Clemens Otto is a Full-time Associate Professor of Finance at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University. He holds a Ph.D. (Finance) from London Business School (2012), an M.Res. (Finance) from London Business School (2009), and a CEMS Master (International Management) and Dipl.-Kfm. (Business Administration) from the University of Cologne and HEC Paris (2006). His research focuses on Financial Contracting, Corporate Disclosure Practices, Behavioral Finance, and Strategic Investment Decisions. Key research interests include analyzing how disclosure policies impact capital markets, the behavioral drivers of corporate investment, and the effects of regulatory frameworks on firm behavior. His work integrates theoretical finance with empirical evidence from supply chains, healthcare disclosures, and debt markets. Notable awards include the Michael J. Brennan Award (2022) and the SAC Capital Ph.D. Award (2012). His publications span journals such as the Review of Financial Studies , Management Science , and The Accounting Review . Current research explores disclosure externalities in supply chains and the strategic implications of peer disclosures in clinical trials. Prof. Otto has been affiliated with SMU since 2017, advancing through roles from Assistant Professor (2017–2021) to his current position. His expertise aligns with SMU’s strategic priorities in Asia-focused finance and sustainable living through informed corporate governance frameworks.
Zhi Da is the Howard J. and Geraldine F. Korth Chair in Finance and Professor of Finance at the University of Notre Dame , Mendoza College of Business, Department of Finance. He completed his Ph.D. in Finance at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management (2006), preceded by an M.Sc. in Financial Engineering from the National University of Singapore (2001) and a B.B.A. with First-Class Honors (1999) from the same institution. Holding editorial roles at Journal of Finance , Management Science , Review of Financial Studies and several other top journals, he is a leading voice in empirical finance research. Education Ph.D. in Finance, 2006 – Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University M.Sc. in Financial Engineering, 2001 – National University of Singapore B.B.A. (1st Class Honors), 1999 – National University of Singapore Research Interests Zhi Da’s scholarship sits at the intersection of asset pricing , behavioral finance , and market microstructure . He investigates how investor attention, institutional trading, liquidity frictions, and information flows jointly determine the cross-section of expected returns. His work delves into retail margin trading, the role of pension-fund flows in exchange-rate dynamics, the informational content of SEC filings, and the efficiency of short-selling mechanisms. By combining large-scale data analytics, textual analysis, and structural modeling, he uncovers novel predictors of returns ranging from presidential approval ratings to real-time attention measures. Recent projects explore fractional trading ’s impact on price efficiency, hedging demand as a driver of intraday momentum, and the hidden effort problem in delegated portfolio management. These themes collectively advance our understanding of limits to arbitrage and the formation of extrapolative beliefs. Publication Landscape Spanning 2025 back to 2009, his 15 most recent articles in Journal of Finance , Review of Financial Studies , Management Science , Journal of Financial Economics , and Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis converge on three broad motifs: (1) micro-level trading frictions—liquidity costs, margin requirements, and short-selling constraints; (2) macro-finance linkages—exchange rates, fiscal policy, and global capital flows; and (3) information economics—attention allocation, media analytics, and regulatory disclosures. The collective evidence demonstrates that seemingly small trading or informational frictions aggregate into large, persistent cross-sectional return predictability. Honors and Awards 2017 William F. Sharpe Award for Best Paper, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis Lead-article distinctions in Journal of Finance , Review of Financial Studies , and Management Science Featured coverage in SmartMoney and CNBC Teaching & Mentorship At Notre Dame’s Mendoza College, Professor Da teaches Investments (undergraduate and MBA) and Fixed Income Securities , integrating cutting-edge research insights into the curriculum. While specific advisees are not listed, his extensive co-author network (22+ recurring collaborators) attests to a vibrant mentoring environment. Laboratory & Data Resources He publicly distributes the NAT (Net Arbitrage Trading) dataset, a stock-quarter panel of arbitrage positions used in Chen, Da & Huang (2019). This resource has become a standard tool for researchers studying arbitrage capital movements.
