Brad Hendricks
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School
“Brad is an unbelievable educator, teacher, and advocate for student growth. He has taken on the challenge of teaching a new pre-requisite for our undergraduate program. The new course was the replacement of a course that was taught for nearly 40 years by an accounting professor. Dr. Hendricks took on this challenge, built a new course (BUSI 100: People, Profits, Planet, and Purpose) and has made it his own. He had previously never taught a class with more than 75 students, and now teaches nearly 300 students across three sections (nearly 900 students) each semester so students can complete this business pre-req. He has done so and received outstanding teaching evaluations, positive feedback from students, and made the course the perfect balance of rigorous education and creative thinking. It has been amazing to watch how this course has shifted the perception of business education on our campus, and led to many more applicants believing they can ‘see themselves’ within the business world.” – Jordan Hale, Assistant Dean of the Undergraduate Business Program
Brad Hendricks, 43, is an Associate Professor of Accounting at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. He is an expert in corporate disclosure, initial public offerings (IPOs), and entrepreneurship.
His research is published in top accounting and management journals, and in practitioner-focused outlets such as Harvard Business Review. His research is regularly featured in the financial press. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has cited his work in the creation of new rules to enhance investor protections. He is the recipient of several best paper awards and, in 2022 he became the first assistant professor to win UNC Kenan-Flagler’s prestigious Bullard Faculty Research Impact Award that honors a professor whose research has had a substantial impact on business practice.
Hendricks is a renowned teacher and has received multiple school-wide teaching awards. He teaches courses on financial reporting and the foundations of business thought to both graduate and undergraduate students. Known for his engaging teaching style, the waitlists for his course often exceed several hundred students. He also enjoys working with executive audiences, with current clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies.
Hendricks serves on the Private Company Council, advising the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) on issues impacting private companies and helping shape relevant accounting standards.
He mentors students through the Luther Hodges Scholars board and previously served as a board member for Carolina for the Kids Foundation, a student-led organization supporting the emotional and financial needs of patients and families at UNC Children’s Hospital.
Before joining UNC Kenan-Flagler, Dr. Hendricks gained practical experience as an accountant for a technology start-up and as a CPA with EY.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2014
Education: University of Michigan, PhD in Business Administration
University of Utah, Master of Accounting
University of Utah, Bachelor of Arts in Accounting
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Introduction to Business: Profits, People, Planet, and Purpose
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when … a health crisis led me to reconsider the path I was then pursuing.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it? My newest research is motivated by recent calls to re-consider disclosure rules during the IPO process. The common perception is that legal liability precludes IPO firms from providing forecasts and other quantitative forward-looking financial information. My research shows that, contrary to this common belief, more than one-third of IPO firms do provide such information. However, they include it in the less visible IPO roadshow presentation as opposed to the more visible prospectus filed with regulators. We also find that this information seems to be optimistic, yet investors and analysts appear to find it helpful, even if adjustments are required.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be … turning 6–4–3 double plays as the second baseman for the Detroit Tigers. Of course, should the Tigers not want my services (and there are more than a few reasons as to why they shouldn’t) then I suspect I’d be working as an accounting or finance executive in a small- or medium- sized business.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor? I took this question to the data, performing a word count of my most recent course evaluations to figure out the answer. The most frequent verb appearing after my name is “cares.” I hope that is right. I do care. I care about the students, the course material, the school and higher education in general.
One word that describes my first time teaching: Uninspiring
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor: I was told that it would be far harder than I had in mind…and it has been. But it also has opened up opportunities that I never would have imagined. So, there have been both positive and negative surprises along the way.
Professor I most admire and why: Clayton Christensen. I have watched Professor Christensen’s TED talks, read his books, studied his academic articles and even stumbled upon a few sermons he gave as a church leader. He asked important questions, thought deeply about them, and spoke clearly both about what he learned and what was still unknown. His professional and personal lives seemed in complete alignment. While I didn’t have the opportunity to know him personally, I am grateful for what I was able to learn from a distance. When he passed away in 2020, I emailed my students that night to let them know the world was a little worse off than it was just the day prior. He is the professor whose course I would have been most excited to take.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students? They aim high and then work really hard to hit their lofty aspirations. Said better by Henry David Thoreau, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” I love seeing students’ hard work rewarded with amazing accomplishments and life-changing opportunities.
What is most challenging? Saying “no.” Students are involved in so many things and I am always honored (and occasionally confused) when they think I might be able to add value to what they’re doing. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out how to scale myself to accommodate all the requests and so have to say no to the majority of requests. Time management is my most persistent and demanding challenge.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Grateful
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Arrogant
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as … Tough, but hopefully fair. Details matter and I hope students leave my class with a little more attention to detail than they had before the semester started.
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies? I’ve spent more money on Lego and video games than I care to admit. Other than those guilty pleasures, I spend a fair amount of time playing tennis, traveling, seeking out good restaurants and driving carpool.
How will you spend your summer? with family…just as I spend my non-summer months.
Favorite place(s) to vacation: Hilton Head, South Carolina; New York City, New York; and all along the Wasatch Mountains of Utah and Idaho.
Favorite book(s): Too many to list. But, here are five books that I’ve read more than once and find myself thinking about with some regularity: “The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz; “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau; “What Do You Do With an Idea?” by Kobi Yamada; “700 Sundays” by Billy Crystal; and “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey.
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much? “Pardon the Interruption.” Nothing better for me than hearing Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon discuss the biggest stories in sports for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The show has been running for more than 20 years and I generally watch it first thing when I get home, whether that is at 5:30 p.m. or midnight. The exception is that if a guest host is on (and they seem to be with increasing frequency), I’m not watching. The magic only happens when Tony and Mike are together!
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why? My Mount Rushmore of music includes Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, George Strait, and Queen. Honorable mention awards go to: Lukas Graham, Eminem, Tom Petty, Kasey Musgraves, Neil Diamond, and Green Day. So, what type of music is my favorite? I clearly have no idea and hope to figure that answer out one day!
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this … rigor. Data is more readily available than ever and we would do students a favor by teaching them to use it to challenge assumptions, validate information and think critically. Alex Edmans’ book “May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit our Biases – And What We Can Do About It” provides a nice introductory framework to help students (and faculty) start thinking how to cultivate this mindset.
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at … understanding costs, in all their various forms.
I’m grateful for … people that believe in me enough to offer new opportunities and second chances. That and Dr. Pepper.
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