Meet the team

The Centre for Financial and Corporate Integrity (CFCI) has a strong Research Team and support staff who are not only delivering impactful research affecting policy and governance of UK and international business, but also creating an exciting and innovative environment for Post Graduate Researchers and early career researchers.

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Core staff

The core staff at the Centre for Financial and Corporate Integrity are highly skilled researchers and each contribute unique background and expertise to promote our vast research portfolio.

Name Title Research Interests
Professor Panagiotis Andrikopoulos Executive Director, Centre for Financial and Corporate Integrity Stakeholder heory; Corporate Finance; Behavioural Finance; Empirical Asset Pricing
Dr Jin Suk Park PGR Director Strategic Lead Applied Econometrics, Financial Econometrics, Sectoral and Regional Studies
Professor Umut Turksen Law, Risk and Compliance Theme Lead Financial Crime, Compliance and Risk, EU Energy Security and Law, Comparitive Counter-terrorism and Societal Security, International Trade and Economic Law, Digital Property and Assets - https://protax-project.eu/ 
Professor Ahmed El-Masry Corporate Finance, Governance and Sustainability Theme Lead Corporate governance, Risk management, Leverage (distress risk) and stock returns, Islamic finance, Dividend policy, Capital structure, Capital adequacy, Market efficiency/anomalies, Credit risk in SMES, Mergers and acquisitions, Financial stability, Financial inclusion, Prediction using neural networks and machine learning
Professor Yilmaz Guney Financial Innovation and Stability Theme Lead Corporate finance and corporate governance
Dr Dimitrios Kafteranis Assistant Professor in Law - Law, Risk and Compliance Financial crimes, whistle-blowing, new technologies
Dr Adam Abukari Research Fellow - Law, Risk and Compliance Financial crime; energy security; sustainable development; the rule of law and justice
Dr. Abay Mulatu Associate Professor of Economics -Corporate Finance, Governance and Sustainability Impact assessment; economic geography; international trade; development economics; environmental economics
Dr Angelos Sinapis Assistant Professor of Finance -Corporate Finance, Governance and Sustainability ESG and responsible finance, financial regulations, financial performance, insider trading, market-based accounting, and M&As
Dr Rita Goyal Assistant Professor -Corporate Finance, Governance and Sustainability Women on boards, board diversity, board effectiveness, board chairs and role effectiveness, women on boards and the glass cliff, enlightened leadership, functional diversity on boards, passport diversity on boards
Dr Folajimi Ashiru Assistant Professor -Corporate Finance, Governance and Sustainability Corporate governance
Dr Alaa Alhaj Ismail Assistant Professor -Corporate Finance, Governance and Sustainability Accounting quality, accounting regulations, fair value accounting, accounting for financial institutions, corporate governance including employees and executives’ engagement and pay, corporate social responsibility (CSR) with focus on customers and employees
Dr Styliani (Elina) Panetsidou Assistant Professor of Finance -Corporate Finance, Governance and Sustainability Corporate finance, financial markets, corporate governance, private equity, insider trading
Dr Daniel Santamaria Associate Professor of Finance - Financial Innovation and Stability Financial economics, contagion, asset pricing models, global financial markets, money and fixed income markets
Dr Mehtap Hisarciklilar
Associate Professor of Economics - Financial Innovation and Stability Labour and education economics; investment decision, location choice and host economy effects of foreign direct investment; firm innovation and firm performance
Dr Jeiel Joseph Assistant Professor in Law AI application to financial crime; technology and law (general)

Visiting Professors/Scholars

Visiting academics are an important asset to any research teams. Our Visiting Professors/Scholars are a valuable addition to the CFCI team and compliment the expertise of our Core staff.

Professor Michael Adams

Western Sydney University, Australia

Professor Adams is an internationally recognised specialist in corporate law, governance, securities markets regulation. He has been writing, teaching and regularly presenting on all these topics for over 20 years.

Professor Nicholas Ryder

University of the West of England, Bristol, UK

Prof Ryder is a Professor in Financial Crime who has authored four monographs The Financial War on Terror (2015), The Financial Crisis and White Collar Crime (2014), Money laundering an endless cycle (2012) and Financial Crime in the 21st Century (2011). Nicholas has also published two edited collections The Financial Crisis and White Collar Crime - Legislative and Policy Responses (2017) and Fighting Financial Crime in the Global Economic Crisis: Policy, Trends and Sanctions (2014).