Ana Marques is a Visiting Professor at Norwich Business School (University of East Anglia), specializing in accounting and quantitative methods. She previously served as head of research at the Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon and held visiting roles at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. Her academic background includes a PhD in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master's in Management from Instituto Superior de Gestão (Portugal), and a 5-year Licenciatura in Management from the same institution. Her research focuses on non-GAAP earnings disclosures, corporate governance, ESG/CSR, and voluntary disclosures. Key funding includes a €80,000 Marie Curie grant and over €120,000 from Portugal's Foundation for Science and Technology. She has published in top journals like Review of Accounting Studies and European Accounting Review . Marques holds editorial roles at European Accounting Review and Accounting in Europe , and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the EAA's Accounting Research Center. She has organized major conferences like JIAR 2023 and the Lisbon Accounting Conference, and contributes to professional bodies such as the American Accounting Association (AAA) and European Accounting Association (EAA). Her work addresses disclosure strategies, sustainability assurance, and regulatory impacts, with recent focus on gender diversity policies and ESG-investment linkages. Research outputs emphasize global accounting practices and regulatory effectiveness across diverse sectors.
Professor Rainer Böhme is a prominent academic in the field of IT security and privacy at the University of Münster's School of Business and Economics, Department of Information Systems. He also holds a professorship for Security and Privacy at the University of Innsbruck's Institute of Computer Science. His research spans multiple dimensions of digital security, with particular expertise in steganography, digital forensics, privacy-enhancing technologies, and the economic aspects of cybersecurity. Dr. Böhme earned his Doctoral Degree from TU Dresden's Faculty of Computer Science in 2008, following studies in Communications, Economics and Computer Science at Technische Universität Dresden and Université Paris XII. His academic journey includes positions as Assistant Professor at the University of Münster (2010-2015), Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley (2009-2010), and Scientific Staff at TU Dresden's Chair of Privacy and Data Security. His research interests focus on steganography and steganalysis, digital forensics, privacy-enhancing technologies, security and usability, economic and behavioral aspects of information privacy, virtual currencies, and the economics of information security. His work bridges technical security mechanisms with economic and behavioral considerations, creating a unique interdisciplinary approach to cybersecurity challenges. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward the economics of security, particularly regarding blockchain technologies, cryptocurrency, and privacy valuation. His work increasingly examines the intersection of technical security mechanisms with market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and user behavior. The research spans theoretical game-theoretic models, empirical studies of user behavior, and practical applications in digital forensics and privacy protection. Program Co-Chair, Financial Cryptography and Data Security (2015) Program Co-Chair, New Security Paradigms Workshop (NSPW) (2015) General Chair, 8th International Conference on IT Security Incident Management & IT Forensics (2014) Organizer and Program Co-Chair, 1st Workshop on Bitcoin Research (2014) Associate Editor, Electronic Commerce Research (since 2013) Associate Editor, EURASIP Journal on Information Security (since 2013) Professor Böhme has supervised multiple Master's theses in Information Systems, including work on static code analysis for smart contracts, remote maintenance protocol security, and application protection requirements in retail banking. His research is supported by significant grants from the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, the DFG, and the EU FP7 program, with projects focusing on digital forensics, privacy-enhancing technologies, and cryptocurrency crime prevention. He leads the IT Security Research Group at the University of Münster, which investigates theoretical and applied aspects of information security with particular emphasis on the economic dimensions of security decisions.
Eduardo Azevedo is the John M. Bendheim and Thomas L. Bendheim Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the Wharton School , University of Pennsylvania. He holds a courtesy appointment as Professor of Economics and was awarded the 2016 Sloan Foundation Fellowship. His research integrates economic theory with practical applications across science and business domains. His research interests include: Market design Selection markets Social science genetics Experimental economics Game theory Recent publication trends focus on: Economic theory applications to healthcare and digital markets Empirical Bayes methods in A/B testing Adverse selection in insurance markets Strategic behavior in two-sided matching Evolutionary behavioral economics He serves as an instructor for BEPP2500 - Managerial Economics , emphasizing real-world application of microeconomic theory to business problems. His work also involves software development for economic research, including MATLAB-based empirical Bayes tools for analyzing treatment effects in large-scale experiments. Scientific awards : Sloan Foundation Fellow (2016)
University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUnited States
