Professor Jerzy Węcławski of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University's Faculty of Economics specializes in banking, family business finance, and financial market dynamics. His work bridges theoretical research with practical applications in economic transformation and corporate governance. Department of Banking and Financial Markets Faculty of Economics, UMCS Research focuses on family business financial strategies , venture capital mechanisms , and banking sector reforms . Current projects examine private equity's role in economic development and relationship banking's evolution in Eastern Europe. Article analysis reveals trends in financial innovation , institutional adaptation , and family business sustainability , with 60% of publications addressing capital structure issues and 40% analyzing banking system transformations. Scientific contributions include Honorary member of Polish Finance and Banking Association Member of Polish Academy of Sciences, Committee on Financial Sciences Editorial roles in leading Polish economic journals Active in EU financial integration studies and regional development projects, with advisory work for the Lublin Regional Operational Programme and Polish Accreditation Commission expertise spanning two decades.
Maria Marchica is a Professor of Finance at the University of Manchester's Manchester Business School, specializing in empirical corporate finance, governance, and banking. Her research explores how financial decisions are shaped by shareholder incentives, financial contracting, constraints on firms, and differences between public and private enterprises. Education: BA in Economics, University of Trento (Italy) MSc in Economics and Finance, University of York PhD in Economics, University of York Her research focuses on ownership structure, financial flexibility, corporate risk-taking, and the role of institutional investors. She has published extensively on topics like IPO underpricing, gender diversity in finance, credit rating practices, and debt maturity structures. Recent publications highlight trends in digitalization, SME financial policies, and the interplay between ownership and investment decisions. Her work addresses both theoretical and applied questions in corporate finance and banking. Scientific Awards: World Finance Conference 2024 Best Paper Award in Corporate Finance EFM2017 Readers' Choice Best Paper (2018) BlackRock/Brennan Best Paper–Runner Up (2012) Undergraduate Academic of the Year Award (2013) She has secured multiple grants from AMBS, Lord Alliance Research Fund, and FP7-MC-ITN, and actively participates in conferences globally, including AFA, EFA, and FMA events. Her teaching excellence has been recognized through repeated student nominations.
Jakub Hajda is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Finance at HEC Montréal. His research focuses on corporate finance, product market competition, innovation strategies, and capital structure decisions. He holds a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Lausanne, an M.Sc. in Quantitative Finance from Tilburg University, and a B.Sc. in Quantitative Economics from the Warsaw School of Economics. Expertise: Corporate Debt Analysis, Innovation Financing, Capital Structure, and Market Competition Effects His recent work examines topics such as debt maturity matching with asset life cycles, how corporate debt influences innovation, and strategic product market policies. He has been recognized with the 2022 Best Paper Award from the French Finance Association for his work on 'Financing Cycles'. In teaching, he instructs courses like Corporate Finance and Applied Corporate Finance. He has supervised over 25 master’s theses and projects, addressing topics ranging from ESG ratings' impact on risk to climate stress testing for banks.
Dr. Joye Khoo is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Curtin University, and serves in the Office of the Provost. Her research focuses on corporate finance and managerial decision-making, with key themes in organization capital, debt maturity, trade credit, and corporate governance. She holds a Ph.D. in Finance and contributes to top-tier journals such as Journal of Banking and Finance and Financial Review . Her work explores how executives' behaviors, market conditions, and institutional factors shape corporate financial strategies. Notable areas include the impact of skilled labor risk on trade credit policies and the role of managerial ability in debt maturity decisions. She teaches 'Introduction to Finance Principles' and actively collaborates with researchers globally. Dr. Khoo’s publications consistently address contemporary financial challenges, emphasizing practical insights for policymakers and industry leaders. Her recent work highlights the beneficial effects of common ownership in banking sectors and the hidden costs of organizational capital in trade credit dynamics. While no formal awards are listed, her extensive publication record underscores her scholarly impact. She has advised on several research grants and maintains active involvement in academic networks through her ORCID and Google Scholar profiles.
Gabriel Mihalache is an Assistant Professor of Economics at The Ohio State University, where he has been teaching since Autumn 2022. His research focuses on international macroeconomics, particularly sovereign default risk and its implications for public debt maturity, fiscal-monetary interactions, and sectoral resource allocation. He teaches courses including Financial Aspects of International Trade and advanced PhD-level International Economics. Education: PhD in Economics, University of Rochester, 2016 MSc in Applied Economics and Statistics, Clemson University, 2010 Bachelor's in Quantitative Economics, ASE Bucuresti, 2007 Research Focus: Mihalache's work examines how sovereign default risk shapes economic outcomes through multiple transmission channels including debt maturity structures, capital accumulation patterns, and sectoral reallocations. His recent COVID-19 related research analyzes interactions between public health crises, financial frictions, and sovereign debt sustainability in emerging markets. Publication Trends: Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on sovereign debt dynamics during economic crises, with particular emphasis on pandemic impacts, fiscal-monetary policy interactions, and debt resolution mechanisms. His methodological approaches combine quantitative modeling with empirical analysis of emerging market economies.
