Alumni Testimonial

"The Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking is a very specialized program with very few students, which is evidence of its high quality. My contact with the school - before being admitted - was with Cindie Adams, the director of the Nicholas Center, and our conversation only reassured me that I made a very good choice by applying to the Nicholas Center."
Photo of Dilek Gurel, ACFIN 2006
Dilek Gurel
Nicholas 2006
Macquarie Capital Advisers

"In my opinion, this is the best corporate finance program in the country. It may not have the name that University of Chicago or Wharton does...yet...but you cannot get this type of experience at any other school. I've talked to students from other schools while at interviews and not one of them gets to do the types of projects that we do here. Nor do they get the type of support that we do."
Erin Schmidt
Nicholas 2005
SAB Miller

What's Grown 800% Since 1999? Hint: It's Not the Stock Market. A Retrospective by Applied Corporate Finance Academic Director Professor Jim Seward

In the News

BusinessWeek Online: Wisconsin Grads Find Hot Employment Market
Harvard and Wisconsin Tie in Turning Out the Most CEOs in U.S.
New York Times Finds Wisconsin Grads in the Corner Office
CNN.com: Wisconsin MBA is High-Profile Example" of Specialized MBA Programs
Wisconsin Wins More National Attention for Producing CEOs - BusinessWeek Magazine
Toni Whited Again Earns Distinguished Prize for Research on Corporate Finance
More News...

Picture of Professor James Seward

James K. Seward

Associate Professor in Finance,
Investment and Banking
Faculty Director, Nicholas Center

Nicholas Director of Corporate Finance and Investment Banking

Degree
PhD University of Wisconsin - Madison

608-263-2738
jseward@bus.wisc.edu

Areas of Expertise

  • Corporate Finance

For More on Professor Seward

 
 

Kenneth A. Kavajecz

Associate Professor in Finance,
Investment and Banking

Named Professorships
Freytag/Graner Fellow

Degree
Ph.D. Northwestern University

608-265-3494
kkavajecz@bus.wisc.edu

Areas of Expertise

  • Capital Markets
  • Derivatives
  • Financial markets
  • Liquidity constraints

Biography

Kenneth A. Kavajecz joined the School of Business in summer 2003. He came to Madison from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he most recently was an assistant professor. Kavajecz earned his Ph.D. and M.S. from Northwestern University, both in finance. He earned his B.S. in economics/political science from UW-Madison. While at Wharton, he received numerous teaching awards. He is a member of the Economic Advisory Board of the National Association of Securities Dealers. More on Professor Kavajecz

Antonio S. Mello

Professor - Finance, Investment
and Banking

Named Professorships
Frank Graner Chair in Finance

Degree
PhD University of London

608-263-3423
amello@bus.wisc.edu

Areas of Expertise

  • Asset pricing
  • Corporate finance
  • International finance
  • Privatization
  • Valuation theory

Biography

Antonio S. Mello is former Director of Finpro, a European private equity firm and sits on the investment committee of Norfin, a real estate investment trust.

Mello is a past president of the European Financial Management Association and a board member of the Financial Management Association US. Professor Mello is a Research Fellow of the Center of Economic Policy Research in London.

Previously, Mello was Chief Economist of the Central Bank of Portugal and a member of the Subcommittee of Monetary Policy of European Union Central Bank Governors. He taught at the MIT Sloan School of Management, London Business School and INSEAD, France.

Mello has consulting experience with governments, international institutions and private financial institutions and corporations worldwide. His Ph.D. is from the University of London.

Mark J. Ready

Associate Professor - Finance,
Investment and Banking
Named Professorships
Aschenbrener Faculty Fellow

Degree
PhD Cornell University

608-262-5526
mready@bus.wisc.edu

Areas of Expertise

  • Capital budgeting
  • Corporate finance
  • Financial markets

Biography

Mark J. Ready is an Associate Professor of Finance and Aschenbrener Faculty Scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. He recently served as Chief Economist and Director of the Office of Economic Analysis at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Prior to that appointment, he was a member of the Nasdaq’s Economic Advisory Board.

Professor Ready’s research focuses on the functioning of financial markets. For example, his 2006 Review of Financial Studies paper(co-authored with professor Odders-White), examines the link between a firm's debt ratings and the trading characteristics of the its common stock.

Before beginning his academic career, Professor Ready spent seven years in finance positions at Ford Motor Company.

Photo of Nicholas Center Director, Cindie Horner

Cynthia Adams

Center Director - Nicholas Center for
Corporate Finance and Investment Banking

608-265-3996
cadams@bus.wisc.edu

 

 

 

Barb Peterson

Program Coordinator
NIcholas Center for
Corporate Finance and Investment Banking

608-262-1553
bpeterson@bus.wisc.edu