Professor Max Baker is a leading academic in accounting, regulation, and governance at the University of Sydney Business School. He holds a BBus (Hons) from UTS and a PhD from the University of Sydney. As Research Director of the Discipline of Accounting, Regulation and Governance, his work bridges academic research and policy impact, particularly in prison reform, corporate social responsibility, and big data accountability. His research examines the costs and performance of private prisons in Australia, leveraging collaborations with parliamentary inquiries. He has pioneered studies on how technology—specifically data breaches and surveillance capitalism—impacts transparency and democracy. Baker has secured significant grants, including an ARC Discovery Grant (2022) to study corporate data breach disclosures. Teaching focuses on management accounting and contemporary business issues. His publications span top journals like Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal and Critical Perspectives on Accounting . He serves on editorial boards for key accounting journals, emphasizing scholarly rigor and societal relevance. Education: BBus (Hons), UTS; PhD, University of Sydney Key Projects: ARC-funded data breach research, prison privatization studies Media Engagement: Commentator on Optus data breach, privacy law reforms Baker’s research often intersects with public policy, advocating for accountability frameworks in both corporate and governmental contexts.
