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Ajay AgrawalView profile

Professor

• Economics of Artificial Intelligence
• Science Policy
• Entrepreneurial Finance
• +3 more

Ajay Agrawal is the Geoffrey Taber Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. His research focuses on the economics of artificial intelligence, science policy, entrepreneurial finance, and regional innovation. He is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), co-founder of NextAI and The Next 36, and founder of the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), a global network supporting early-stage science-based ventures. Education: PhD in Strategy & Business Economics from the University of British Columbia, Visiting Scholarships at MIT and London Business School, BSc from the University of British Columbia. Research Interests: Agrawal's work explores AI's societal and economic impacts, including labor market dynamics, innovation ecosystems, and policy frameworks. He co-authored best-selling books like Prediction Machines: The Simple Economics of Artificial Intelligence and Power and Prediction , which analyze AI's strategic implications for businesses and governments. Publications Overview: His recent work addresses AI adoption, pandemic response strategies, and innovation policy. Notable themes include AI's role in scientific discovery, systemic economic transformation, and reducing inequality through automation. Awards: Member of the Order of Canada, Distinguished Scholarly Contribution Award, multiple Professor of the Year accolades, and Honorary PhD from the University of Calgary. Grants & Leadership: Principal Investigator on SSHRC grants exploring crowdfunding and innovation, co-organizer of NBER AI conferences, and advisor to governments on AI policy. Labs & Initiatives: CDL has graduated over 200 AI-driven startups globally. The CDL Recovery initiative during the pandemic focused on public health and economic revival. Agrawal chairs the Vision Council, accelerating technology-driven solutions for societal challenges.

Amin Hassan ZadehView profile

Adjunct Professor

• Life Insurance Mathematics
• Mortality Modeling
• Decentralized Insurance
• +2 more

Amin Hassan Zadeh is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences at Western University and Professor of Practice at Oregon State University. His research focuses on life insurance mathematics, mortality modeling, and quantitative finance applications in insurance. His current research examines mortality forecasting using Markovian processes, joint lifetime modeling with bivariate phase-type distributions, and applications of phase-type distributions in actuarial contexts. He has supervised multiple doctoral students in actuarial science and maintains industry connections as a Certified Appointed Actuary.

Cristián Bravo RomanView profile

Professor

• Credit Risk Modeling
• Machine Learning
• Banking Analytics
• +2 more

Cristián Bravo Roman is Professor and Canada Research Chair in Banking and Insurance Analytics at Western University's Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chile (2013) and leads research on financial analytics, machine learning applications in banking, and risk modeling. His work develops AI-driven approaches for credit scoring, risk assessment, and financial decision-making. Recent publications explore reinforcement learning for credit limit optimization, fuzzy entropy methods for portfolio selection, and transformer models for corporate default prediction. Bravo supervises multiple graduate students in financial analytics and machine learning applications. He has received the Canada Research Chair award (Tier 2) and multiple NSERC grants. Bravo's industry collaborations focus on implementing research insights in banking and insurance sectors through the NSERC Alliance Grant.

Martin BoyerView profile

Professor

• Insurance
• Risk Management
• Consumer Behaviour in the Face of Uncertainty
• +2 more

Martin Boyer is a Professor of Finance at HEC Montréal (Université de Montréal). He holds a Ph.D. in Risk Management and Insurance from the Wharton School, an M.A. in Applied Economics and Managerial Science from Wharton, and an M.Sc. in Economics from Université de Montréal. His expertise lies in Insurance, Risk Management, Consumer Behavior under Uncertainty, and Corporate Finance. His research focuses on cyber risk, long-term care insurance, tax compliance, and corporate governance. He has advised on over 43 Master’s theses and projects, covering topics like corporate governance, financial literacy, and risk modeling. His work has been published in journals such as the Journal of Risk and Insurance , Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance , and Canadian Journal of Economics . Recent grants include studies on cyber risk management and retirement savings strategies. Professor Boyer teaches courses on capital markets, corporate finance, and sustainable finance. His research explores themes like litigation costs of cross-listing firms, the role of cybersecurity in insurance, and the impact of financial education on savings. He collaborates with institutions like the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and has contributed to policy discussions on longevity risk and disaster insurance. His advising spans diverse areas, including corporate governance transparency, carbon footprint analysis, and pension system comparisons between Europe and the U.S.

