Faculty Profile

Michael Lawless
Tyser Teaching Fellow

Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

4560 Van Munching Hall
Phone: (301) 405-9479
E-mail: lawless@umd.edu
Curriculum Vitae

 Michael Lawless

Mike Lawless joined the Robert H. Smith School of Business faculty at the University of Maryland in 2007. He researches and teaches on Strategy, Innovation, and New Venture funding. He was previously visiting professor on INSEAD’s Entrepreneurship faculty, where he taught the “Private Equity” and “Building Business in India” courses on the Singapore campus. Just prior, he was at Duke University and the University of Colorado. He has taught Strategic Management, Managing Technological Innovation, and Managing New Business to Executive, MBA and Executive MBA, and PhD students. He has been a visiting professor at UCLA, Dartmouth, Wake Forest University, and Warwick University, UK. Mike has lectured at Oxford, IESE, and the University of Peking, among others. His MBA and PhD are from UCLA.

Through his company, Michael Lawless, Inc., Mike has advised large and small firms. He has consulted with start-ups in various stages and launched two consulting firms. He has helped them with competitive analysis, business launches, new product development, innovation management, change management, leadership and entrepreneurship. His clients have included IBM, Qwest, and Phillips Petroleum and Phillips Electronics. Mike has been a principal or advisor on startups in IT, consumer products, and consulting.

Mike’s research is on the evolution of organizations, effects of technological change on markets and firms, innovation within organizations, venture capital and private equity, and entrepreneurship. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation. He has published many articles in top refereed journals, edited two series of research volumes, and written a book on managing technology.

The single father of a teenage son, Mike has coached lacrosse, and lent his time and expertise to school, church, and youth organizations. He has been a longboard surfer for more than 30 years, and an advanced SCUBA diver for 20 years. Mike has also competed in triathlon, racing sprint up to Iron distances. He recently retired as a Navy Reserve officer with 24 years of service.

Achievements and Expertise in Private Equity and Venture Capital
in Singapore and Asia

As a Visiting Professor at INSEAD’s Singapore campus during summer 2006 to fall 2007, I developed and managed a number of programs for executives and MBAs. Here are highlights:

  • Worked with principals in private equity firms, investment banks, government agencies, and companies to develop data bases and case studies in Singapore, Australia, India, and Hong Kong.
  • Developed strategy and finance expertise that lead to my case studies of current practice in private investing, turnarounds, expansions, and M&A, especially in Asia.
  • Asia / Private Equity Cases:
    • Lawless, M. 2006. “TPG Newbridge and Matrix Laboratories”
    • Lawless, M. 2006. “AXA Private Equity and Phoenix China Growth Fund”
    • Lawless, M. 2006. “Intersouth Partners and Integrian”
    • Lawless, M. 2006. “Allen & Buckeridge and Hitwise”
    • Lawless, M. 2006. “Sanjay Chakrabarty and MobiApps ”
    • Lawless, M. 2006. “International Heatco”
  • Managed and taught “Building Business in India,” a week-long, in-country MBA intensive taught twice each year. It was heavily imbedded in the M&A, entrepreneurship, and Private Equity communities – especially in Bangalore and Mumbai.
  • Developed and taught the MBA course, “Private Equity.” A survey of the private equity community, partnership structure, fund raising, investment decisions, portfolio company management, and exits. Scope was global and based in Singapore.
  • Advised INSEAD’s “Innovasia” program to develop a network of correspondents in India and China for custom industry reports and updates in new business development.
  • Executive Education: taught one to three-day custom programs to Siam Cement Group senior managers, KPMG management development program, and contributed to others.
  • Invited presentations:
  • “Asian Innovation.” Asian Venture Capital Journal Conference, Hong Kong, 2006 “Strategy of Venture Capital,” Inagural VC “Bootcamp,” of the Indian Venture Capital Association, New Delhi, 2007.