About

Johanna Mair is Director of the School of Transnational Governance and Professor of Organizations, Institutions, and Societal Transformation at the European University Institute in Florence. Her research explores how organizations and institutions address pressing societal challenges, with particular attention to democracy, social innovation, and institutional transformation. Over a career spanning Europe and the United States, she has held senior academic positions, including as Professor of Organization, Strategy, and Leadership at the Hertie School in Berlin, and has played a prominent role in shaping debates on inequality, civic engagement, and the organizational underpinnings of democratic life. Her work has received numerous awards and honors, including the 2025 Progress Medal of the Society for Progress, which recognized her pioneering research on social entrepreneurs as architectural innovators who advance well-being, democratic engagement, and sustainability. She holds a PhD in Management from INSEAD.