Columbia Business School Welcomes New Professors

Columbia Business School is excited to welcome an outstanding group of new full-time faculty members to our community. 

“Each of these accomplished professionals is an impressive scholar, having completed doctoral work and earned accolades in critical areas of knowledge from artificial intelligence to diversity to organizational behavior,” says CBS Dean Costis Maglaras. 

“Coming from leading organizations and universities all over the world, their breadth of expertise and experience enhances our ability to prepare students for a leadership role in every area of business, whether they want to delve into analytical finance, equitable management, digital marketing, launching a startup, or other pursuits. We look forward to the influx of their fresh energy and perspectives.”

Read about the stellar group of incoming faculty below.

Derek Brown

Assistant professor of business in the Management Division

Derek Brown completed his PhD in organizational behavior at the University of California, Berkeley. In his research, he builds upon his background in social and industrial-organizational psychology to examine forces that stifle equality throughout an increasingly diverse society.

“I am excited and grateful to be joining this incredible community of students, staff, and faculty at CBS.”

Wenxin Du

Henry Kaufman Professor of Financial Institutions in the Finance Division

Professor Wenxin Du is the Henry Kaufman Professor of Financial Institutions. Prior to joining Columbia, Du was a professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She also held positions as financial research advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and principal economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Du holds a PhD in economics from Harvard.

“I look forward to continuing my research related to financial market frictions and how they shape global finance,” says Du.

George (Zhida) Gui

Assistant professor of business in the Marketing Division

Having recently completed his PhD in quantitative marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business, George (Zhida) Gui leverages causal inference techniques and behavioral economics to study consumer behaviors in digital marketplaces. He is also broadly interested in enhancing predictive machine learning models and generative AIs by integrating causal inference and economic theory into their training and usage. Gui’s industry experience includes working at Instacart.

“I'm thrilled to join CBS, where I get to explore the fascinating intersection of behavioral economics, causal inference, and machine learning," says Gui. "I'm eager to apply these concepts to tackle complex marketing challenges of our time.”

Brett House

Professor of professional practice in the Economics Division 

In his distinguished career, Professor House has served in economic policy-making roles at both the International Monetary Fund and the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General. His private-sector experience includes leading research for Scotiabank as deputy chief economist. A Rhodes Scholar, Professor House has held teaching and research positions at McGill University and Oxford, among other institutions. He is teaching Global Economic Environment and Global Macroeconomic Investing, the core courses in macroeconomics, a new elective on global macro investing, and contributing to the Global Immersion Program.

“I am deeply honored to join the CBS community of scholars and students," says House. "Through teaching, research, and active engagement in public discussion, I hope to enhance our understanding of how macro forces shape the possibility set for business.”

Kalash Jain

Assistant professor of business in the Accounting Division

Kalash Jain has both a PhD and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Jain’s research investigates how asset prices and firm investment respond to information processing frictions and investor decision-making. He previously worked for Citi’s Financial Strategies and Solutions Group as an investment banking analyst.

“I am excited to learn from and contribute to the rich tradition of valuation-focused research and teaching at CBS,” says Jain.

Soomi Kim

Assistant professor of business in the Management Division

Soomi Kim comes to CBS after completing her PhD at MIT Sloan School of Management. Her research interests include the economics and strategic management of innovation, with a focus on how technological tools can serve as “shortcuts” that speed up knowledge production. Prior to academia, Kim worked as an economic consultant.

Says Kim: “One of the most exciting parts of joining CBS is that I get to learn from my fantastic colleagues — now all down the hall!”

Hannah Li

Assistant professor of business in the Decision, Risk, and Operations Division

Hannah Li holds a PhD in operations research from Stanford University and comes to CBS from MIT, where she worked as a postdoctoral associate. Her research is focused on developing data science methods tailored to social systems, like online platforms, education systems, and public health interventions.

“I’m excited to build out this research agenda at Columbia and leverage the wealth of opportunities here, being surrounded by so many strong researchers, industry practitioners, and institutions with whom I can collaborate,” says Li. “I’m looking forward to building these connections in order to drive real world impact with my research.

Xuelin Li

Assistant professor of business in the Finance Division

Xuelin Li comes to CBS from the University of South Carolina, where his teaching earned accolades.

His research focuses on the intersection between finance and healthcare through two classical corporate decisions: financing and investment. His primary research focuses on financing in hospital industries and innovation investments in the biotechnology industry. Li holds a PhD in finance from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

“Although I am in the Finance division, since my research is interdisciplinary, I will also teach in the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program and research in the healthcare sector,” notes Li of his new role.

Kristina Manysheva

Assistant professor of business in the Economics Division

Kristina Manysheva earned her PhD at Northwestern University and worked as a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University. Prior to graduate school, she served as the head of applied economic research at the Ministry of Economy of Belarus.

Manysheva’s research focuses on the macroeconomic aspects of economic development, using models to evaluate the impact of various policies and institutions. Topics she studies include the role of land and financial markets in economic development and the impact of segregation on socioeconomic outcomes.

Gaia Marchisio

Faculty director of the CBS Global Family Enterprise Program

Senior lecturer Gaia Marchisio joins CBS full time, adding the role of faculty director of the CBS Global Family Enterprise Program. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian, she holds a PhD in general management from Università degli Studi di Pavia.

