Finance


Ben Freeman: Cool Under Pressure, Leading by Example

Ben Freeman, above, balances his courseload in the School of Business with being the co-captain of the UConn men's hockey team. (Photo courtesy of UConn Athletics)
Ben Freeman, above, balances his courseload in the School of Business with being the co-captain of the UConn men’s hockey team. (Photo courtesy of UConn Athletics)

UConn men’s hockey co-captain Ben Freeman said it’s hard to describe the feeling when the puck sails into the net, the red goal-light glows, the horn wails, and the crowd roars.Continue Reading


Hometown Advantage? CEOs Tend to Acquire Companies in Familiar Stomping Grounds

UConn Today – Multinational conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway bought CEO Warren Buffett’s struggling hometown newspaper. Amazon acquired Whole Foods, which is headquartered in the same state where CEO Jeff Bezos grew up and owns a home.

New research shows these deals aren’t coincidences. Companies are 2.5 times more likely to acquire firms headquartered in the state where their CEO grew up than similar firms located elsewhere, the study found.

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Coveted Class: Financial Services

Paul Gilson, director and assistant professor of in residence of finance at the Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford on Aug. 13, 2019. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
Paul Gilson, director and assistant professor of in residence of finance at the Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford on Aug. 13, 2019. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

The Instructor

Associate professor-in-residence in finance, Paul Gilson grew up in the Thames River town of Gravesend, 20 miles east of London, and earned a degree in mathematics from Bristol University. His plan was always to go on to a Ph.D. “But first,” he says, “I needed a job.” So he went to work in London for KPMG, the global accounting giant. His first day at the office, stock markets around the world collapsed in the Black Monday crash of 1987, still the greatest one-day loss by percentage in Dow history. During the long recovery that followed, KPMG was kept very busy, and Gilson gained extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, a specialty of his department. “The late 1980s in London,” he says. “It was an exciting time.” Continue Reading


Alum Helps Disruptor ‘Fundbox’ Solve Small Business Cash-Flow Needs

Fundbox Director of Finance Steven Groccia '10 (BUS).  (Contributed Photo)
Fundbox Director of Finance Steven Groccia ’10 (BUS). (Contributed Photo)

For many small business owners, the months-long gap between completing a job and getting paid threatens the growth, potential, or even solvency of their firms.Continue Reading


Combat’s Other Toll on Veterans: Increased Risk of Addiction

UConn Today – In what is described as the first study of its kind, a UConn professor has found that combat service substantially increased the risk of prescription painkiller abuse and illicit heroin use among active-duty American servicemen.

U.S. combat veterans deployed as part of the global war on terror, since 9/11, have an opioid abuse rate that is higher than servicemen who were not deployed to combat zones, the study found.Continue Reading


Married CEOs Are More Committed to Social Issues Than Non-Married Peers

UConn Today – If a company wants a leader who is committed to corporate social responsibility, it would be wise to hire a married man. Married men in the top leadership jobs typically have greater concern for their employees’ well-being, and are more accepting of diverse employees, than are their non-married peers.


New Finance Chair Yiming Qian Is Among Nation’s Top Researchers

Yiming Qian, pictured above, is the first faculty member to hold an endowed chair in the Finance Department (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business).
Yiming Qian, pictured above, is the first faculty member to hold an endowed chair in the Finance Department (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business).

Those unfamiliar with the finance discipline sometimes underestimate the tremendous good that analysts and investors bring to the world, said Yiming Qian, who has just joined the faculty as a full professor and holds the new position of Toscano Family Chair in Finance.Continue Reading


Professor John Clapp Researches Plans for Vacant Retail

Professor John Clapp, pictured above, plans to continue his research into solutions for vacant Retail spaces (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)
Professor John Clapp, pictured above, plans to continue his research into solutions for vacant Retail spaces (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)

For years, Real Estate Professor John Clapp has been warning of the over-construction of malls and shopping centers, recognizing that the economy wasn’t going to be able to support so many retail locations.Continue Reading



New Business School Faculty for 2019

Top row, left to right: Yiming Qian (Finance), Miao Bai (OPIM), Nina Xu (Accounting).  Bottom row, left to right: Stefan Hock (Marketing), Chen Liang (OPIM), Weining Bao (Marketing). (UConn School of Business)
Top row, left to right: Yiming Qian (Finance), Miao Bai (OPIM), Nina Xu (Accounting). Bottom row, left to right: Stefan Hock (Marketing), Chen Liang (OPIM), Weining Bao (Marketing). (UConn School of Business)

The School of Business is welcoming 10 new faculty members this fall, including Yiming Qian, a full professor, who will chair the new Toscano Family Chair in Finance. Continue Reading