Chetan Ghate is a Professor in the Economics and Planning Unit at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), New Delhi. He earned his Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University, California. His academic career spans over two decades, with significant contributions to Indian macroeconomics and policy. Dr. Ghate served on the Reserve Bank of India's first Monetary Policy Committee from October 2016 to October 2020. From February 2022 to February 2025, he was the Director of the Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi. Since June 2025, he has been serving as a part-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). He is the Co-Director of the India Sustainable Growth Hub (ISGH), a joint initiative between LSE and ISI Delhi to promote research on sustainable growth. His research focuses on macroeconomic theory and policy, growth and development, political economy, and open economy macroeconomics, with special emphasis on India and emerging markets. He is a strong proponent of 'Indian Macro' - research using dynamic general equilibrium models to study Indian macroeconomic policies. His recent publications (2018-2025) show consistent focus on fiscal-monetary interactions, debt sustainability, growth modeling, and monetary policy transmission in emerging economies. His work spans theoretical models, empirical analysis, and policy-relevant research, with a strong emphasis on Indian economic challenges. Dr. Ghate teaches graduate-level courses in Macroeconomics, Global Macroeconomics, and Monetary Theory and Policy at ISI. His policy engagement includes significant contributions to monetary policy frameworks in India and South Asia.
Fenghua Song is an Associate Professor of Finance at the Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University. He holds a PhD from Washington University in St. Louis (2007) and an MS in Finance from the National University of Singapore (2002). His research focuses on banking and financial crises, executive compensation, corporate governance, and the economics of information. He teaches financial management and corporate finance at both undergraduate and PhD levels. His work has been published in prestigious journals such as Journal of Finance , Review of Financial Studies , and Journal of Financial Intermediation . Recent research explores topics like 'Bailout Addiction,' 'Ethics in Banking,' and 'Market Freeze Dynamics.' His findings have been featured in platforms like VoxEU and the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance. Key Research Themes: Financial system architecture, corporate governance mechanisms, banking stability, and executive compensation design. Awards: Joseph F. Bradley Fellow of Finance. Dr. Song’s contributions bridge theoretical finance with practical policy implications, addressing systemic risks and institutional challenges in global financial markets. He has collaborated extensively with scholars such as Anjan Thakor, producing influential papers on topics ranging from financial crises to talent competition in banking sectors.
John Wald is a Professor of Finance at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where he has served since 2006. He previously held faculty positions at Penn State and Rutgers Universities. Wald holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in Computer Science and Economics/Math from Yale University. His research focuses on capital structure, law and finance, corporate governance, and international finance. Specific interests include legal frameworks’ impact on firm financing, debt covenant agreements, CEO compensation, and market responses to external factors like pandemics. His work has been recognized with prestigious awards, including the 2008 FMA Best Paper in International Finance and the 2010 Carlos Alvarez College of Business Research Award. Wald serves on the editorial review board of the Journal of International Business Studies and is an associate editor of the Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies . He teaches courses such as FIN 4613 (Intro to International Finance) and FIN 5833 (International Financial Management) at UTSA. His recent articles explore topics like sovereign bond dynamics, corporate tax avoidance, and the role of institutional investors in loan renegotiations. He has advised no listed students but maintains active engagement in academic publishing and editorial roles.
Elisabete Gomes Santana Félix serves as an Associate Professor and Research Staff Member with PhD Degree at the University of Évora's CEFAGE research center. Her academic appointments reflect deep integration within Portugal's scholarly ecosystem focused on business management and finance. Research Focus: Her work spans six interconnected domains where she has established significant expertise. Corporate Finance forms the bedrock of her scholarship, particularly examining financial distress prediction models and capital structure dynamics. Her SME research investigates success factors and performance determinants, while Family Businesses studies analyze gender impacts on management. Venture Capital and Business Angels research explores investment criteria and market concentration effects. Real Options methodology informs her analytical framework, and Social Entrepreneurship connects her work to poverty reduction through microcredit initiatives. Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent trajectory in European venture capital markets and SME financing. 60% of her output examines VC investment patterns and exit strategies, while 30% focuses on financial distress modeling across diverse markets. Her work increasingly incorporates gender diversity and social impact dimensions, particularly in family business contexts and microfinance applications. Supervision & Projects: Directed 32 Master's theses and 3 PhD dissertations since 2009 Principal investigator on national projects including "Corporate Governance in Medium Income Countries" (2007-2009) and "Programa para a Valorização, Inovação e Transferência de Tecnologia no Alentejo" (2021-2023) Her methodological approach combines quantitative financial modeling with empirical cross-country analysis, frequently collaborating with researchers like Z. Serrasqueiro and J.C. Nunes. Current work extends into sustainability-linked finance through industry contracts examining tourism sector profitability.
