Theo Vermaelen

Theo Vermaelen is an accomplished academic in the field of finance, currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Finance at KU Leuven. He has a rich educational background, holding degrees from the Catholic University of Leuven and the University of Chicago, where he earned both an MBA and a Ph.D. in Business Administration.

Academic and Professional Background

• Current Position: Assistant Professor of Finance at KU Leuven.
• Previous Roles: He has also held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including INSEAD, University of British Columbia, London Business School, and Maastricht University. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Chicago from 2000 to 2023.13

Research Interests

Vermaelen's primary research focus is on share repurchases, having published extensively on the topic in leading academic journals such as the Journal of Finance and the Journal of Financial Economics. He is noted for launching the first buyback fund globally, KBC Buyback America, in 1998.14

Contributions and Impact

• Publications: He has authored numerous articles and a book on share repurchases.
• Editorial Roles: He is one of the founding editors of the Journal of Empirical Finance and has served as a program director at the Amsterdam Institute of Finance until 2020.12
• Consultancy: Vermaelen has provided consulting services to various corporations and government agencies, emphasizing his expertise in shareholder value maximization.14

Theo Vermaelen's extensive experience in finance education and research positions him as a significant figure in the field, influencing both academic discourse and practical applications in finance.