He has also authored three text books The Law Relating to Financial Crime in the United Kingdom (2013 and 2016) and Commercial Law: Principles and Policy (2012). Nicholas is the series founder and editor for Routledge's The Law Relating to Financial Crime and is a member of several editorial boards and contributing editor for Goode: Consumer Credit Law and Practice. Nicholas is the Co-I for the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats.

Professor Mahmoud Mohieldin

Cairo University, Egypt

Professor Mohieldin is a Professor of Economics and Finance at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science and an economist with more than 30 years of experience in international finance and development.

He is the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt. He is an Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund and has been the United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda since February 2020.

Professor Douglas Cumming

Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida

Douglas Cumming, J.D., Ph.D., CFA, is the DeSantis Distinguished Professor of Finance and Entrepreneurship at the College of Business, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. Douglas is also a Visiting Professor of Finance at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, UK. Previously, Douglas was a Professor and the Ontario Research Chair at the Schulich School of Business, York University, in Toronto, Canada from 2007-2018. He has held prior visiting appointments at Essex Business School, Kobe University, EMLyon, RMIT, and University of Bergamo, among others.

Douglas is the Managing Editor-in-Chief of the Review of Corporate Finance. He is a Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Industrial and Business Economics. He is a former Managing Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Management and the Journal of Corporate Finance. He is an Editor of Corporate Governance: An International Review. He is the Founding Editor of Annals of Corporate Governance and a former Co-Editor of Finance Research Letters and Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. He is currently serving as an Associate Editor for Economic Modelling, European Journal of Finance, Journal of Banking and Finance, Studies in Economics and Finance, and an Editorial Board member of numerous academic journals.

In November 2022, Douglas was listed by Clarivate as one of the top 92 most cited researchers in the world in the business and economics category. Douglas' work has been cited over 27,500 times according to Google Scholar.

