S.P. Kothari

S.P. Kothari is the Gordon Y Billard Professor of Accounting and Finance at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. He has held senior academic and executive roles, including Deputy Dean of MIT Sloan (2010–15), Chair of the Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting at MIT, and Co-Chair of the Board of Governors of the Asia School of Business. From 2019 to 2021, he served as Chief Economist and Director of the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and previously led equity research at Barclays Global Investors (2008–09).

• Education:
  • BS in Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology & Science
  • MBA (PGDM), Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
  • PhD, University of Iowa

His research spans Accounting, Finance, and Economics, focusing on securities regulation, corporate governance, earnings quality, and financial markets. Recent publications analyze the economics of accounting, stock buybacks, and disclosure regulation.

Scientific Awards:

• Padma Shri (2020)
• Honorary Doctorates from London Business School, University of Cyprus, and University of Technology, Sydney
• American Accounting Association’s Distinguished Contributions to the Accounting Literature award

Kothari has served on the boards of Bombay Stock Exchange (2015–19), Velan Studios, and EbixCash. He has extensive consulting experience in valuation, corporate governance, and risk management.