Merih Sevilir

Merih Sevilir is a Professor of Finance at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) Berlin and Head of the Department of Laws, Regulations and Factor Markets at the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH), a Leibniz Association member. Her research focuses on corporate finance, labor economics, and corporate governance, with emphasis on topics such as IPO impacts, venture capital dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and organizational restructuring.

She holds a PhD from INSEAD (2003), following studies at Boğaziçi University and the University of Warwick. Previously, she served as an Associate Professor of Finance at Indiana University. Her work bridges academic research and policy-relevant analysis, addressing critical questions in public capital markets, startup ecosystems, and corporate decision-making under financial constraints.

Key research themes include how firms adapt to public market requirements, the role of R&D tax policies in M&A activity, and the effects of activism on corporate strategy. Her studies have explored the differential outcomes of nonprofit vs for-profit hospitals under financial stress and the strategic employment policies of public firms.

Her articles consistently analyze organizational transformations, financial mechanisms, and labor market dynamics across sectors. Notable contributions include frameworks explaining IPO-driven restructuring, the link between tax incentives and startup acquisitions, and the behavioral impacts of hedge fund activism on corporate governance.

Labs/Teams: Leads the ESMT Research Group on Public Capital Markets & Startup Creation and oversees the IWH Department exploring laws/regulations shaping factor markets. Her work often involves interdisciplinary collaborations with policy institutions and industry stakeholders.