Tessa Coffeng

Dr. Tessa Coffeng is a researcher at Utrecht University's Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Department of Social, Health and Organisational Psychology. She holds a dual appointment with the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) where she works as a Senior Supervision Officer in the Behaviour & Culture team. In 2023-2024, she was seconded to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) in Paris as a Senior Convergence Officer. Her work bridges academic research and regulatory practice, focusing on strengthening the connection between social psychological research and supervisory applications.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Social and Organisational Psychology from Utrecht University (2016-2022), where she graduated with her thesis on Bias in supervision: A social psychological perspective on regulatory decision-making. She also holds an MSc in Social and Organisational Psychology (Cum Laude, 2015-2016) and a BSc in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from Utrecht University.

Tessa's research primarily investigates judgment and decision-making processes within supervisory contexts, with particular focus on cognitive biases in regulatory decision-making, team climate in supervisory bodies, and the effectiveness of regulatory interventions. Her work examines how participative leadership influences reflective and decisive supervision, and how organizational culture affects regulatory compliance. She explores the intersection of psychological principles with practical regulatory challenges, particularly in financial markets.

Her recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory from foundational work on cognitive biases in supervision to applied research on regulatory compliance, ethical behavior, and climate transition governance. The articles show increasing engagement with practical regulatory challenges while maintaining strong theoretical foundations in social psychology, with growing international recognition through publications in English-language journals.

• EASP Travel Grant (2020)
• EAWOP Best Scientist-Practitioner Paper Award Nominee (2019)
• Emerald Outstanding Paper Award (2021)
• KLI poster award for 'How can we stimulate financial companies to comply?' (2024)
• Publicatieprijs (2019)

Tessa actively contributes to both academic and practical regulatory domains through her editorial work for the Journal for Supervision (2020-2023), numerous invited talks at professional conferences, and collaborations with regulatory bodies including ESMA, EIOPA, and EBA. Her research has practical applications in improving supervisory effectiveness and regulatory compliance across multiple sectors.