About: Francesca Cornelli

Francesca Cornelli (born September 19, 1962) is an economist who currently serves as Dean for Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She is an accomplished scholar and known for her research in corporate governance, private equity, privatization, bankruptcy, initial public offering (IPO) and innovation policy. Most notably, in 2016 she co-created the (AFFECT) which was established by the American Finance Association (AFA) to help encourage and bring more women into the field of financial research. Prior to Kellogg School, Cornelli served as a Professor of Finance, Director of Private Equity and Deputy Dean of Degree Education at the London Business School. She was the first female to be a full professor at the London Business School.