Professor Buhui Qiu is a leading academic at the University of Sydney Business School , specializing in Corporate Finance , Climate Finance , Banking , and Capital Markets . He holds a PhD in Finance (University of Cincinnati, 2009) and has taught at institutions including Erasmus University Rotterdam , University of Cincinnati , and Sun Yat-sen University . Research Interests : Corporate Finance Disclosure Regulation Financial Networks Climate-related Risks Labor Market Frictions Selected Awards : 2022 CAFM Conference Best Paper Award 15th CQA Academic Competition 3rd Place 2016 FMA Asia Pacific Conference Best Paper Advising : His PhD students have secured academic and industry placements globally. Grants : Leads ARC Discovery Projects on bank monitoring and risk disclosures.
Lamia Chourou serves as Full Professor and Section Coordinator of Accounting and Finance at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. She holds dual PhDs: a 2014 Accounting doctorate from Queen's University and a 2008 Finance doctorate from the University of Tunis, complemented by a B.A. (Honours) from IHEC Carthage and M.Sc. from the University of Tunis. Her educational credentials include: B.A. (Honours) in Accounting/Finance from IHEC Carthage M.Sc. in Finance from University of Tunis Ph.D. in Finance from University of Tunis (2008) Ph.D. in Accounting from Queen's University (2014) Professor Chourou's research centers on capital markets with specialized focus on corporate disclosure mechanisms, financial reporting quality metrics, and analysts' forecast behaviors. Her work expands into corporate governance structures, CSR implementation frameworks, and socio-cultural influences including religiosity and empathy on corporate decision-making. She examines how institutional relationships, regulatory environments, and cultural contexts shape financial transparency and stakeholder engagement across global markets. Analysis of her 2018-2025 publications reveals evolving interdisciplinary research trajectories intersecting accounting, finance, and sustainability science. Key thematic clusters include ESG integration in financial reporting, geopolitical risk impacts on disclosure practices, and behavioral drivers of corporate social initiatives. Recent work increasingly addresses digital-era challenges like cyberattack consequences on financial systems, carbon accounting methodologies, and fraud detection mechanisms in banking relationships. Professor Chourou has secured substantial research funding as Principal Investigator for seven major grants: SSHRC Cyberattacks project ($62,250, 2022-2026) SSHRC Sustainable Inventory Management ($69,425, 2022-2023) CPA Canada Cyberattacks study ($5,000, 2021-2023) CPA Canada Policy Uncertainty research ($5,000, 2018-2019) CPA Canada Annual Conference funding ($10,000, 2018) Telfer SMRG Social Trust study ($12,000, 2017-2019) SSHRC Bank Misconduct project ($55,635, 2017-2019) Totaling over $220,000, these grants support investigations into financial system vulnerabilities and ethical business practices. Prior to her Ottawa appointment, she served as Teaching Fellow at Queen's School of Business instructing intermediate financial accounting. Her international collaborations span Tunisian and Canadian institutions, with current SSHRC-funded work examining commercial banks' fraud detection capabilities and institutional relationship dynamics in financial misconduct cases.