Michèle BretonView profile

Professor

• Game Theory
• Dynamic Optimization
• Operations Research
• +4 more

Michèle Breton is a Full Professor at HEC Montréal, affiliated with the Department of Decision Sciences. She holds a Research Professorship in Dynamic Optimization and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Her expertise spans Game Theory, Dynamic Optimization, Operations Research, and Decision Analysis, with applications in finance, energy, and the environment. Education: B.Sc.A. in Industrial Engineering, École Polytechnique de Montréal (1975) M. Ing. in Operations Research, École Polytechnique de Montréal (1977) Ph.D. in Computer Science, Université de Montréal (1986) Research Interests: Dr. Breton focuses on dynamic programming and game theory applied to management challenges in energy, environment, and finance. Her work includes studies on counterparty credit risk, international environmental agreements, and financial derivatives valuation. Articles Trends: Her recent publications emphasize applications of game theory in environmental policy and financial risk management, with notable contributions to credit risk modeling and stability analysis of international agreements. Awards: She received the King Charles III Coronation Medal and the Best PhD Thesis Award at HEC Montréal. She is also President of the International Society of Dynamic Games and a member of GERAD. Advising & Grants: Supervised over 50 students, including PhDs and MScs in Finance, Energy, and Environmental Economics. Collaborated on projects involving energy market reforms, risk assessment, and sustainable development. Labs & Teams: Director of the Department of Decision Sciences and co-founder of the LACED laboratory (Laboratory for Analysis and Decision Support in Energy and Environment).

Georges DionneView profile

Professor

• Risk Management
• Insurance
• Contract Theory
• +3 more

Georges Dionne is a Full Professor of Finance and Holder of the Canada Research Chair in Risk Management at HEC Montréal. He is affiliated with the Department of Finance and a member of CIRRELT (Interuniversity Research Center on Enterprise Networks, Logistics, and Transportation). His research focuses on risk management, insurance, contract theory, portfolio selection, and applied econometrics. Education: M.A. from the University of Ottawa and Ph.D. in Economics from the Université de Montréal. He has held visiting positions at Georgia State University and École Polytechnique in Paris. His work bridges academia and industry, contributing to risk modeling for financial institutions and regulatory frameworks. Research highlights include developing the Credit VaR model for a Canadian bank, influencing Basel regulations, and pioneering auto insurance pricing models in Quebec. His recent studies address climate risk, inflation impacts on insurance, and high-frequency trading dynamics. Publications span over 175 articles in journals like the Journal of Risk and Insurance and co-authored books such as the Handbook of Insurance. He has supervised 36 Ph.D. and 138 Master’s students, mentoring research in fraud detection, corporate hedging, and financial risk analysis. Awards include the Kulp-Wright Book Award (2021), Harris Schlesinger Prize (2022), and Fellow of the Canadian Economics Association (2019). He serves on editorial boards of leading journals and advises SCOR Canada’s Risk Committee.

Irina GemmoView profile

Assistant Professor

• Financial Economics
• Insurance Markets
• Behavioral Finance
• +3 more

Irina Gemmo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Finance at HEC Montréal. Her research focuses on financial economics, insurance markets, and behavioral finance, with particular attention to privacy concerns, risk management, and regulatory implications. She holds a PhD in Financial Economics from Goethe University Frankfurt, an M.Sc. in International Economics and Economic Policy from Goethe University Frankfurt, and a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Economics from Julius-Maximilians University Würzburg. Teaching: FINA 10200A (Basic Corporate Finance), FINA 60204A (Capital Market Theory) Recent research explores privacy dynamics in insurance, the role of big data in risk classification, and optimal portfolio strategies under longevity risks. Her work bridges theoretical economics with practical applications in financial markets and policy.

Marie-Ève RancourtView profile

Professor

• Humanitarian Logistics
• Operations Research
• Transportation Network Modelling and Optimization
• +2 more