Gary William Hecht is a Professor in the Department of Accountancy at the Gies College of Business, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He serves as Associate Dean of Professional Education Pathways and holds the Arthur Andersen Faculty Fellowship. His research focuses on performance measurement systems, management accounting, and organizational behavior. Associate Dean, Gies College of Business Arthur Andersen Faculty Fellow Professor, Department of Accountancy Hecht’s research explores the intersection of performance measurement , managerial decision-making , and organizational incentives . Key themes include strategic use of performance data, impact of reporting frequency on employee behavior, and experiential vs. vicarious learning mechanisms in accounting contexts. His recent work (2020-2025) emphasizes effort intensity metrics , transparency in promotion behavior , and noise in performance measures . Articles reveal a focus on optimizing management control systems and understanding behavioral responses to accounting frameworks. Scientific awards : Arthur Andersen Faculty Fellow
Professor Michael C.L. CHAU serves as Professor and Deputy Area Head of Innovation and Information Management at The University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Business and Economics. He also holds the position of Associate Director at the HKU HKJC Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, and serves on the HKU Senate and Court. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona and a B.Sc. in Computer Science (Information Systems) from the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Chau's research spans business analytics, artificial intelligence, web mining, fintech, smart health, and security informatics. His work focuses on applying data/text/web mining techniques to business, education, and social domains. He leads the Artificial Intelligence Research Group at HKU Business School, which has secured significant funding from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, Food and Health Bureau, and other agencies for projects including 'The Invisible Hand in Crowdfunding' and 'Factors Moderating the Predictive Power of Social Media Sentiment on Stock Returns'. His publication portfolio includes over 150 articles in premier journals like MIS Quarterly, JMIS, and IEEE Transactions, with recent work exploring large language models, hate speech detection, and disaster-related social media analysis. His research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections across computer science, information systems, and business applications. INFORMS ISS Design Science Award (2020) IEEE ITSS Leadership Award in Intelligence and Security Informatics (2020) AIS Sandra Slaughter Service Award (2016) HKU Outstanding Young Researcher Award (2014) Faculty Research Postgraduate Supervision Award (2020 & 2025) Cited over 9,400 times (h-index = 47) Dr. Chau actively mentors doctoral students and has supervised numerous PhD graduates who now hold academic positions at institutions including Fudan University, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, and the University of Maryland. His research grants portfolio demonstrates sustained funding success across diverse areas including blockchain, mental health applications, and social media analytics. The Artificial Intelligence Research Group he leads maintains strong industry connections through projects with Hong Kong Red Cross and the Hospital Authority.
Meng Li is a Professor and the Endowed C. T. Bauer Chair of AI at the C. T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston. He also serves as the founding Director of the Bauer Human-Centered AI Institute and the SCM PhD coordinator, highlighting his leadership in AI and operations research. His research centers on human-centered AI , managerial behavior , and human-algorithm interaction , with applications in supply chain management, operations, and strategic decision-making. His work explores cognitive biases, behavioral operations, and the integration of AI in business contexts. The 15 most recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on behavioral aspects of operations management, particularly overconfidence, regret, and trust in AI systems. The research spans journals such as Management Science , Production and Operations Management , and Strategic Management Journal , indicating interdisciplinary impact across operations, strategy, and information systems. Scientific Awards and Honors: The President’s Circle Awards, University of Houston, 2025 Energy Transition Institute Award ($62.5K), 2024 John Aure Buesseler Distinguished Lectureship, Texas Tech, 2024 Shell Sustainability Research Grant ($100K), 2022 Management Science Distinguished Service Award, 2022 Rutgers Research Council Award, 2020 Finalist for INFORMS Best Service Science Paper Award, 2019 Meng Li advises PhD students as SCM PhD coordinator and leads major research initiatives through the Bauer Human-Centered AI Institute . His work is supported by grants from Shell, HPE, and NIST. He serves as Department Editor for Journal of Operations Management and Decision Sciences Journal , and Senior Editor for Production and Operations Management , and has guest-edited AI-focused special issues in top journals. He is actively building interdisciplinary teams at the intersection of AI, operations, and behavioral science, fostering collaborations across business, engineering, and health domains.
Dr. IKM Mokhtarul Wadud is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics at The University of Sydney, Australia. Previously, he held roles as Senior Lecturer at Deakin University, Lecturer at Monash University Malaysia, and Assistant Professor at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. He earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Wollongong in 2001. His research focuses on productivity analysis, macroeconomic policy, energy economics, and applied econometric modeling. Notable contributions include co-authoring the Asia Pacific edition of Introductory Econometrics (Cengage Learning) and publishing in journals like Economic Modelling and Energy Policy . His recent work addresses financial sustainability strategies in higher education during the pandemic and the impact of economic policy uncertainty on property prices in Australia. Dr. Wadud has presented at international conferences and served as a reviewer for multiple journals. His research spans diverse regions, including Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh, with analyses of oil price volatility, monetary policy effects, and industrial competitiveness.
