After dedicating his distinguished career to the enhancement of business ethics, W. Michael Hoffman, Hieken Professor of Business and Professional Ethics, was recognized for his efforts with a $25,000 Mee Family Prize and medal, presented in front of a crowd of thousands at Bentley University’s convocation ceremony on August 27, 2013.

“As the founding executive director of Bentley’s Center for Business Ethics, Mike has led initiatives to promote integrity and trust in business by encouraging the establishment of ethical cultures in businesses across the globe,” said Bentley President Gloria Cordes Larson.

Over the course of his 43-year career, Hoffman has published more than 100 articles in the business ethics area and has written or edited 16 books, including Business Ethics: Readings and Cases in Corporate Morality (now in its 5th edition), Ethics Matters: How to Implement Values-Driven Management (2000) and The Ethical Edge: Tales of Organizations that Have Faced Moral Crises (1995) and has garnered significant external recognition. He was a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow, served on the board of editors of many business ethics journals, was a founding member and president of the Society for Business Ethics, and served on the advisory board of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. He was also founding executive director of the Ethics Officer Association (now the Ethics and Compliance Officer Association), a member of its Board of Directors for several years, and adviser to the board until 2005.

Hoffman has consulted for numerous organizations and serves as an expert witness in litigation. He was named 2007 Humanist of the Year by The Ethical Society of Boston. Over the last four years, he received Lifetime Achievement honors from the Society for Corporate Compliance and Ethics, the Ethics and Compliance Officer Association, the Central and East European Management Association, and the Society for Business Ethics.

“Mike’s contribution to our campus culture and commitment to integrating ethics across the curriculum has been transformative,” said President Larson, noting Business Ethics Teaching Workshops that have attracted significant attention both on and off campus. “The Bentley Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility and its related successes would not have been possible without Mike’s leadership, mentoring and guidance.”