Marie-Ève Rancourt is a Professor at HEC Montréal, specializing in Logistics and Operations Management. She holds the Canada Research Chair in Humanitarian Supply Chain Analytics and is a member of the Interuniversity Research Center on Enterprise Networks, Logistics and Transportation (CIRRELT). Her expertise spans humanitarian logistics, operations research, transportation modeling, and supply chain management. Rancourt earned a PhD in Administration from HEC Montréal, an M.Sc. in Modeling and Decision from the same institution, and a B.Sc. in Mathematics from the Université de Montréal. Research Interests : Her work focuses on optimizing humanitarian logistics in disaster scenarios, including refugee resettlement, flood-prone shelter networks, and mobile clinic operations in conflict zones. She applies operations research to improve disaster response coordination and has pioneered tools like the HurricaneLog serious game for hurricane preparedness analysis. Her research also addresses global challenges such as rural supply chains in Tanzania and water access in Nepal. Recent Articles : Recent studies highlight her contributions to disaster resilience strategies, cost-sharing mechanisms for multi-country partnerships, and data-driven approaches to detect anomalies in humanitarian procurement. Her work bridges theoretical models with real-world applications, emphasizing collaboration between governments, NGOs, and international organizations. Awards : Recipient of the 2022 Chenelière Éducation/Gaëtan-Morin Research Prize for outstanding scholarly contributions to HEC Montréal. Supervision : Directed 5 Master’s theses and 12 supervised projects, covering topics like humanitarian supply chain ethics, wildfire evacuation processes, and vaccine distribution in remote regions. Labs/Teams : Leads research at CIRRELT and the Canada Research Chair program, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration on global humanitarian logistics challenges.

William CannonView profile

Associate Professor

• Actuarial Science
• Mathematical Finance
• International Economics
• +4 more

Dr. William T. Cannon is an Associate Professor at Queen's University's Smith School of Business, holding one of the longest tenures on the faculty. He specializes in actuarial science, mathematical finance, international economics, and regulatory frameworks for energy industries. His career spans over 40 years with significant contributions through 70+ finance case studies and influential regulatory consulting work. Educational Background: PhD in Business Economics (Harvard University, 1976) MBA (York University, 1969) via CIBC Centennial Fellowship Program Bachelor of Commerce (University of Manitoba, 1967) Research Interests: Focuses on financial intermediation models, energy sector regulation (cost of capital, mergers & acquisitions), and financial instrument development. His work intersects corporate finance, risk management, and regulatory policy. Key Contributions: Over 30 years of regulatory testimony on energy pricing, capital structure policies, and utility mergers. Developed frameworks for evaluating gas utility expansions and electric distribution systems. Authored foundational monographs on Canadian banking evolution, interest rate risk management, and merger analysis. Recipient of Queen’s University Distinguished Service Award (2008) Multiple teaching excellence awards including Commerce Society Awards (1999, 2002) Service Roles: Former Chair of Queen’s Pension Committee (2000–2012), Chair of Senate Budget Review Committee, and long-term advisor to Queen’s Investment Club. Active in university governance through numerous committees. Labs/Teams: Core faculty contributor to Queen’s Financial Economics Group and the Smith School’s finance curriculum development initiatives.

• Financial Risk Management
• Climate Science and Modeling
• Actuarial Science
• +5 more

Samuel Gyamerah is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Waterloo under the supervision of Ruodu Wang and Alex Schied, active from September 2023 to 2025. His research focuses on interdisciplinary applications of quantitative methods in finance, climate science, and actuarial science. Key areas include stochastic modeling of weather derivatives, systemic risk analysis in banking networks, and machine learning-driven predictive analytics in healthcare and agriculture. Education: Samuel holds prior academic affiliations with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, as indicated by his 2014 research contributions. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical solutions, such as optimizing crop yield forecasts and mitigating financial risks through innovative modeling techniques. Research Trends: His publications highlight a strong emphasis on climate-related financial instruments, geopolitical risk transmission, and the integration of advanced statistical methods (e.g., wavelet coherence, hybrid machine learning models) into diverse fields. Notable contributions include frameworks for longevity bond pricing under geopolitical volatility and state-space models for long-term bond valuation. Advising & Grants: While no formal advisees are listed, his postdoctoral work suggests active collaboration in grant-funded projects exploring systemic risk, green bonds, and agricultural resilience. His research has been applied to real-world challenges like Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme and SME digital transformation strategies. Labs/Teams: Engaged in collaborative projects at the intersection of finance, climate science, and data science, likely contributing to interdisciplinary research groups at the University of Waterloo.

