Zacharias Sautner

Zacharias Sautner is a Professor of Sustainable Finance at the University of Zurich (UZH) and a Senior Chair at the Swiss Finance Institute (SFI). He specializes in climate finance, biodiversity finance, and ESG research, aiming to bridge financial markets and sustainability goals. His work has been cited over 10,000 times and downloaded 120,000+ times, influencing policy at institutions like the SEC, IMF, and ECB.

Education: Ph.D. in Finance (summa cum laude) from the University of Mannheim (2005), Postdoctoral Researcher at Oxford Saïd Business School (2006), and prior degrees from York, Stuttgart, and other institutions.

Research Interests: Sustainable Finance, ESG integration, climate risk modeling, biodiversity valuation, and corporate governance. His recent work addresses nature risk perceptions, corporate climate lobbying, and institutional investor roles in sustainability transitions.

Awards & Recognition: Winner of the CICF XiYue Best Paper Award (2024), Moskowitz Prize Honorable Mention (2024), and multiple top-tier journal awards. Ranked #23 globally in business author downloads (SSRN, 2023).

Professional Roles: Associate Editor at Review of Financial Studies, Management Science, and other journals. Advises the ECB on climate finance and serves on boards of the European Finance Association and Amsterdam Institute of Finance.

Labs & Initiatives: Co-head of UZH's Initiative in Sustainable Finance, fostering interdisciplinary research on sustainable investment and policy. Engages in global dialogues via keynotes at events like the World Finance Conference and COP-related summits.