Joe Astrachan is Professor Emeritus, and past executive director of the Cox Family Enterprise Center at the Coles College of Business, Kennesaw State University near Atlanta, Georgia, USA. While there, he held the Wells Fargo Eminent Scholar Chair of Family Business.
Dr. Astrachan has received numerous awards for his research and service from family business, entrepreneurship, management, and research-oriented associations including awards form the Family Firm Institute and the Family Business Network International. He is author or coauthor of more than 25 book chapters, 48 scientific publications, and ten books including the much acclaimed Communication and Conflict in Family Business, and Mechanisms to Assure Family Business Cohesion: Guidelines for Family Business Leaders and Their Families. He is a frequent speaker on the topic having given more than 300 speeches around the globe. Dr. Astrachan is coeditor of the scientific publication the Journal of Family Business Strategy, past editor Family Business Review.
Dr. Astrachan has over 30 years experience studying and working with family companies and has spoken in over 35 countries. He has served on a total of 16 boards of privately owned family businesses (currently serving on eight) in a variety of industries including: heavy equipment, automotive, restaurants, building materials, food manufacturing, retailing and distribution, commercial and multifamily real estate, and healthcare. Dr. Astrachan comes from a family business background (container and tanker shipping, coal mining and pharmaceuticals). Dr. Astrachan earned his B.A., M.A., M. Phil., and Ph.D. degrees at Yale University.