Erik HintzView profile

Assistant Professor

• Monte Carlo Methods
• Quasi-Monte Carlo Methods
• Copulas
• +3 more

Erik Hintz is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream and Academic Advisor at the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo, Canada. He holds a PhD in Statistics (2022), MMath in Statistics (2016), and dual MSc/BSc degrees in Mathematics and Management from the University of Ulm and Waterloo. Education: PhD in Statistics, University of Waterloo (2022) MMath in Statistics, University of Waterloo (2016) MSc in Mathematics and Management, University of Ulm (2017) BSc in Mathematics and Management, University of Ulm (2014) Research Interests: Focuses on Monte Carlo and Quasi-Monte Carlo methods, copula simulation algorithms, statistical software development (e.g., the nvmix R package), and innovative teaching methods in mathematics. His work emphasizes computational efficiency and practical applications in multidimensional statistical problems. Publications Trends: Recent work centers on quasi-random sampling techniques, computational challenges in copula modeling, and software implementations for multivariate normal variance mixtures. These studies bridge theoretical advancements with real-world applications in finance and risk management. Awards: None explicitly listed in the provided materials. Advising & Grants: No formal advisees or grant information provided. His role emphasizes teaching and software development. Labs/Teams: Not specified in the text, but his collaborations with researchers like Matthias Hofert and Christiane Lemieux suggest involvement in computational statistics networks.

Recep BekciView profile

Assistant Professor

• Data-Driven Optimization
• Operations Research
• Supply Chain Management
• +4 more

Recep Bekci is an Assistant Professor of Operations Research in the Department of Management Science and Engineering at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on developing data-driven optimization models for decision-making under uncertainty, with applications in supply chain management, revenue management, and inventory control. He holds a Ph.D. in Operations Management from McGill University (2023) and a BSc in Industrial Engineering from Bilkent University. Education Background: Ph.D., Operations Management, McGill University, 2023 B.Sc., Industrial Engineering, Bilkent University Research Interests: Specializes in integrating machine learning with operations research methodologies. Recent work includes: Image-based sales forecasting for fast-fashion using CNNs Genomic mutation analysis via graph neural networks Risk-averse revenue management frameworks Dynamic inventory control with censored demand data Teaching Experience: MSCI 609: Quantitative Data Analysis (University of Waterloo, 2024) MSCI 131: Work Design and Facilities Planning (University of Waterloo, 2024) MGCR 472: Operations Management (McGill University, 2022) Industry Collaboration: Partnered with companies like Koton (Europe's largest fast-fashion retailer), Aviva-Sa Insurance, and Turkish Aerospace Industries to implement optimization solutions.

David LangloisView profile

Lecturer

• Actuarial Science
• Finance
• Mathematics
• +3 more

David Langlois is an Actuarial Analyst at Intact Insurance and concurrently serves as a teaching assistant, lecturer, and IT training coordinator. He emphasizes the importance of theoretical rigor in actuarial education, a principle he practices while mentoring new employees and interns. His career is driven by project variety and collaborative input opportunities despite his early professional stage. He advocates for undergraduate internships to explore actuarial specializations and highlights the practical value of his academic training in workplace adaptability. His dual focus on actuarial analysis and pedagogy reflects his commitment to both professional practice and knowledge transmission.

• Bayesian Statistics
• Statistical Modeling
• Climate Change Impact Analysis
• +7 more

Dr. Jean-François Angers is a Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Montreal. With a Ph.D. in Statistics from Purdue University (1987) and an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Sherbrooke (1984, 1982), his academic foundation is robust in statistical theory and its applications. P.Stat. (Statistical Society of Canada, 2005) His research spans Bayesian statistics, climate change impact analysis, and interdisciplinary applications in hydrology, epidemiology, and actuarial science. Key contributions include Bayesian hazard function estimation using wavelets, non-stationary climate modeling, and statistical methods for zero-modified continuous data. The 15 most recent publications highlight his work in environmental statistics (air pollution effects), climate modeling, survival analysis, and actuarial risk assessment. His methodological innovations in Bayesian hierarchical models, wavelet estimation, and hidden Markov random fields have advanced statistical approaches in ecological and medical research. Dr. Angers has supervised over 40 graduate and undergraduate students, including Jonathan Jalbert (non-stationary climate modeling), Alain Desgagné (Bayesian econometrics), and James Merleau (hydrograph synchronization). His collaborations extend to institutions like Hydro-Québec, IREQ, and INRS-ETE.

Xuemiao HaoView profile

Associate Professor

• Risk Theory
• Financial Risk Management
• Stochastic Processes

Xuemiao (Samuel) Hao is an Associate Professor at the Warren Centre for Actuarial Studies and Research within the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba. He holds dual bachelor's degrees in mathematics and economics from Peking University, and PhD in statistics from University of Iowa. Research focuses on: Mathematical modeling of insurance/financial risks Applications of stochastic processes Credit derivative pricing Ruin theory with heavy-tailed distributions His methodological work employs advanced techniques including Lévy processes, Fourier transforms, and asymptotic analysis for risk quantification.