Marchisio has worked with International Finance Corporation (World Bank), the Family Business Network in Asia, McKinsey & Company, and others, and is the co-author of the forthcoming book Own It! How to Develop a Family Enterprise Owner's Mindset at Every Age. She founded the Family Enterprise Clinic in 2014, working with family enterprises on succession, governance, and other issues. 

“I'm thrilled to embark on my journey with CBS, joining the Management Division and the Global Family Enterprise Program as faculty director," says Marchisio. "It is truly exciting to become a part of the CBS community, the ideal platform for collaborating with exceptional colleagues to create innovative, inspiring, and rigorous content to be shared both within and beyond the classroom. Building meaningful connections with students, alumni, and the family enterprise community is akin to shaping a resonating chamber, enabling us to amplify our messages far and wide, with the immense potential for lasting impact. This is a deeply inspiring responsibility, one for which I am both grateful and ready.”

Cristóbal Otero

Assistant professor of business in the Economics Division

Cristóbal Otero holds a PhD in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MSc in political philosophy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Otero's current research delves into the impact of large-scale government interventions that tackle pressing public problems, with a focus on policies aimed at improving the delivery of public goods and services. Prior to graduate school, he served as an advisor to Chile’s Ministry of Economy, Development, and Tourism.

“I'm thrilled to be joining CBS," says Otero. "The possibilities for expanding my research agenda, collaborating with a community of amazing scholars, and engaging with curious graduate students from diverse and global backgrounds are particularly exciting for me.”

Bruno Pellegrino

Assistant professor of business in the Finance Division

Bruno Pellegrino holds an MSc in finance and economics from the London School of Economics and a PhD in business economics from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.

His research focuses on international finance and macroeconomics, with secondary interests in industrial organization and networks theory.

“I’m here because CBS's vision is one with my personal ambition: to do research that is not just world class but paradigm-shifting, and to serve the next generation of business leaders that is being trained at CBS, by providing them a solid knowledge of basic financial economics that will help them thrive in their future careers,” Pellegrino says.

Parinitha Sastry

Assistant professor of business in the Finance Division

Parinitha Sastry's research includes climate change, financial intermediation, and real estate markets. She previously worked with the US Department of Treasury and the New York Fed.

Professor Sastry holds a BA from Columbia University, as well as a PhD in finance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“I am excited to return to my alma mater at a time when Columbia has made a strong commitment to cutting-edge research on climate change and the related risks and opportunities for businesses," she says. "I can already see how climate is being integrated across the board throughout CBS, and this is the ideal environment to engage in research on these topics.”

Syrena Shirley

Assistant professor of business in the Accounting Division

Syrena Shirley joins CBS from an assistant professorship at George Mason University.

Shirley holds a doctorate in accounting from Penn State University and brings a wealth of financial expertise from her work as a senior auditor at KPMG and as a vice president at JPMorgan.

She has taught fraud examination (graduate) and financial and managerial accounting and intermediate accounting (undergraduate). Her research interests are in corporate governance, corporate litigation, securities regulation, and corporate misconduct. She is a CFA charterholder and a licensed CPA in New York.

“I am excited to be back in New York City as an academic and teaching one of my favorite subjects, accounting, to current and future business leaders," says Shirley. "I look forward to connecting my research and teaching, building relationships with practitioners, and learning from my esteemed colleagues.”

Adina D. Sterling

Katherine W. Phillips Associate Professor of Business in the Management Division 

Adina D. Sterling has been appointed the Katherine Phillips Associate Professor of Business in the Management Division.

Prior to joining Columbia, Sterling was an associate professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Sterling is also the founder and director of the Equity by Design Lab.

Her specialties -- including economic sociology, labor markets, organizational inequality, social networks, and diversity -- have been the focus of her work and the courses she has taught at Stanford and the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis. 

“There is an energy and intellectual vibrancy at CBS, and I am excited to be joining the faculty to help address some of the core business challenges of our time,” says Sterling.

Nataliya L. Wright

Assistant professor of business in the Management Division

Nataliya Langburd Wright completed her PhD at Harvard Business School.

Her research focuses on entrepreneurial strategy, particularly how technology startups around the world scale and why there are international differences in scaling. Wright’s work draws inspiration from her prior policy positions as a senior consultant and staff economist at World Bank and the White House and startup work as a co-founder, advisor, and board member.

“I am thrilled to join a community of incredible colleagues who are passionate about their research, tackling high-impact questions and pushing the boundaries of our field,” says Wright.

Emmanuel A. Yimfor

Assistant professor of business in the Finance Division

Emmanuel Yimfor brings to CBS a strong interest in entrepreneurship, particularly as it relates to private equity and financial intermediation. His work seeks to address the barriers to financing faced by startups, especially among disadvantaged communities.

Professor Yimfor holds an MBA and a master’s degree in economics from Kent State University, as well as a PhD in finance from Rice University. Prior to CBS, he served as assistant professor of finance at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

“My goal is to teach and do research on financial intermediation, entrepreneurship, private equity, and venture capital," he says. "I am especially driven to publish research on the underlying drivers of limited minority and gender representation. I hope to use the insights from my research to actively participate in policy dialogues to drive meaningful change.”

Our curriculum includes new and updated courses, focused on the issues driving disruption and opportunity across sectors. Click here to explore new CBS courses.