Ann Florini is an expert in international trade, business management, leadership, and trade within China. Florini is a clinical professor in the Thunderbird School of Global Management where she directs programs for the school's Washington D.C. campus

Before joining the faculty at the Thunderbird School, she served as the founding director of the Centre on Asia and Globalization at the National University of Singapore from 2006 to 2011. As the founding director, Professor Florini created and led programs of research on the intersections of business and public policy, Asia’s roles in global affairs, and energy and natural resources policy.

She had also authored various books showcasing her expertise in business and management including; "China Experiments: From Local Innovation to National Reform" and "The Third Force: The Rise of Transnational Civil Society."