Anjan Thakor

John E. Simon Professor of Finance and Director of the WFA Center for Finance and Accounting Research

Anjan Thakor

Anjan Thakor

Prior to joining the Olin Business School, Thakor was The Edward J. Frey Professor of Banking and Finance at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, where he also served as chairman of the Finance area. He has served on the faculties of Indiana University, Northwestern University, and UCLA. He has worked with many companies, including Whirlpool Corporation, Allison Engine Co., Citigroup, RR Donnelley, Dana Corporation, Anheuser-Busch, Zenith Corporation, Lincoln National Corporation, J.P. Morgan, Landscape Structures, Inc., CIGNA, Borg-Warner Automotive, Waxman Industries, Reuters, The Limited, Ryder Integrated Logistics, AT&T, CH2M Hill, Takata Corporation, Tyson Foods, Spartech, and Bunge. He also served as an expert witness in many federal cases involving banking litigation.

Area of Expertise

Banking and Financial Institutions, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Innovation and Growth, Banking and Financial Institutions, Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Innovation and Growth

Education

Ph D 1979, Northwestern University

Academic/Professional Activities

  • Officer, President/Elect/Past, Financial Intermediation Research Society
  • Committee Member, Western Finance Association Program Committee
  • Other, Journal of Financial Intermediation
  • Committee Member, Western Finance Association Program Committee
  • Other, Special Issue of Financial Management on Corporate Investments
  • Other, Academic Press

Awards/Honors

  • Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution to financial intermediation research, Financial Intermediation Research Society (FIRS), 2021
  • Reid Teaching Award - Executive MBA St. Louis/Kansas City, Olin Business School, 2017
  • Reid MBA Teaching Excellence Award, Olin School of Business, 2005
  • Outstanding Teacher in Doctoral Program, University of Michigan Business School, 2003
  • American Finance Association Nominating Committee for Vice-Presidents and Directors, 2001
  • Outstanding Senior Faculty Research Award, University of Michigan Business School, 1999

Teaching Interests

Corporate Finance, Financial Intermediation & Economics of Asymmetric Information

Research Interests

Corporate finance, financial intermediation and economics of asymmetric information.

Personal Interests

Professor Thakor enjoys painting, skiing and weight lifting

Selected Publications

  • "Intermediation Variety, forthcoming", Journal of Finance, with Jason Donaldson, Giorgia Piacentino
  • "Bank Culture", Journal of Financial Intermediation, 59-79, with Fenghua Song, 2019
  • "Lending Booms, Smart Bankers, and Financial Crises", American Economic Review, Issue 5, 305-309, 2015
  • "Incentives to Innovate and Financial Crises", Journal of Financial Economics, Issue 103(1), 130-148, 2012
  • "Financial Intermediation as a Beliefs-Bridge Between Optimists and Pessimists", Journal of Financial Economics, Issue 75(3), 535-570, with J. Coval, 2005
  • "Duration of Executive Compensation", Journal of Finance, Issue 6, 2777-2817, with Radhakrishnan Gopalan, Todd Milbourn, Fenghua Song, 2014
  • "The Entrepreneur's Choice Between Private and Public Ownership", Journal of Finance, Issue 61(2), 803-836, with Arnoud Boot, Radhakrishnan Gopalan, 2006
  • "Reputation and Discretion in Financial Contracting", American Economic Review, Issue 5, 1165-1183, with Stuart Greenbaum, Arnoud Boot, 1993
  • "Overconfidence, Leadership Selection, and Corporate Governance", Journal of Finance, Issue 63(6), 2737-2784, with Anand Goel, 2008
  • "Warehouse Banking", Journal of Financial Economics, Issue 2, 250-267, with Jason Donaldson, Giorgia Piacentino, 2018

Contact

Anjan Thakor