Professor Nickolay Gantchev

Nickolay Gantchev is a Professor of Commerce and the Connaughton Professor of Alternative Investments at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce. He is also a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and a Research Member at the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI). He holds a PhD in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA/MS in Finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Prior to joining UVA in 2025, Dr. Gantchev held faculty positions at the University of Warwick, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Southern Methodist University.

Dr. Gantchev’s research in empirical corporate finance – particularly hedge fund activism, institutional investors, and sustainable finance – has shaped academic understanding of alternative investments and corporate governance. His work on the economics of activist monitoring, mechanisms of corporate control, and the role of institutional investors in promoting sustainable finance has been published in top finance journals, including the Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies, Management Science, and Review of Finance. His research has earned several best paper awards and has been featured in prominent academic and policy forums. Dr. Gantchev has served as an Associate Editor at the Journal of Corporate Finance since 2021, and his work has directly influenced regulatory policy, with the SEC citing his research in official statements on shareholder proposals and activism regulations.

Dr. Gantchev has taught across undergraduate, MBA, and Ph.D. programs, with courses spanning corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, valuation, and financial management. His commitment to excellence in teaching has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Weatherspoon Award for Excellence in Teaching at UNC and multiple Outstanding Contribution to Teaching awards at Warwick. He is a frequent speaker at leading academic and industry conferences, maintaining active relationships with practitioners that bridge the gap between rigorous academic research and real-world financial markets.