Elena Pikulina is an Assistant Professor in the Finance Division at the UBC Sauder School of Business, affiliated with The University of British Columbia. She holds an M.Phil and PhD from Tilburg University. Her research focuses on institutional investors, corporate finance, and behavioral finance, with a particular emphasis on integrating experimental methodologies to study decision-making processes in corporate and financial contexts. She teaches courses such as Mergers and Acquisitions. Education: M.Phil, Tilburg University PhD, Tilburg University Research Interests: Institutional investors Corporate finance Experimental and behavioral finance Her publications explore topics such as income inequality’s impact on equity markets, power preferences in decision-making, the behavioral effects of confidence and overconfidence on corporate strategies, and incentive structures like bonus schemes. While no scientific awards are explicitly listed, her work demonstrates contributions to behavioral and corporate finance. Advising & Grants: No students or grants are listed in the provided materials. Labs/Teams: No specific labs or research teams are mentioned.
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)United Kingdom
Wim A Van der Stede is a **Professor of Accounting and Financial Management** at the **London School of Economics (LSE)**, specifically within the **Department of Accounting**. He holds the prestigious **CIMA Professorship** and serves in leadership roles such as LSE Council Member and Houghton Street Ventures Advisory Board member. His research focuses on **management control systems**, **corporate governance**, **executive compensation**, and **performance measurement**, with notable contributions to understanding incentive systems and organizational design. He has authored influential books like *Management Control Systems: Performance Measurement, Evaluation, and Incentives*, translated into multiple languages. Van der Stede’s academic leadership includes editorial roles in top journals like *Management Accounting Research* (Editor-in-Chief 2015–2024), and he has received awards such as the LSE Teaching Excellence Award (2016/17) and the AAA Outstanding International Educator Award (2019). His work integrates empirical studies with practical insights, addressing topics like budgeting, innovation selection, and the impact of information technology on organizations. He actively contributes to global accounting discourse through research, teaching, and advisory roles.
Matthew Bidwell is a Professor of Management at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania . His research focuses on evolving employment relationships, career dynamics, and human resource management in modern labor markets. He serves as faculty co-director of the Wharton People Analytics Initiative and faculty director of the Wharton CHRO Program. Ph.D., MIT Sloan School S.M., Political Science, MIT M. Chem, Oxford Bidwell's research examines international career mobility , managerial contracting , and organizational labor market strategies . His work reveals complex relationships between global mobility and compensation, and analyzes how institutions like search firms shape career trajectories. Recent publications show trends in cross-border employment , executive career progression , and status-driven wage dynamics . His studies utilize longitudinal datasets and organizational personnel records to uncover patterns in managerial mobility. Scientific Recognition Wharton Teaching Excellence Award (2020) ASQ Scholarly Contribution Award (2017) John T. Dunlop Outstanding Scholar Award (2014) Sloan Foundation Industry Studies Fellowship (2010-2012) Bidwell has served as Senior Editor at Organization Science and contributes regularly to business media outlets. His teaching emphasizes evidence-based people management through the People Analytics course at Wharton.
Ali Lazrak is an Associate Professor at the Sauder School of Business , University of British Columbia , specializing in Finance . He holds the Peter Lusztig Professorship in Finance and teaches courses such as International Financial Markets and Institutions and Theory of Finance (2024-2025). His research bridges Political Economy , Asset Pricing , and Behavioral Finance , with a focus on ESG concerns , Voting Theory , and Time Inconsistency . Education: ENSAE (B.Sc.), Sorbonne (M.Sc.), Toulouse (Ph.D.) Contact: Henry Angus Building (HA 872), +1 604.822.9481, ali.lazrak@sauder.ubc.ca His work explores group decision-making in corporate investment, green finance (e.g., the green premium in ESG markets), and time-inconsistent preferences in continuous games. Recent publications highlight how responsible consumption and demand elasticity shape asset prices, and how institutional divestiture impacts harmful asset stranding through informational and economic channels. Scientific accolades include the Jacob Gold & Associates Best Paper Prize (2019), Best Paper Awards at HEC-McGill, UBC, Luxembourg, and Stanford conferences, and the Peter Lusztig Professorship . His methodological expertise spans stochastic control , recursive utility , and dynamic equilibrium analysis .
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.
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.
