Research Bio

Benjamin Hermalin is the Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost, a Distinguished Professor of Economics, and holds the Thomas & Alison Schneider Distinguished Professor of Finance.  His current research interests include leadership, theory of organizations, and trends in corporate governance with an emphasis on boards of directors. He is the author or co-author of 47 peer-reviewed articles and 17 chapters, among other writing. His co-edited book, The Economics of Corporate Governance, was published by North-Holland (Elsevier) in its prestigious Handbooks of Economics series in 2017. His most recent publication, "At the Helm, Kirk or Spock? The Pros and Cons of Charismatic Leadership," appeared in the American Economic Journal: Microeconomics in 2023.

He received his A.B. summa cum laude from Princeton University and his Ph.D. from M.I.T.

Research Expertise and Interest

contract theory, corporate governance, executive compensation, economics of leadership and organization, competitive strategy, industrial organization