Professor Kenneth Husted
Kenneth Husted (PhD from Copenhagen Business School, Denmark) is a Professor of Innovation and Research Management at the University of Auckland Business School. He has been the Head of Department, Management and International Business since 2018; in 2020 he was also the Acting HoD of Department of Management. His research covers Innovation (R&D collaboration, circular innovation, innovation in low-tech industries) and Knowledge Management (knowledge sharing, knowledge protection, and knowledge governance).
Kenneth’s current research projects focus on Circular Economy in Business, Industry 4.0 and innovation, development of innovation practices in traditional industries. His academic work has appeared in, among others, Journal of Management Studies, California Management Review, Technovation, Journal of World Business, Organizational Dynamics, International Journal of Technology Management, Journal of Knowledge Management, R&D Management. Kenneth is the Regional Editor for the Journal of Knowledge Management and Associate Editor of Technology Innovation Management Review.
Associate Professor Julia A. Fehrer
Julia A. Fehrer is Associate Professor of Innovation and Strategy at the University of Auckland Business School (New Zealand) and Research Fellow in Marketing and Service Management at the University of Bayreuth (Germany). Her research is positioned at the interface of marketing strategy, innovation and service research and revolves around the themes: market shaping for social change, sustainable value cocreation and ecosystem innovation.
Her research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Service Research, Industrial Marketing Management, the Journal of Business Research and the Journal of Service Management and has been recognized with several international awards including, most notably, the Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Emerging Researcher Award. Prior to moving into academia, Dr Fehrer held senior management positions in strategy and innovation for over a decade.
Professor Stefano Pascucci
Stefano Pascucci is a social scientist interested in sustainability connected to organization theories, innovation management, entrepreneurship and value chain analysis. His research focuses on agribusiness, sustainability and circular economy. He is particularly concerned about how to analyse the interplay between sustainability, innovation and value chain configurations.
Prior to joining the University of Exeter Business School, in September 2016, Stefano Pascucci was an associate professor in innovation and organization of agribusiness at the Management Studies Group of Wageningen University (NL). From 2009-2011 he has been post-doc Marie Curie Fellow at the Agricultural Economics group of Wageningen University. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics and Policy from University of Naples Federico II (IT).
Stefano Pascucci is also visiting research at the Management Studies Group of Wageningen University (NL). He has published, among others, in the Journal of Business Venturing, Academy of Management Perspectives, Organization Studies, Journal of Business Ethics and Supply Chain Management: an International Journal. Stefano serves as member of the editorial board of the British Food Journal. He is member of the Institutional and Organizational Economics Academy and alumnus of the Ronald Coase Institute.
Ken Webster
Ken Webster is a visiting Fellow at Cranfield University and at the University of Auckland Business School. From 2010 - end 2018 he was Head of Innovation for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy pioneer organization, where he helped shape current notions of a ‘circular economy’.
His book The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows (2nd Edition 2017) relates the connections between systems thinking, economic and business opportunity and the transition to a circular economy. He makes regular contributions to conferences and seminars around the world. His current interests include; open vs closed circular economy approaches, construction and the built environment, extended producer ownership and materials data management. Ken is on the supervisory board of the Madaster Foundation in Amsterdam - a materials passport organisation.
His new book The Wonderful Circles of Oz (A Circular Economy Story) - coauthored with Alex Duff explores the notion of extractive vs circulatory economies and how to transition to the latter. Routledge Jul 2022. A recent book in a similar vein but with an emphasis on exploring different scales, especially in food and agriculture is ABC&D Creating a Regenerative Circular Economy for All (with Craig Johnson).
Twitter: @CircularEconKen
Email: ken@circulareconomy.co.uk
Dr Sasha Maher
Sasha Maher holds a PhD in Cultural Anthropology and Management from the University of Auckland. She recently joined the Business School as Lecturer in Sustainability after over 10 years industry experience in business development, policy, strategy, and sustainability professional roles. Sasha has also worked recently as climate change lead at the policy think tank, the Environmental Defence Society.
Sasha’s research interests are in climate leadership, circularity and governance, and the interface between the public and private sector in climate change politics. Her current research examines climate risk disclosure and responsibility.
Dr Yat Ming Ooi
Yat Ming Ooi is Lecturer in Innovation Management at the Department of Management and International Business, University of Auckland Business School. He holds a PhD in Management from the University of Auckland. His research focuses on collaborative forms of innovation activities, Industry 4.0 and digital transformation, circular economy, problem-solving in grand challenge initiatives, and technology commercialisation. Prior to academia, he worked in the tourism and hospitality, financial services, and public transportation industries.
Yat Ming has published articles in refereed journals, such as Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, Research-Technology Management, Technology Innovation Management Review, and International Journal of Production Economics. He is also a board of editors member for Research-Technology Management and editorial review board member for the Technology Innovation Management Review.
Dr Joya Kemper
Joya A. Kemper is Senior Lecturer and CEBUS Stakeholder Manager at the University of Auckland, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Canterbury, and an Associated Researcher of the University of Otago’s Food Waste Innovation. Her research focuses on transitioning towards circular, sustainable, ethical, and healthy consumption and production. Her research explores the barriers and enablers to change in practices and behaviour at all systemic levels (individual, organisation, market, institutional).
She has published over 50 journal articles in journals such as the Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, Journal of Service Research, Industrial Marketing Management, the Journal of Business Research and European Journal of Marketing. Joya has also received numerous national and international awards and grants including from the Health Research Council and Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment.
Roderick J. Brodie
Roderick Brodie is a Professor Emeritus at the Business School at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. He is a pioneer in understanding the implications of branding and customer engagement and has more recently engaged in research on market shaping and the Circular Economy.
Professor Brodie has authored over 120 articles, many of which have appeared in leading journals, including Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Management Science and Journal of Service Research. The papers he has worked on with international co-authors are highly cited because the ramifications extend far beyond the boundaries of business. His work has influenced the work of economists, psychologists, and others under the broad umbrella of the social sciences.