Michael Sacks
Professor in the Practice of Organization & Management, Goizueta Business School; Professor of Sociology (by courtesy), Emory College of Arts & Sciences; Faculty Director, Woodruff Leadership Academy, Woodruff Health Sciences Center
- Atlanta GA UNITED STATES
Media
Social
Biography
Michael has partnered with over 130 companies across many industries. Some examples include Microsoft, Delta Airlines, Toyota, International Hotels Group, Coca Cola, Mailchimp, Mercedes Benz, and UPS. As a highly-trained specialist in adult learning and facilitation, Michael works closely with companies to design learning sessions that maximize organizational impact.
Professor Sacks frequently engages with the media where he appears in outlets such as Harvard Business Review, The Financial Times, Bloomberg, Fast Company, the Atlanta Journal & Constitution, and Georgia Public Radio. He has also served as an expert witness on topics including succession planning, talent management, and employee relations.
Michael teaches extensively in Goizueta’s executive education programs, serving as Faculty Director for several open enrollment sessions and custom clients. He additionally serves as Director for Emory Health Science's Woodruff Leadership Academy, and he also coordinates multiple leadership programs across Emory’s campus. Michael recently completed a term as Emory’s Vice Provost for University Strategies where he integrated multiple school initiatives towards common university goals. He also previously served as Associate Dean and Director of Emory’s Evening MBA Program.
Michael’s teaching is centered in the area of Strategic Leadership -- aligning the leadership skills of employees with an organization’s culture in order to best execute strategy. This approach integrates traditional leadership topics with the cultural and strategic contexts in which an organization operates. As such, Michael’s teaching spreads across topics such as leadership development, organizational management, and strategic thinking.
Professor Sacks can be reached at: michael.sacks@emory.edu
Education
Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management
PhD
Organization Behavior and Sociology
2001
Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management
MS
Organization Behavior and Sociology
1996
University of California, Santa Barbara
BA
Sociology
1993
Areas of Expertise
In the News
Homegrown AI ‘unicorn’ with a high-tech Beltline HQ announces new CEO
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution online
2026-02-11
It is common for startups to shake up their C-suite after hitting certain growth milestones, said Michael Sacks, a professor of organization and management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Other well-known Atlanta companies, such as Spanx, another “unicorn,” have tapped someone to replace their founder as CEO as they scaled.
Everyone’s ditching their phones and ‘going analog.’ Here’s why.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution online
2026-01-29
Michael Sacks, a professor at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, explained that the shift reflects a broader change in priorities among younger generations. “While it’s true that younger generations grew up online, it’s also true that they value authenticity and mental health,” Sacks said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
This Georgia CEO is no quack. Aflac boss is longest-serving in Fortune 250
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution online
2026-01-06
Amos and his uncle, John Amos, are the only two CEOs Aflac has had since it was founded 71 years ago. It’s rare for a company to have back-to-back chief executives with that longevity, said Michael Sacks, professor of organization and management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.
Best MBA Negotiations Professors
Menlo Coaching online
2025-07-22
We’ve compiled a list highlighting some of the best negotiations professors at US business schools to help you decide on the right MBA program. A spot in any of these professors’ classes will arm you with the tools you need to succeed in high-stakes negotiations throughout your career.
Signs It’s Time to Step Down From Your Leadership Role
Bloomberg online
2023-01-21
Fitting in with a company’s culture is just as important a consideration for executives as it is for entry-level and new hires. “Some leaders might thrive at a different organization rather than the one in which they currently serve,” said Michael Sacks, professor at Emory University Goizueta Business School.
There’s reason to be skeptical of Elon Musk’s Twitter polls
Fast Company online
2022-12-19
“In psychology, there’s something called sense making, which is we don’t gather data objectively to help us make decisions, we already have an opinion, [so] we gather data to back up our opinions and justify what we already want to do,” says Michael Sacks, a professor who specializes in organization and management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.
How Mailchimp University Helps Us Stay Weird and Grow Strong
Mailchimp online
2015-08-11
We partnered with Michael Sacks, an organizational development expert at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, to design a leadership development program to help Mailchimp grow the right way. We wanted something that made sense for our culture and that employees at every level would get excited about.
5 strategies for corporate rate negotiations
Hotel News Now online
2012-07-30
It’s a matter of identifying strategic partners, said Michael Sacks, associate professor in the practice of organization and management at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University, during that same panel discussion.
Building a Biotech Nation
Chemical and Engineering News online
2008-09-15
The finalists got free passes to an executive education program held in Cape Town last week by three professors from Emory's business school—Steve Walton, Michael Sacks, and Kristy Towry—and professors from the University of Cape Town. It's the same weeklong crash course given to corporate clients such as Home Depot and Coca-Cola, Sencer says.
Unreal Options
Harvard Business Review online
2002-12-01
A similar social dynamic was revealed in a recent experiment conducted by Russell W. Coff and Michael Sacks of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta and Kevin J. Laverty from the University of Washington at Bothell, which showed that so-called social capital can distort funding decisions.