Sascha Struwe serves as a Postdoctoral Researcher at Aalborg University Business School within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, actively contributing to the International Business Research Group. Based at Fibigerstræde 11 in Aalborg Øst, Denmark, Struwe operates at the intersection of service innovation theory and business practice with international focus. Research expertise centers on service innovation , value co-creation , and digital servitization , particularly examining B2B contexts and open banking ecosystems. Work consistently explores institutional influences through German-Chinese case studies, addressing how cultural and regulatory frameworks shape service design. Recent trajectories reveal evolution from foundational service design challenges (2019-2021) toward digital transformation implications (2022-2023), with emphasis on value co-destruction mechanisms in financial ecosystems. Struwe led the PhD project Innovating the Invisible and Intangible: Value Creation in B2B service (2018-2021) investigating co-creation capabilities across industrial sectors. Academic engagement includes conference participation at EIBA and CICALICS events, plus a visiting researcher appointment at Fudan University's Nordic Centre (2019-2020). Current work continues through the International Business Research Group, focusing on digital literacies and service ecosystem resilience.
Professor Barney Tan serves as Professor of Information Systems and Senior Deputy Dean (Impact and Partnerships) at UNSW Business School. Previously, he held the position of Head of School (Information Systems and Technology Management) and was formerly Professor of Strategic Information Systems at The University of Sydney. Professor Tan completed his PhD in Information Systems at the National University of Singapore in 2012, following a Bachelor of Computing (Honors) in Information Systems from the same institution in 2004. His research focuses on strategic information systems, AI management and implementation, digital platforms and ecosystems, fintech, and information systems for sustainable development with particular emphasis on IT trends in the Asia-Pacific region including China and ASEAN countries. As an engaged researcher, Professor Tan is deeply passionate about translational research that contributes toward sustainable development and frequently provides advisory support to organizations he has studied, including national governments through his work with the United Nations International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries. His research has been published in top-tier journals including MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Journal of Association of Information Systems, Information Systems Journal, and The Journal of Strategic Information Systems. Senior Editor, Information Systems Journal (2022-Present) Senior Editor, Information Technology and People (2019-Present) Associate Editor, Internet Research (2020-Present) Associate Editor, Information and Management (2016-Present) Editorial Board Member, Information Systems Research (2022-Present) Editorial Board Member, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management (2017-Present) Professor Tan has received numerous prestigious teaching and research awards throughout his distinguished career: 22 awards in 11 years at The University of Sydney SUPRA Teacher of the Year award for 2019 and 2020 SUPRA Supervisor of the Year award for 2019, 2020 and 2021 The University of Sydney Business School Dean's Award for Teaching in 2019 Multiple Dean's Citations for Teaching across various courses and semesters Professor Tan has successfully secured multiple competitive research grants: Hong Kong University Grants Committee General Research Fund (2020-2022): 'The Impact of Social Media on Digital Guanxi Formation in the Chinese Workplace', Co-Investigator, HKD$475,617 (A$88,286) The University of Sydney Business School Industry Partnership Grant (2017): 'International Think Tank for Landlocked Developing Countries Research Development Project', Chief Investigator, A$27,238 Zhejiang Gongshang University Strategic Research Grant (2016-2019): 'Emerging Digital Commerce Platforms: Development Patterns and Usage Behavior', Principal Investigator, CNY$300,000 (A$60,535) Multiple University of Sydney Bridging Support Grants (2015-2016) focused on digital commerce and Australian-China trade Professor Tan is frequently featured in mainstream media outlets including ABC News, Business Insider, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, News.com.au, The Australian Financial Review, CIO, and Bloomberg Businessweek, where he provides expert commentary on technology-related topics such as cryptocurrency, digital platforms, and China's tech landscape.
Debarshi K Nandy is Barbara and Richard M. Rosenberg Professor of Global Finance at Brandeis International Business School. He serves as MSF Program Director and Senior Associate Dean, with affiliations in Economics and Social Policy. Research focuses on venture capital, FinTech innovation, and entrepreneurial finance. Holds a Ph.D. from Boston College and M.S. from University of Calcutta. Research explores venture capital ecosystems, corporate payout policies, private equity impacts on trade, and behavioral aspects of financial decision-making. Recent work examines hedge fund strategies and student debt effects on investment behavior. Publications demonstrate consistent focus on financial intermediation mechanisms, with methodological innovation in natural experiments and empirical finance techniques. Fama/DFA Prize for Capital Markets and Asset Pricing Best Paper in Financial Institutions (FMA) Provost Research Award Directs Masters in Finance program and mentors startups. Affiliated with U.S. Census Bureau and NBER, with NSF and SSHRC research grants supporting work in financial innovation.
Professor Hisham Farag is a distinguished academic at the University of Birmingham , where he serves as Professor of Finance and Director of Research at the Birmingham Business School . He is also the Founding Director of the Sustainable Financial Innovation Research Centre (SFIC) , underscoring his leadership in advancing research in sustainable finance and financial innovation. His work is deeply embedded in the Department of Finance , where he contributes to both research and academic leadership. His primary research interests span a wide and impactful range of topics in modern finance, including FinTech , corporate governance , board structure and diversity , corporate social responsibility (CSR) , behavioural finance , sustainable finance , ESG , and green finance . His research investigates how governance mechanisms, board composition, and financial innovations influence firm performance, risk, and ethical outcomes, particularly in both developed and emerging markets. His recent publications reveal a strong focus on global corporate governance, alternative finance, and the social dimensions of finance. Key themes include the role of board diversity in bank stability, the impact of FinTech on entrepreneurship, and the integration of CSR in Islamic and Chinese financial institutions. His work frequently appears in top-tier journals such as the Journal of Corporate Finance , British Journal of Management , and European Journal of Finance . Professor Farag has received significant research funding from notable institutions including the Bank of England , Innovate UK (Energy Systems Catapult) , and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) . His research projects have addressed critical issues such as board effectiveness, risk in financial institutions, and investment decisions in hedge funds. He is actively involved in the academic community, serving as Associate Editor for several prestigious journals: European Journal of Finance , Research in International Business and Finance , Business Ethics European Review , and African Accounting and Finance Association . He has also co-authored a research monograph titled Balancing the Board: Directors’ Skills and Diversity , funded by ICAS. Among his accolades, he received the Best Paper Award at the Global Finance Conference in California, USA. His scholarly output includes numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and professional reports, reflecting a sustained and influential contribution to the field of finance.
Dr. Matloob Khushi serves as a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at Brunel University London's College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences. With over 25 years of combined academic and industry experience, his work bridges theoretical AI advancements with practical applications in finance, healthcare, and public health domains. His research has established significant collaborations with international banks, healthcare institutions, and technology startups. Dr. Khushi earned his PhD in AI and Data Science from the University of Sydney, developing novel algorithms for genomic data analysis. His postdoctoral research at the Children's Medical Research Institute (2014-2017) pioneered AI-based diagnostic tools for medical condition detection. More recently, he developed bioinformatics tools for environmental assessment under a UKRI NEC grant. Research Focus FinTech Innovation : Creator of the SS Ratio (incorporating volatility and drawdown sensitivities), advanced portfolio optimization models, and synthetic data generation techniques for fraud detection and credit risk assessment Bioinformatics Leadership : Developer of AI tools for genomic analysis and early cancer detection, featured in SBS News and The Daily Telegraph Public Health NLP : Architect of systems for vaccine misinformation detection, mental health monitoring, and health surveillance on social media His publication portfolio shows consistent growth from foundational bioinformatics work to current multimodal AI applications, with increasing interdisciplinary collaboration across finance and healthcare sectors. Awards and Recognition Ranked among Stanford/Elsevier's top 2% of global AI scientists Recipient of Best Paper Awards from IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems and PeerJ Media recognition for cancer detection research by major news outlets Mentorship and Teaching Dr. Khushi has supervised six PhD candidates to completion and over 100 postgraduate dissertations. He teaches CS3002 Artificial Intelligence and mentors students in Final Year Projects. His supervision focuses on Deep Learning/NLP for FinTech prediction and Public Health Surveillance applications, emphasizing practical implementation of theoretical concepts.
Steffi Haag is a Professor of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Institute of Computer Science , Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) . She bridges the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and Faculty of Business Administration and Economics , collaborating with the Center for Entrepreneurship Düsseldorf (CEDUS) to inspire tech startups. Her research focuses on sustainable information systems, digital experiences, and business models. Steffi Haag’s research integrates Shadow IT , Usable Cybersecurity , and Digital Idea Management . Her work emphasizes theoretical , quantitative , qualitative , and mixed-methods research , including experimental and survey methodologies. Steffi Haag’s publications (2018–2024) span Information Systems , Cybersecurity , Digital Twins , and Sustainable Design . Common themes include Shadow IT dynamics , user behavior in security , and innovation management . Hermann Gutmann Award for special scientific achievements (2023) Schöller Fellow (2020) HMD Best Paper Award (2018) Research Award in Data Protection and Data Security (2017) Dissertation Prize (2017) Steffi Haag has secured grants such as the TU Darmstadt Postdoctoral Fellowship for Female Researchers (2016–2018) and Deloitte Foundation Fellowship (2009–2011). She actively moderates conferences and serves as Associate Editor of Business & Information Systems Engineering .
Thierry Foucault serves as HEC Foundation Chaired Professor of Finance at HEC Paris, where he conducts influential research at the intersection of financial markets and technology. His work focuses on the determinants of financial markets liquidity and informativeness, the industrial organization of markets, and their effects on the real economy. His primary research interests include Big Data applications in finance, artificial intelligence in trading technologies, over-the-counter (OTC) markets, and how stock markets influence corporate decisions regarding investment and product choices. Foucault's recent work has increasingly examined how technological advancements reshape traditional financial market structures and corporate behavior. Foucault's research portfolio demonstrates a clear progression toward understanding how data abundance and AI transform market dynamics. His publications span theoretical models, empirical investigations, and policy implications, with particular emphasis on how alternative data sources affect traditional expertise in fund management, how algorithmic approaches change market maker behavior, and how investor information horizons influence corporate investment decisions. European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant (2021) for a five-year research project on Big Data and AI in financial markets Co-managing editor of the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis (JFQA) since September 1, 2021 As an academic leader, Foucault actively mentors PhD students and collaborates with researchers worldwide. His editorial position at JFQA places him at the forefront of scholarly discourse in quantitative finance. While specific grant details aren't provided in the text, his ERC Advanced Grant represents significant research funding supporting his work on technology's impact on financial markets and corporate investment.
Dr. Araz Taeihagh is an Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS), where he also serves as Principal Investigator at the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community (CTIC) and NUS Cities. He previously chaired the PhD Programme in Public Policy (2020-2023). Taeihagh holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and has over two decades of consulting experience in energy, environment, transportation, and technology domains. His research focuses on policy design and governance of emerging technologies , with expertise spanning autonomous systems, AI governance, sharing economies, and smart cities. Key research areas include: Decision support systems and complexity approaches to public policy Infrastructure and sustainable development (energy/environment/transport) Socio-technical systems and technology governance Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on AI governance frameworks , autonomous systems regulation , and smart city development , particularly examining policy innovation in Singapore and comparative Asian contexts. Research frequently addresses tensions between technological innovation and regulatory oversight. Major recognitions include: Ranked Top 2% Scientist worldwide for energy (2023) and citation impact (2020-2022) Best Paper Award from Transport Reviews (2020) Research Excellence Awards (2019-2022) Faculty Research Fellowships from LKYSPP and NUS Humanities & Social Sciences He serves on editorial boards of Technological Forecasting and Social Change , Policy and Society , and other leading journals, and co-chairs scientific committees for AI Singapore's governance initiatives.
Associate Professor Sam Kirshner is a faculty member at the University of New South Wales within the School of Information Systems and Technology Management . His research focuses on behavioral decision making , algorithmic impact on operations , and artificial intelligence applications in business contexts. PhD in Management Science from Queen’s University, Canada Teaching expertise in data visualization, predictive analytics, and AI ethics Co-author of Business Analytics: A Management Approach Member of the Ethical AI Advisory His research explores how psychological distance and construal level theory influence decisions in supply chains, technology management, and consumer behavior. Recent work examines ChatGPT's decision biases , algorithm aversion , and sustainable operations under financial constraints. Key publication trends show focus areas: AI ethics and human-AI collaboration Behavioral supply chain analysis Temporal/spatial psychological distance effects CO2 forecasting with sparse data Consumer behavior in digital platforms Virtual reality and cognitive processing Supervision roles include mentoring 2 PhD students and 6 honors students, contributing to the next generation of scholars in business analytics and technology management.
Academic Profile: Damir Filipovic is a Full Professor and the Swissquote Chair in Quantitative Finance at the College of Management of Technology (CDM) of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. He previously held academic positions at the University of Vienna, University of Munich, and Princeton University, and served as Head of the Vienna Institute of Finance. Research Focus: Quantitative finance, risk management, stochastic processes, term structure modeling, volatility risk, and machine learning applications in financial markets. Industry Collaboration: Co-developed the Swiss Solvency Test for insurance capital requirements while consulting for the Swiss Federal Office of Private Insurance. Publications: Contributed extensively to journals like Journal of Financial Economics, Mathematical Finance, and Annals of Applied Probability, with a textbook on Term-Structure Models. Academic Service: Editorial board member of multiple journals and organizer of advanced workshops on systemic risk and financial technology. Recent Research: His work emphasizes machine learning for portfolio risk management, kernel-based yield curve estimation, and robust stochastic modeling. Keynote speaker at international conferences on finance and insurance mathematics, with over 15 recent publications in 2023-2025 addressing high-dimensional financial problems, neural control systems, and causal inference in market data. Education: Ph.D. in Mathematics from ETH Zurich (2000). Graduate of ETH Zurich and University of Vienna. Teaching & Mentorship: Supervises current and former EPFL Ph.D. students in quantitative finance, including Nicolas Camenzind, Joshua Hayes, Andrea Ruglioni, and ten others. Former students like Damien Ackerer and Lotfi Boudabsa now lead research in risk management. Labs & Programs: Directs EPFL's Finance and Technology Programme, leads the Computational Finance Group (CSF) at EPFL, and contributes to Swiss Finance Institute initiatives. Scientific Leadership: Served on EPFL Committee of Academic Evaluation and Doctoral Program Finance committee.
Professor Raghavendra Rau is the Sir Evelyn de Rothschild Professor of Finance at Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. He is the Founder and Academic Director of the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) and serves on editorial boards of journals like the Journal of Corporate Finance and Journal of Banking and Finance. He will be President of the Financial Management Association in 2025 and has held visiting roles at Gresham College, Universiti Malaya, and University of Jordan. Education: MBA (IIM Bangalore), MSc, PhD (INSEAD) Previous Roles: Principal at Barclays Global Investors, Ambank Chair, Gresham Professorship His research focuses on how investors and firms process information, with key areas including corporate governance, behavioral finance, fintech, digital finance, CEO decision-making, and ESG. He explores links between prenatal environmental exposure and executive risk-taking, gender diversity in finance, and regulatory impacts on crowdfunding and digital lending. Recent publications analyze serial acquirers' behavior, CSR impacts on firm value, superstitious fund managers, and digital financing regulations. His work bridges behavioral biases, environmental factors, and financial innovation. Awards include the 2015 Ig Nobel Prize in Management.
Dr. Damon T. Gray is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Business, Education and Professional Studies at Cheyney University, housed under the Academic Affairs division. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Drexel University, Masters' degrees in Instructional Systems and Business Administration from Pennsylvania State University, and professional certifications in Applied Data Science (MIT), Quantitative Biomedical Science (Dartmouth), and Fintech (Berkeley). Education Highlights: DBA – Drexel University MBA & MS – Pennsylvania State University Certifications: MIT Applied Data Science, Dartmouth Quantitative Biomedical Science, Berkeley Fintech His research focuses on FinTech's societal impacts , particularly its role in addressing systemic racial wealth disparities. Dr. Gray actively contributes to professional communities as a member of the Investments & Wealth Institute and serves on the board of Volunteers of America, Delaware Valley.
Dr. Aleksandra Jordanoska is a Senior Lecturer at King's College London's Dickson Poon School of Law, specializing in corporate law and financial regulation. She holds a PhD from Queen Mary University of London (funded by a Queen Mary Research Studentship) and an MPhil in Criminology from the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on financial markets governance, FinTech regulation, and white-collar crime, with recent grants from the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust. She has held visiting roles at institutions like UC Berkeley and ANU. Teaching includes undergraduate Company Law and postgraduate courses on FinTech policy and financial crime regulation. Key research projects include the 'Global White-Collar Crime Survey' and studies on NFT regulatory risks. She co-chairs the Law and Society Association's Regulatory Governance Network and collaborates internationally on compliance and crime prevention initiatives. Her work employs interdisciplinary methods, including interviews with industry stakeholders and observational studies of legal proceedings. She is actively involved in funding initiatives through organizations like the ESRC and King's College London.
Fangzhou LU is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the HKU Business School, The University of Hong Kong, since 2020. His research focuses on fintech, cryptocurrency, behavioral finance, and China's economic development. He received his academic training at prestigious institutions: PhD and MS in Financial Economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2020 BS in Business from New York University, Stern School of Business, 2014 Dr. Lu's research interests encompass Fintech, Cryptocurrency, Behavioral Finance, Entrepreneurial Finance, Household Finance, Emerging Markets, consumption, fiscal stimulus, bond markets, and China's economic development. His work often leverages large datasets from China to examine how technological innovations and government policies impact financial markets and firm behavior, particularly during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. His recent publications demonstrate a strong trend toward applied research in emerging markets, with significant contributions on SPAC IPOs, government subsidy effectiveness for failing firms, and stock market informativeness in China. These works appear in top finance journals including the Journal of Financial Economics and Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, highlighting his expertise at the intersection of finance, technology, and policy analysis.
Naz Koont is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the Stanford Graduate School of Business . Her research explores how technology and nonbank intermediaries reshape banking landscapes, focusing on financial stability, competition, and consumer welfare. PhD in Finance (Columbia Business School, 2024) MPhil in Finance (Columbia Business School, 2021) Honors BSc in Mathematics and Economics (University of Toronto, 2018) Her research interests include: Financial Intermediation : Analyzing digital banking’s impact on bank roles. Credit Markets : Studying credit lines and leverage constraints. Industrial Organization : Modeling competition dynamics in banking. Technology : Assessing digitalization’s effects on financial systems. Article trends reveal her work combines empirical analysis and structural modeling to examine: Digital banking’s role in bank competition and consumer welfare Credit lines’ function in debt dilution mitigation ETFs’ active management strategies in illiquid markets Peer effects in deposit market demand Scientific awards include: HEC Paris Top Finance Graduate Award (2024) Bernstein Center Doctoral Grant (2021) Columbia Finance Department Best 4th Year Paper (2021)