PhD students

  • Name Thesis title Director of studies
    Alexander Ian Simmonds The Worker Voice: Global Perspectives on Procedural Fairness and the Right to Be Heard in Workplace Disciplinary Proceedings Dr Steve Foster
    Allan Joel Zalimba Ntata Fighting A Corrupt Mindset: Corruption, Culture, Politics and the Law in Malawi Dr Stuart MacLennan
    Christopher Aniche A Socio-Legal Perspective on Children’s Rights to Education in Nigeria Dr. Ayesha Shahid
    Elly Sanga  The Impacts of Corporate Governance (Internal Control Mechanisms), in Response to the Corporate Social Responsibility in Tanzania Dr. Stuart MacLennan
    Engin Erken A Comparative Study of Anti-Money Laundering: Organisational Structures of Turkey & the UK Prof. Umut Turksen
    Gbolahan Olusegan Babalola The Policing & the Impact of Financial Crimes in Contemporary Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis with the UK Dr. Lorenzo Pasculli
    Grace Young Integrating Human Rights in the World Trade: Quest by the Global South Dr. Margaret Liu
    Iberedem Udofia Obot An Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Laws on Commercial Disputes Resolutions: A Comparative Study Between Kenya, UK, and the US Prof. Umut Turksen
    Jasmine Otuko Osabutey Mob Justice and the Rule of Law: A Case Study of Ghana Dr. Steve Foster
    Khadidjatou Yassine Sangare How Is the Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards Conducted in Developing Countries and Developed Countries: A Comparative Analysis Between OHADA Regimes and the UK Dr. Margaret Liu
    Mahmoud Masud Freedom of Speech in Islam and a Possibility of Reconciliation with International Human Rights: An Examination of the Internal Policies of Selected Islamic Countries and Culture Dr. Steve Foster
    Nam Trung Nguyen A Critical Analysis of Vietnamese Seat of Arbitration and the Possibility to Enhance the Integrity and Effective Functioning of Arbitration Prof. Umut Turksen
    Oliver Peter Charles The Art of Money Laundering Prof. Umut Turksen
    Ololade Durodola Artificial Intelligence in Global Financial Corporations: The Business Ethics, Corporate Governance & Social Responsibility Perspectives Prof. Umut Turksen
    Olusegun Michael Eluyefa Financial Inclusion and Banking Services: A Critical Appraisal from the Prism of Law and Regulation Dr. Stuart MacLennan
    Oluwatobiloba Wuraola Oyefeso How Does the Nigerian Government Enforce the Security of Children’s Rights? An Analysis of Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Dr. Margaret Liu
    Somtobechukwu Nwachukwu Okpala Corporate Social Responsibility and Its Role in Reducing Tax Avoidance Dr. Stuart MacLennan
    Tugce Nur Caya Examining the Link Environmental Forced Migration Climate Change and Human Rights Dr. Nathanael Tilahun
  • Name Thesis title Director of studies
    Abdulgafar Abdulraheem Effects of Corporate Governance Infractions on the Performance of Banks in Nigeria Dr. Abdurafiu Noah
    Brinderjit Rajpal Impact of National Cultural Diversity Within Directors of Corporate Boards on Firm Performance: International Evidence 2006-2016 Dr. Graham Sadler
    Daniel Akpan The Relationship Amongst ESG SDGs Financial Performance Investment Productivity and Wages: A Study of the Nigerian and UK Banking Energy Sectors Prof. Nathan Joseph
    David Ralph Jones Vale, Ad Valorem: Pricing & the Perception of Value in Retail Financial Services Prof. Panagiotis Andrikopoulos
    Devi Megawati Assessing Disclosure by Zakat Institutions in Indonesia Dr. Ahmad Abras
    Diana-Mihaela Vladulescu Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Say on Pay Laws on Executive Compensation - A Global Perspective Dr. Graham Sadler
    Eun Kyoung Lee Political & Institutional Determinants of the Performance of the Islamic Banking & Sukuk Dr. Sarkar Kabir
    George Hulene The Evolution of Executive Compensation Within FTSE100 Companies During 2004-2014. Is the Link Between Pay & Performance Still Valid? Dr. Graham Sadler
    Gibrilla Sesay Financial Distress and Corporate Governance: An Empirical Analysis Prof. Ahmed El-Masry
    Golly Minkah Corporate Governance, Capital Structure and Firms’ Performance: New Evidence from Covid-19 Implications Prof. Ahmed El-Masry
    Jing Li The Relationship Between Green Innovation Financial Constraints & ESG Performance in the UK's 'Dirty' Industry Prof. Yilmaz Guney
    Johirul Islam How Sustainable Financing Can Facilitate the Sustainable Development Goals for Bangladesh Dr. Abdurafiu Noah
    Karen Owusu Agyekum The Determinants of Capital Structure of Renewable Energy Investment Projects in Emerging and Developing Economies: The Choice Between Project Financing and Corporate Financing Structures Prof. Ahmed Elmasry
    Mark Holmes Corporate Governance: A Collection of Essays Prof. Yilmaz Guney
    Mcfoster Pearson Alick Tembo The Effect of Culture, Religion and Ethnicity on Implementation of CSR Practices in Malawi Dr. Alaa Alhaj Ismail
    Md Rakibul Islam How Ethical Microfinance Can Help to Achieve Sustainable Developments Goals SDGs Dr. Sarkar Kabir
    Minacyrial Makin Investigating the Strategic Management of Technological Innovations in the Construction Industry: A Case Study of the Egyptian National Railways Dr. Rita Goyal
    Mutian Sun Investors? Overconfidence, Trading Behaviour, and Stock Return: Evidence from Coronavirus Epidemic Dr. Jun Wang
    Portia Hylton The Impact of Audit Committee Characteristics on Earnings Management Pre-During & Post Financial Crisis: Evidence from the United Kingdom Dr. Mei Yu
    Quintin George Rayer Ethical & Sustainable Investment Tools Methods & Applications

    Prof. Panagiotis Andrikopoulos

    Saad Hassan Shangama Corporate Governance and Firm Performance in Listed Companies in the United Kingdom

    Prof. Ahmed El-Masry

    Shahriar Khan Three Essays on Green Finance

    Dr. Sarkar Kabir

    Simon James Beyond the Carbon Economy: the Legal Framework for Addressing the Renewable Energy Financing Gap in an Emerging Economy

