Paul M. Vaaler

Paul M. Vaaler is the John and Bruce Mooty Chair in Law & Business with joint appointments at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management (Department of Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship) and Law School. He holds a PhD from University of Minnesota (1997), JD from Harvard Law (1988), MA from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar (1985), and BA from Carleton College (1983).

His research integrates business, law, and policy with focus areas including:

• Migrant remittances and venture investment in developing economies
• Sovereign risk assessment and credit rating agencies
• Political business cycles in emerging democracies
• Technology industry performance dynamics
• Data privacy regulation impacts

Vaaler's publications demonstrate consistent focus on international business policy, with recent work examining data breach laws, diaspora institutions, and discriminatory market practices. His methodological approach combines empirical analysis of institutional impacts with practical policy implications.

Honors include:

• Academy of International Business Fellow (2020-Present)
• Fulbright Scholar to South Africa (2019-2020)
• Sanjaya Lall Visiting Professorship at Oxford (2012)
• Rhodes Scholarship for Oxford studies

He holds editorial leadership roles including Co-Editor-in-Chief of SSRN's Global Business Issues journal and Senior Editor for Journal of International Business Policy. From 2015-2019, he provided business commentary for WCCO Radio.