John L. Ward teaches and studies strategic management, business leadership, and family enterprise continuity. He is an active researcher, speaker and consultant on succession, ownership, governance, and philanthropy. He is a regular visiting lecturer at IMD (Lausanne, Switzerland), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Indian School of Business, and IESE (Barcelona, Spain). 

He is author of the leading books on family business: Keeping the Family Business Healthy, Creating Effective Boards for Private Enterprises, Strategic Planning for the Family Business (with Randel Carlock), Perpetuating the Family Business: 50 Lessons Learned from Long-Lasting Successful Families in Business and Family Business: Key Issues (with Denise Kenyon-Rouvinez) and Unconventional Wisdom: Counterintuitive Insights for Family Business Success. With Craig Aronoff, Ward authors a collection of booklets, “The Family Business Leadership Series,” each booklet focusing on specific issues family businesses face. (See www.efamilybusiness.com.)

Ward graduated from Northwestern University (B.A) and Stanford Graduate School of Business (M.B.A. and Ph.D.).  He currently serves on the boards of four companies in the U.S. and Europe.