Alex Edmans

Alex Edmans is known for his academic interest in the relationship between responsible business practices and a company’s financial performance. He researches this topic at London Business School, where he is Professor of Finance, teaching corporate finance, behavioural finance, and CSR. His research has been cited 18,775 times, underscoring the quality of his work. 
 
But Edmans’ expertise extends beyond the academic sphere. Esteemed media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, and the BBC have all benefited from Edmans' insights into the connection between responsibility and returns. 
 
This attention has also led many private companies to seek out Edmans' insights. He sits on Novo Nordisk’s Sustainability Advisory Council and World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on the Future of Responsible Investing. Royal London Asset Management has also appointed him to their Responsible Investment Advisory Committee. 
 
In his research, Professor Edmans points out that “ESG is both extremely important and irrelevant.” He believes that companies must prioritise ESG to the extent that it can no longer be handled by a narrow set of employees. This principle aligns with his central thesis that there is a clear link between responsibility and value. 
 
One of Edmans’ most notable works is the book Grow the Pie: How Great Companies Deliver Both Purpose and Profit, which was named one of the best books of 2020 by the Financial Times. The book has also earned the Financial Times’ Excellence in Sustainable Finance Education award. 
 
Additionally, Edmans has recently written the critically acclaimed book May Contain Lies, in which he examines how stories, statistics, and studies exploit human biases. The Financial Times called the book “a powerful and incisive explanation of why misinformation is a problem that affects us all.” The book is similarly praised by the Wall Street Journal and The Times, amongst others. 
 
Edmans holds a BA in Economics and Management from Merton College, part of Oxford University. After two years at Morgan Stanley, he pursued a PhD in financial economics at the prestigious MIT, where he was a Fulbright scholar. His first academic position was at Wharton School, which eventually led to his current academic career. 
 
Are you also interested in the value that lies in responsible businesses? You can hear all about it when Alex Edmans gives his talk «From bias to balance: Rewiring our approach to investment decisions» at SKAGEN Funds' New Year's Conference 2025.

Sign up to the digital conference here.