Michael Ahearne

Michael Ahearne is a Professor of Marketing and the C.T. Bauer Chair in Marketing at the University of Houston’s C. T. Bauer College of Business. He also serves as Research Director of the Stagner Sales Excellence Institute, a leading center for sales research and education. His work bridges academic rigor and practical application in sales force effectiveness and management.

His research interests include:

• Sales Force Effectiveness
• Sales Management
• Internal Marketing
• Relationship Marketing
• Innovation
• Incentives and Motivation

His recent publications, spanning top journals like Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, and Harvard Business Review, reflect a strong focus on sales performance, leadership, training, and organizational dynamics. Themes include onboarding, negotiation transparency, M&A impacts on sales teams, and the role of intuition in sales success. His work increasingly integrates social network analysis and organizational behavior perspectives.

His scientific honors include:

• Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Marketing Association
• Recognition as one of the most research-productive scholars in marketing

Ahearne has advised numerous doctoral students and early-career researchers, many of whom are now active collaborators. He has received multiple teaching awards in Sales, Sales Management, and Key Account Management. His industry engagement is extensive, having consulted for over 200 companies across healthcare, technology, and consumer goods. He previously held executive roles at ZS Associates, Eli Lilly, and PCS Healthcare.

He is actively involved in academic leadership, serving as Associate Editor for Journal of Marketing, Senior Editor for International Journal of Research in Marketing, and in editorial roles for several other top journals. His textbook Selling Today is the world’s highest-grossing professional selling textbook, used globally in over 40 countries and 15 languages.