    Prof. Umut Turksen

    Stanley Kupezare Gender Diversity & Earnings Management Using Classical Shifting: Evidence from the UK

    Prof. Panagiotis Andrikopoulos

    Thomas Kayode Adeyemi Analysis of Corporate Governance Disclosure Statements by UK FTSE 350 Companies

    Dr. Salem Alhababsah

    Yueyao Lu Does Climate Risk Affect M&A Decisions of Corporations: A Tax Mining Approach

    Dr. Masud Ibrahim

    Yutong Ye Multiple Large Shareholders Structure (MLSS) and Corporate Governance

    Prof. Yilmaz Guney

    Zeina Samy Hamed Ibrahim Mohamed Foreign Exchange Risk Corporate Governance at the Time of Pandemics

    Prof. Ahmed El-Masry

    Zhongxue Wu The Influence of Political Connections on Chinese Firm's Capital Structure: An Empirical Research Based on Dynamic Capital Structure

    Prof. Yilmaz Guney

  • Name Thesis title Director of studies
    Adam Thompson To What Extent Is Donation Behaviour Sensitive to the Framing of Overhead Expenditure Information in Charitable Giving? Dr. Mehtap Hisarciklilar
    Caleb Robert Fintech, an Innovative Approach to Risk Management Prof. Ahmed El-Masry
    Chigozile Nnamdi Chuku Non-Oil Export in the Economic Growth of Nigeria from 1970-2016. A Vector Autoregressive Analysis Dr. Jin Suk Park
    Dian Nuriyah Solissa Basel III & Islamic Banking Stability Dr. Amir Khorasgani
    Dumbiri Ezike The Macroeconomic Effect of Intra Regional Trade in Trading Blocs: A Case Study of ECOWAS Member States Dr. Judith Kabajulizi
    Emily Jane Mace A Case Study of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games 2018: the Economic and Tourism Impacts on South Korea Dr. Benoit Senaux
    Erefagha Yekorogha Jerome Ukaoke The Effect of Microfinance Services on the Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises Dr. Amir Khorasgani
    Fahd Azzouz A Textual Data Analysis Model to Predict Stock Markets Directions Using Investor and Social Media Sentiments Prof. Ahmed El-Masry
    Fatai Olanrewaju Ajidagba Agency Cost & Risk Management Among Non-Financial Firms: A Global Study Prof. Nathan Joseph
    Jeiel Daven Joseph Quantum Compliance: Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) Change Corporate Investment Migration Forever? Prof. Umut Turksen
    Kholoud Mashour S Al Garni Financial Inclusion and Bank Performance in MENA Region: A Comparative Analysis Prof. Ahmed El-Masry
    Leitrim Doyle The Impact of a Dissociative Utility Maximisation Theory in Human Capital Production Dr. Daniel Santamaria
    Marian Chatoro Pricing Catastrophic Risk Bonds with Expectation-Maximization Algorithms Prof. Panagiotis Andrikopoulos
    Mohammed Aderemi Adepoju An Empirical Assessment of the Channels Through Which Improved Technology Influences the Long-Term Effect of Erm on Firm Performance: Evidence from the UK Dr. Amir Khorasgani
    Muhammad Adnan Aslam An Investigation on Stock Market Volatility: A Comparative Study of Developed, Frontier & Emerging Markets Dr. Mohammad Khaleq Newaz
    Oghenerukevwe Oghenemarho Onomavwe Exploring Free Trade and Protectionism for Economic Growth in Nigeria Dr. Abay Mulatu
    Phuong Dong Dao The Dark Side of Crowdfunding Dr. Thang Nguyen
    Reason Chivaka Influences of Socio-Economic Factors on Business Internationalization in Africa by East Asian Companies. A Case Study of Zimbabwe Dr. Jin Suk Park
    Sa'Adatu Naziru Bamalli Socio-Cultural and Economic Determinants of Maternal Morality in Nigeria: A Study of the North-West Region Dr. Qiaoyuan Lin
    Vishnee Sowamber Assessment of Opportunities and Challenges Facing Jammu and Kashmir Tourism: A Post-Conflict Perspective Dr. Daniel Santamaria
    Zhe Kong   Prof. Yilmaz Guney
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