Marco De Sisto

Dr Marco De Sisto is an Associate Professor in Management and member of the Centre for Organisations and Social Change (COSC) at RMIT University’s School of Management (Australia), where he also earned his PhD. He is also the Chair of “EARTH”, RMIT’s Sustainability Research Group. With a background in psychology, criminology, and human resource management, Dr De Sisto has held roles as a consultant, general manager, HR advisor, and research officer across businesses, governments, and emergency agencies.

His research focuses on sustainability and responsible management in extreme and uncertain contexts, examining how top management teams make strategic and ethical decisions during crises, disasters, and systemic shocks to generate long-term societal value. His work has made a global impact across developed (e.g., Australia, Italy) and developing economies (e.g., China, Pakistan), and has been published in leading journals, including Journal of Business Ethics, Human Resource Management Journal, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Journal of Environmental Management, and International Small Business Journal. For the full list of publications please visit Google Scholar page. 

Dr De Sisto holds a B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and an M.Sc. in Criminology, earned in collaboration with the International Police Association (IPA) in Italy. Currently, he coordinates and teaches the MBA postgraduate Business Consulting (Capstone and Work Integrated Learning), Social Entrepreneurship & Global Development, and Sustainable business models courses At RMIT, Melbourne, Australia. 

Recognised as an international “Distinguished Talent” in emergency management by the Australian government, his work has been featured in SBS Radio and the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) magazine, highlighting the critical intersection of HR and crisis management. He has secured multiple  grants, including the NSW Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund ($486,930). Since 2017, Dr De Sisto has received multiple Learning & Teaching, Research, and Research Impact Awards at the Business School, University, and National levels, further solidifying his reputation as a leading scholar in management and decision-making in extreme contexts.