The Shuford Lecture Series is an annual event where trailblazing ideas meet the curious minds of UNC. This distinguished series brings some of the most influential, successful, and storied innovators and entrepreneurs directly to our campus. Each lecture is a unique opportunity to gain insights from the forefront of the business world and beyond.
Event Info
Date: Thursday, November 12th, 2026
Time: Doors open at 5:00pm, Lecture starts at 5:30pm
Location: Varsity Theatre (123 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27514)
Former CEO of Patagonia
Dr. Michael Crooke is a professor of business strategy, teaching capstone Leadership and Advanced Strategy courses to graduate students at the Lundquist College of Business at University of Oregon. Previously he was the founding and lead faculty of the Socially, Environmentally and Ethically Responsible (SEER) business certificate program at Pepperdine University which was selected as a winner of the 2013 Dr. Alfred N. and Lynn Manos Page Prize for Sustainability Issues in Business Curricula, granted by the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.
Dr. Crooke concurrently is an independent consultant counseling high-growth businesses on strategic issues, in particular, developing direct to customer strategies that create an emotional connection to the brand. He currently serves on the board of directors of The Nantucket Project, an annual gathering of some of the world’s leading thinkers, visionaries, and performers. He also is chairman of ForB, a juvenile products company, which will begin distribution in the United States in 2017.
Dr. Crooke has been recognized by Trust Across America as one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior (2012-13). In April of 2012 the Ford Foundation named Dr. Crooke one of the “10 Innovators Changing Our World,” and profiled him as one of ten cutting-edge innovators who are shaping new sustainable businesses and influencing positive change around the world.
Previously, Crooke was CEO of VC firm Revolution Living, a group of companies working to change the way consumers and brands interact. He was an early investor and member of the executive board of Kevita, which was named one of the top 25 most innovative consumer and retail brands by Forbes Magazine. From 1999-2005, Crooke served as President and CEO of Patagonia, Inc., and Patagonia’s parent company, Lost Arrow Corporation. He succeeded Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia’s founder, in taking the Lost Arrow post. Prior to his arrival at Patagonia, Michael served as CEO/Chairman of Pearl Izumi.
Crooke holds a Ph.D. in management from Claremont Graduate University. His dissertation examined the role of values and “FLOW” in high performance organizations. Crooke holds a B.S. in Forestry and an MBA from Humboldt State University. In the late 1970s, Crooke served as a Navy SEAL with Underwater Demolition Team 12 (UDT12) for four years, after successfully graduating from class 89: BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL).