Erik Gordon is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies and Area Chair at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan. He holds degrees in economics and law, with prior roles including Associate Dean and Director of the Graduate Division of Business & Management at Johns Hopkins University, and leadership positions at the University of Florida’s Center for Technology & Science Commercialization Studies. His research focuses on entrepreneurship, venture capital, private equity, corporate governance, and FinTech. He frequently contributes to media outlets like The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Marketplace, offering insights on business trends and corporate strategy. His teaching spans advanced topics in business strategy, with a focus on real-world application and interdisciplinary approaches. Notable engagements include commentary on the pandemic’s impact on education and virtual teaching methodologies. He advises initiatives like the Wolverine Venture Fund and Zell Early-Stage Fund, emphasizing practical experience for students.
Alexander I. Platt is the Earl B. Shurtz Research Professor of Law and Director of the Polsinelli Transactional Law Center at the University of Kansas School of Law. He specializes in securities regulation, corporate law, and administrative law, with a focus on regulatory frameworks, corporate governance, and legal ethics. Platt teaches Contracts, Securities Regulation, Business Organizations, and Due Diligence in Business Transactions. Platt earned his B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science (magna cum laude) from Columbia University in 2006 and his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2012, where he served as an Articles Editor on the Yale Law Journal. He clerked for Judges Stephen F. Williams (D.C. Circuit) and Royce C. Lamberth (D.D.C.) and practiced law at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP before joining KU. He is admitted to multiple U.S. courts, including the District of Columbia and New York. His research explores the intersection of regulatory enforcement, corporate transparency, and legal accountability. Notable works include critiques of SEC whistleblower programs and analyses of IPO regulatory frameworks. His 2024 article on mandatory disclosure was recognized as one of the Top 10 Corporate & Securities Law Articles of the year. Platt advocates for balanced legal guardrails to address modern market challenges like unicorn valuations and short seller dynamics. Research Highlights : SEC enforcement mechanisms and transparency Whistleblower incentives and corporate accountability IPO regulatory bureaucracy Corporate governance structures Awards : Top 10 Corporate & Securities Law Articles of 2024 Platt’s work has been cited by SEC Commissioners and featured in major media outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, underscoring the practical impact of his scholarship on legal and regulatory policy.
Kevin Pisciotta is an Assistant Professor of Finance at the University of Kansas School of Business, specializing in empirical corporate finance, initial public offerings (IPOs), and information intermediaries. His work bridges corporate finance theory with real-world market dynamics, focusing on IPO processes, analyst behavior, and economic impacts of social issues like opioid abuse and sports betting. Education: Ph.D. in Business Administration, Pennsylvania State University M.S. in Finance, University of Delaware B.S. in Finance, University of Delaware Research Interests: His research explores how IPO bookbuilding mechanisms influence market outcomes, the role of sell-side analysts in information dissemination, and the macroeconomic consequences of phenomena like opioid abuse and sports gambling. He also investigates labor economics through the lens of corporate innovation and workforce productivity. Publications Trends: Recent work examines the interplay between sports betting and household financial stability (2024), IPO marketing strategies post-JOBS Act reforms (2018), and the spillover effects of opioid abuse on regional innovation ecosystems (2023). His studies frequently employ large-scale datasets to analyze market microstructure and policy impacts. Grants/Advising: No specific grants or advisee names are listed in available materials. Teaching experience includes undergraduate courses in investments, international finance, and corporate financial management. Labs/Teams: No dedicated lab affiliation is mentioned, though collaborations with institutions like Pennsylvania State University and the University of Delaware are implied through his educational background and co-authorships.
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.
Lorin M. Hitt serves as the Zhang Jindong Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. His distinguished career spans multiple domains at the intersection of information technology, economics, and business strategy. As a leading scholar in IT productivity and innovation, he maintains an active research agenda while teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in information systems and data analysis. Professor Hitt's research interests focus on the relationship between information technology and productivity, with particular emphasis on complementary factors such as organizational design and human capital that affect the value of IT investments. His current work explores the economics of IT labor mobility, enterprise software contracting, recommender systems' influence on consumer behavior, measurement of intangible assets, and pricing information goods. His research increasingly examines IT deployment in healthcare settings and the role of the IT workforce in relation to issues like offshoring and the H1-B visa program. His research publications demonstrate consistent contributions to top-tier journals, with recent work analyzing how data analytics mitigates post-IPO innovation decline, digital capital accumulation in superstar firms, and the relationship between analytics skills and firm productivity. His publication record shows sustained scholarly output across multiple domains of information systems research. Best Paper Runner-up – Management Science, 2014 Best Paper – Information Systems Research, 2013 Multiple Wharton Excellence in Teaching Awards (2003, 2007-2008, 2011) David Hauck Award for Distinguished Teaching, 1999 National Science Foundation Career Grant Recipient, 1998 Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, 1998 Professor Hitt teaches multiple courses including OPIM101 (Introduction to OPIM), OPIM105 (Data Analysis in VBA and SQL), OPIM469 (Information Strategy and Economics), and OPIM955 (Doctoral Seminar in IS Economics). His teaching focuses on information systems management, economics, data analysis, and advanced analytical methods. Beyond academia, he consults on IT outsourcing agreements and IT investment evaluation, and occasionally serves as an expert witness in technology-related litigation.
Elizabeth Pollman is a Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Institute for Law & Economics at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. She specializes in corporate law, governance, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on venture capital-backed startups and dual-class structures. Her work examines issues such as CEO turnover, ESG integration, and regulatory frameworks in corporate law. Her research has been published in top-tier journals including the Harvard Law Review, Columbia Law Review, and Duke Law Journal. She co-authored *Business Organizations: A Contemporary Approach* and co-edited *Research Handbook on Corporate Purpose and Personhood*. Pollman has received teaching awards, including the Harvey Levin Memorial Award (2022) and LLM Prize (2021 & 2024). Before joining Penn, she taught at Loyola Law School and held visiting roles at UC Berkeley and the University of Sydney. She practiced at Latham & Watkins and clerked for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She earned her BA and JD from Stanford University, both with distinction. Her current projects include analyzing governance dynamics in dual-class firms and exploring the historical and modern evolution of corporate purpose clauses. She co-directs the Institute for Law & Economics, which focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of law and economic analysis.
Lubomir P. Litov is the David M. Moffett Professor of Corporate Finance and an associate professor in the Finance Department at the Michael F. Price College of Business, University of Oklahoma. He also holds an appointment as Affiliate Associate Professor of Law at the OU College of Law. Dr. Litov received his Ph.D. in Economics from Leonard Stern School of Business at New York University. Prior to joining OU, he held faculty positions at the University of Arizona and Washington University in St. Louis. He is also a research associate at the Financial Institutions Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Litov's research focuses on several key areas of finance and corporate governance: Corporate governance mechanisms and board structures Mergers and acquisitions processes and outcomes Venture capital and private equity investment strategies Entrepreneurial finance and growth equity Capital structure decisions and risk management International corporate finance and policy impacts His recent publications examine critical issues such as dual-class stock IPOs, policy uncertainty effects on venture capital, poison pill defenses, and the relationship between venture capitalist directors and managerial incentives. Dr. Litov's work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications in corporate finance and governance, with articles published in top journals including the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, and Journal of Accounting and Economics. Dr. Litov has received numerous teaching and research honors including: Harold E. Hackler Outstanding MBA Professor Award (2022) Merrick Foundation Teaching Award (2018) Hurley Roberson Teaching Excellence Award (2017) William Sharpe award for best paper in JFQA (2010) As an educator, Dr. Litov teaches courses on Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Restructuring across multiple programs including the MBA, Executive MBA in Aerospace & Defense, and MSc in Finance. He also co-organizes the Virtual Household Finance Seminar and the NYU-Georgia Tech-OU Economics Virtual Seminar on Artificial Intelligence and Decentralized Finance, bringing together leading researchers to discuss cutting-edge developments in finance.
Xuan Tian is the JD Capital Chair Professor of Finance at PBC School of Finance, Tsinghua University, where he has been actively contributing to academic research and teaching since at least 2014. His institutional affiliation is evident through his university email address (tianx@pbcsf.tsinghua.edu.cn) and his extensive publication record representing Tsinghua University as his primary academic institution. Professor Tian's research interests center on theoretical and empirical corporate finance and entrepreneurial finance, with primary focus areas including Venture Capital, Corporate Innovation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Labor Economics, and Payout Policy. His scholarly work demonstrates a consistent trajectory exploring how financial markets, institutions, and policies influence corporate innovation and entrepreneurial activities, with particular attention to Chinese market dynamics and global comparative perspectives. Analysis of his recent publication trends reveals a growing emphasis on the intersection of technology, information, and finance, with increasing attention to patent systems, innovation ecosystems, and the impact of digital transformation on traditional financial markets. His work frequently examines how market participants process information and how institutional arrangements affect innovation outcomes. Jensen Prize (2nd prize) of Journal of Financial Economics Jensen Prize (1st prize) of Journal of Financial Economics Professor Tian has presented his research at numerous prestigious conferences including the American Finance Association (AFA), Western Finance Association (WFA), and National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) programs. His teaching portfolio includes Corporate Finance for Master's students and Ph.D. Seminars on Advanced Topics in Finance, demonstrating his commitment to both research and academic mentorship. His publications have been featured in prominent outlets including the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, indicating significant impact on both academic and practitioner communities.
Michael Obal is an Associate Professor of Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation at the Manning School of Business, University of Massachusetts Lowell. He holds a PhD from Temple University and teaches courses on marketing strategy, digital marketing, and innovation. His research focuses on disruptive technologies, new product development (NPD), and the diffusion of innovations. He has published extensively in journals like Journal of Business Ethics , Research-Technology Management , and Journal of Business Research . Obal has received numerous awards, including the 2024 UML Researchers and Scholars Investment and the 2023 AMA Promising Research Award. Obal’s career spans academia and industry, transitioning from sales at the Boston Beer Company to digital marketing at iProspect before pursuing his PhD. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability in career paths and encourages students to build skills in emerging technologies. His research explores topics like remote work’s impact on business relationships, customer participation in NPD, and sustainability integration in innovation processes. He is an associate editor for Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing and serves on editorial boards for Industrial Marketing Management and Journal of Business Research . Obal’s work also addresses challenges posed by technological disruption and global market dynamics. His recent studies analyze how remote work affects customer engagement and how firms navigate turbulent technological environments. He collaborates internationally through initiatives like the Global Entrepreneurship Exchange (GE2), fostering innovation ecosystems and cross-cultural entrepreneurship education.
YUE Heng is a Full-time Professor of Accounting at Singapore Management University (SMU), holding dual roles as Director of the SMU-ZJU Doctor of Business Administration (Accounting & Finance) Program and Programme Director of the SMU Tsinghua Joint Master of Science in CFO Leadership. He joined SMU in 2015 after teaching at Peking University, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Management from the Guanghua School of Management. He holds a PhD in Accounting from Tulane University's Freeman School of Business. His research focuses on corporate governance, earnings management, voluntary disclosure in emerging markets, and capital market dynamics. Notable contributions include studies on tunneling through intercorporate loans, political corruption impacts on reporting quality, and cultural influences on corporate risk-taking. His work has been published in top journals like the Journal of Financial Economics and The Accounting Review . Honors include the Liyining Research Award (2013) and the ICBC Economic Scholar Award (2011). He advises doctoral students in accounting and has contributed to curriculum development in executive education programs. His current research explores green transition challenges, audit quality in anti-corruption contexts, and information asymmetry in emerging markets. Key Research Themes: Corporate Governance Failures, Financial Transparency, Political Economy of Accounting, Emerging Market Financial Systems Teaching Areas: Advanced Financial Accounting, CFO Leadership, Financial Statement Analysis
Christian von Drathen is a Visiting Assistant Professor in Finance and Managerial Economics at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), affiliated with the Jindal School of Management. His research focuses on corporate finance dynamics, including CEO turnover mechanisms, board decision-making processes, and private equity performance evaluation. Education: PhD in Finance, London School of Economics (2014) MSc with Sloan Fellowship, London Business School (2007) MSc, London School of Economics (1991) Dipl. W.-Ing., Universität Karlsruhe (1990) His research interests span financial modeling for valuation, mergers & acquisitions strategies, and private equity financing. Notable works include causal analysis of stock market comovement and structural estimation of CEO performance evaluation by corporate boards. Awards: Abraaj Capital Finance Research Studentship (2011–2013) Coller Capital Award for Best Student Paper (2007) He teaches advanced courses such as FIN 6352 Financial Modelling for Valuation and has contributed to major financial texts like Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies .
Gregory S. Miller is Ernst & Young Professor of Accounting at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. His research examines financial communication mechanisms, specifically how corporate managers convey firm information to external stakeholders and how market structures influence communication effectiveness. Professor Miller maintains editorial roles at leading journals including The Accounting Review and Journal of Accounting and Economics. Research concentrations include: Information flow dynamics in financial markets Managerial communication strategies Impact of disclosure regulations on market efficiency Investor relations and shareholder activism Cross-cultural aspects of financial disclosure Publications appear in top-tier journals including The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, and Journal of Accounting Research. His practitioner-oriented work has been featured in Harvard Business Review and Investor Relations Quarterly. Educational credentials include PhD from University of Michigan (1998) and BS in Accounting from Miami University (1990). Professional experience includes four years as auditor at Arthur Andersen.
Emir Hrnjic is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Finance at NUS Business School, where he also serves as Academic Director of the UCLA-NUS EMBA program and Head of FinTech Training at the Asian Institute of Digital Finance (AIDF). He holds a PhD in Finance from Tulane University (2005) and has held prior academic positions at Tulane University and Virginia Tech. Research Interests: Banking, finance, investment, and commercial services with specialization in FinTech applications Blockchain technology and digital currency ecosystems Corporate finance, behavioral economics, and emerging markets Aviation finance, debt restructuring, and capital market innovations His publications demonstrate strong focus on practical finance applications, with 38 case studies covering corporate finance dilemmas, digital assets, and emerging market challenges. Recent works (2024-2025) show concentrated research in blockchain applications, CBDCs, and aviation industry financing, while earlier contributions emphasized behavioral finance and IPO strategies. Awards: TEC Case Impact Award for "Alibaba Bonds: Timing, Location, and Pricing" Leadership & Service: Developed FinTech training programs and digital asset curricula for MBA/EMBA Revamped UCLA-NUS EMBA curriculum and digital learning integration Provides expert commentary for media and industry conferences Conducted consulting projects in blockchain and litigation finance
Prof. Dr. Erik Theissen is a full-time faculty member at the University of Mannheim, holding the Chair in Business Administration and Finance. His research focuses on market microstructure, corporate governance, and information-based trading in equity markets. University of Mannheim, Department of Business Administration Research areas: Finance, Market Microstructure, Corporate Governance His work compares auction and dealer markets, analyzes insider trading regulations, and evaluates the impact of trader anonymity on market liquidity. He has explored competition between exchanges (e.g., Euronext vs. Xetra) and the role of internalized trading under MiFID. His publications include Organizational Forms of Securities Trading (1998), with over 15 major peer-reviewed articles since 2001. Key journals include the Review of Financial Studies, European Financial Management, and Journal of Corporate Finance. 2001 Financial Innovation Award of Bethmann Bank 2001 Best Paper Award (Association of University Professors of Business Administration) 1998 Dissertation Award of the German Stock Institute His research spans experimental economics (e.g., market design, risk attitude estimation) and empirical analysis of German capital markets, including IPO pricing and mutual fund performance.
Richard Johnson is a Professor of Management at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, University of Missouri. He holds a PhD in Management from Texas A&M University (1992) and a B.S. in Geology from the University of Miami (1982). His research focuses on corporate restructuring and governance, IPO strategies, international diversification, and corporate social performance. He has published in leading journals such as the Academy of Management Journal and Strategic Management Journal. Johnson serves on editorial boards for Organization Science and the Journal of Management, and previously held the Puterbaugh Chair in American Enterprise at the University of Oklahoma. Johnson’s research spans strategic management and corporate governance, emphasizing IPO governance dynamics, institutional investor influence, and organizational change. His work examines how governance structures affect firm performance and innovation, particularly in global contexts. He has contributed to understanding boardroom attention mechanisms and entrepreneurial decision-making processes. His teaching spans strategic management, entrepreneurship, and research methods, supported by awards recognizing his teaching excellence. Key academic contributions include studies on IPO lockup periods, institutional ownership heterogeneity, and the impact of corporate restructuring on innovation. He has also explored the relationship between corporate governance, social performance, and stakeholder management.