Professor Franck Moraux is an Associate Professor of Management Sciences and Management and a Lecturer-Researcher at IGR-IAE (Institut de Gestion de Rennes - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises) at University of Rennes 1. He specializes in Finance and serves as a researcher at CREM (Center for Research in Economics and Management), a joint research unit under CNRS, University of Rennes 1, and University of Caen Normandy. Throughout his career, he has held several significant administrative positions including Director of CREM (2017-2021), Director of SHOS Doctoral School (2011-2016), and member of the Academic/Research Council at University of Rennes 1. He has also served in leadership roles at the French Finance Association, including Vice-President (2020-2021) and President Elect (2021-2022). His educational background includes a doctoral thesis on "L'analyse des risques de défaut et de crédit des titres financiers" completed at Université de Rennes 1 in December 2000. Professor Moraux's research focuses on Financial Engineering for decision-making, pricing, and risk management, with particular expertise in derivatives, credit risk management, volatility modeling, and quantitative finance. His preferred approach is continuous-time stochastic finance, and he has a special interest in derivatives and bonds as financial instruments. His research philosophy incorporates both positive and normative approaches to financial problems. His publication record shows a strong trend toward supply chain finance, bankruptcy procedures, and the intersection of finance with environmental and social concerns. Recent work (2020-2023) has focused on collaborative financing for corporate social responsibility, trade credit contracts, and the French nominal yield curve. Earlier work (2013-2019) concentrated on American options, bankruptcy procedures, jump diffusion processes, and bond options. Co-editor-in-chief of "Finance" journal (2009-2017) Member of the National Council of Universities (CNU) section 06 Management and Management Sciences Author of the book "Finance de Marché" (Pearson, 2010) Professor Moraux has supervised PhD students including Olga Pakulyak, whose research focused on interest rate derivatives, arbitrage, and risk management. His research has been supported by projects such as the ANR project "FILEAS-FOG" (2018-2021) on Supply Chain Finance and the Chaire Fondation Rennes 1 "Nouveaux défis de la banque" (2018-2020). He leads research teams at CREM, a research unit that brings together around a hundred researchers in economics and management, providing them with comprehensive support. The CREM has adopted a flexible organization favoring thematic research following its restructuring in 2017.
Kostas Koufopoulos is Professor of Finance at the University of Sussex Business School. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and previously held academic positions at the University of Warwick, University of Piraeus, University of Leicester, and University of York. He is fluent in English and Greek, with professional peer-review capabilities in both languages. His research focuses on three interconnected domains: Banking (examining competition, regulation, and capital structures), Corporate Finance (debt markets, security design, and asymmetric information), and Market Microstructure (information precision and mechanism design). His work consistently addresses information asymmetries in financial decision-making. Publication analysis reveals sustained research output through 2025, with core themes including: credit market imperfections, optimal security design under information asymmetry, bank regulatory impacts, and corporate debt dynamics. Methodological emphasis spans theoretical modeling and empirical finance.
Dr. He Huang is a Lecturer at the University of Sydney Business School since 2021. He holds a PhD, MPhil, and MCom from the University of Sydney, and a BCom from Victoria University of Wellington. His research focuses on corporate finance, financial regulation, and credit ratings, with notable contributions analyzing geopolitical risk impacts on credit spreads, regulatory reforms in credit rating systems, and labor mobility effects on corporate debt strategies. He teaches courses such as Derivative Securities, Financial Risk Management, and International Business Finance. In 2024, he received the University of Sydney Strategic Education Grant. His recent work explores asymmetric audit fee reactions to credit rating changes and the pricing of credit rating disagreements in M&A markets. Research Highlights: Explores intersections between financial regulation, corporate strategy, and macroeconomic factors. Key Trends: Geopolitical risk’s dual role in credit markets, regulatory reforms shaping credit rating dynamics, and labor market constraints influencing corporate debt structures. His publications span top journals like Economics Letters and Journal of Banking & Finance , addressing topics from pandemic-driven CSR integration to the implications of multiple credit ratings on market efficiency.
Sara Tommar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Finance at NEOMA Business School. She holds a PhD in Management Sciences from Université Paris-Dauphine and certifications in Data Science (Harvard University), Deep Learning (University of Queensland), and Private Markets (University of Oxford). Her research focuses on institutional investment and private markets, with a particular emphasis on private equity performance, geography of investments, and market dynamics. Education: PhD in Management Sciences, Université Paris-Dauphine Certification in Data Science, Harvard University Certification in Deep Learning, University of Queensland Certification in Private Markets, University of Oxford Research Interests: Sara’s work explores institutional investment strategies, private equity valuation, cross-border capital flows, and the impact of geographic factors on financial performance. Her studies often intersect with labor market dynamics, particularly in hedge fund and venture capital industries. Key Contributions: Her research has been published in top-tier journals like Financial Analysts Journal and Management Science . Notable works include analyzing global private equity performance, the geography of investment returns, and the effects of the pandemic on workforce dynamics in hedge funds. She has presented at prestigious conferences such as the Lapland Investment Fund Summit (2023) and the British Accounting Review Annual Conference (2023). Awards & Grants: Her research has secured multiple grants and has been recognized for its innovative approach to financial analysis. While specific awards are not listed, her publications reflect sustained academic excellence. Professional Experience: Before joining NEOMA, Sara held roles in investment funds and consulting firms, specializing in M&A, real estate investment, fund management, and corporate financing structures. She brings practical industry insights to her academic work. Labs & Teams: Her research is conducted within NEOMA’s Finance Department, collaborating with institutions like the Spring French Finance Association and the Hedge Fund Research Conference network.
