Gwen Yu

Gwen Yu is a Professor of Accounting and Michael and Joan Sakkinen Faculty Fellow at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. She holds a PhD in Accounting (2010) and MA in Applied Economics (2010) from the University of Michigan, and a BA in Business Administration from Yonsei University. Prior to joining Ross, she was an Associate Professor at Harvard Business School (2010–2018).

Her research focuses on how accounting information influences real economic outcomes, particularly in international contexts. Key areas include corporate governance, financial reporting, audit practices, and cross-border investments. Her work appears in top journals like Journal of Financial Economics and has been featured in NY Times, Financial Times, and CBS Money Watch.

Teaching includes MBA and Executive Education programs at Ross, where she directs the Accelerated Management Development program. She has authored influential case studies on mergers (e.g., Microsoft-aQuantive), audit failures (Lehman Brothers), and virtual goods accounting (Zynga).

Award-winning educator and researcher, Yu has received the Neary Teaching Excellence Award (2020), Ross Executive Education Impact Award (2022), and multiple academic honors from FARS and AAA. She serves as Associate Editor of Management Science and on editorial boards of The Accounting Review and Journal of International Business Studies.

• Key Contributions: Analysis of global accounting standards, corporate disclosure strategies, and the role of information environments in investment decisions.
• Executive Education: Courses on data-driven decision making and value creation, with a focus on balancing financial/non-financial metrics.
• Professional Experience: Former McKinsey & Company consultant, Swiss Re global reinsurer, and Harvard’s MBA/Executive Education instructor.