Faculty

Paul Varella
Professor
General Management
Office: EB 3014
Phone: 403.440.5099
Email: pvarella@mtroyal.ca
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pvarellac/
WebLink: https://sites.google.com/mtroyal.ca/pvarella/home

Degrees
B.Sc (U. of São Paulo)
MBA - Finance (U. of Calgary)
PhD - Business Strategy and Organizational Studies (U. of Calgary)

 

BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Paul Varella is a professor of Organizational Studies whose academic work bridges sustainability, governance, and leadership. His research examines how environmental and institutional forces shape corporate decision making and the evolution of responsible management practices. Trained in Brazil as an agronomist and later in Canada as a strategist, he integrates social, ecological, and organizational perspectives to understand how managerial action contributes to systemic sustainability transitions.

Dr. Varella joined the Bissett School of Business in 2006, after professional experience in the agribusiness and fertilizer industries in Brazil and graduate studies at the University of Calgary, where he earned his MBA in Finance and PhD in Business Strategy. He later served as Chair of the Department of Management and Human Resources (2011–2013) and Associate Dean of the Bissett School of Business (2013–2017). He currently teaches and coordinates courses in Business Strategy, Governance and Ethics, Managerial Principles, and Environmental Management and Sustainable Development. His recent pedagogical initiatives include the Brazil Field School: Sustainable Environmental Management and Strategic Thinking in the Global South, which integrates experiential learning with community-based sustainability practices.

Internationally, Dr. Varella holds a Visiting Professorship at the Henley Business School, University of Reading (UK), where he collaborates on research and curriculum development in responsible leadership and sustainability education. He is also a former Visiting Professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University (Netherlands). His work has been published in leading journals such as Organization Science, The Leadership Quarterly, and the Journal of Business Ethics, and supported by national and institutional research grants.

His current research project, The Influence of Environmental Governance on Corporate Decision Making, continues his broader inquiry into the moral and systemic foundations of responsible business in an ecologically interdependent world.

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Professor of Organizational Studies at the Bissett School of Business, Mount Royal University (since 2006), specializing in sustainability management, governance, and leadership.

Visiting Professor (2025–2028) at the Henley Business School, University of Reading (UK), contributing to research and teaching in responsible leadership and sustainability education.

Former Visiting Professor at the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University (Netherlands), collaborating on environmental governance and cross-sector innovation.

Research Leadership: Principal Investigator of The Influence of Environmental Governance on Corporate Decision Making and SSHRC-funded Sustainability through Cross-Sector Innovation project.

Publications in Organization Science, The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Business Ethics, European Journal of Innovation Management, and other peer-reviewed outlets.

Academic Administration: Former Associate Dean (2013–2017) and Chair of the Department of Management and Human Resources (2011–2013) at MRU.

Pedagogical Innovation: Designer and lead instructor of the Brazil Field School: Sustainable Environmental Management and Strategic Thinking in the Global South, integrating experiential and intercultural learning.

Curriculum Development: Led BBA program renewal, including new concentrations in Social Innovation, International Business, and Supply Chain Management.

Editorial and Peer-Review Roles: Reviewer for Organization Science and the Academy of Management conferences; adjudicator for SSHRC Insight Development Grants.

Awards and Recognition: Recipient of MRU’s Distinguished Administrator Award (2017) and multiple Best Paper distinctions from the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada.

Public Engagement: Contributor to The Hill Times, Calgary Herald, and The Globe and Mail on issues of sustainability, leadership, and public policy.

Teaching Experience
Strategic Management: Integration of corporate purpose, competitive strategy, and environmental responsibility.

Governance and Ethics: Organizational accountability, stakeholder engagement, and responsible decision-making.

Managerial Principles and Organizational Behaviour: Foundations of leadership, coordination, and human systems in organizations.

Sustainability Management: Corporate environmental governance, cross-sector collaboration, and systems thinking for sustainability.

Experiential and International Learning: Field-based teaching through the Brazil Field School: Sustainable Environmental Management and Strategic Thinking in the Global South.

RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY WORK

Current projects
The Influence of Environmental Governance on Corporate Decision Making
More here

Community and University Service
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