The Smith School’s executive education programs give executives in the workplace access to thought leadership from the superstars of Smith labs and classrooms.

Michael Faulkender, assistant professor of finance, received his PhD from Northwestern University. Faulkender’s research focuses on empirical corporate finance, primarily in the areas of capital structure, risk management, corporate, liquidity, and executive compensation. He was awarded a research grant from the FDIC Center for Financial Research, which was accompanied by an appointment to serve as a fellow of the center during the term of the grant.

Friday, November 6, 20098:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20004

The Smith School’s world-class faculty discuss their latest research on topics of broad interest and importance at the ThoughtLeadership@Smith Speaker Series. Each presentation is followed by an opportunity to network with alumni and regional business leaders at one of Smith’s convenient local campuses in Washington, D.C., or Baltimore, Md.

By Megan Cooley-Klein

Smith School faculty have been actively involved in advising key players and proposing potential solutions to the finance crisis, briefing congressional staffers, members of the House and Senate Committee on Banking and the Committee on Government Oversight, and the federal Oversight and Government Reform Committee on issues from the collapse of Bear Stearns to the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).

Research by Sunil Mithas

Research by Michael Faulkender

Research by Paul Tesluk and Joyce E. A. Russell

Developing Managerial Talent through Stretch Assignmentsv Those with a strong learning orientation benefit most from stretch assignments. How Peer Groups Comparisons Affect Executive Compensation When benchmarking executive pay, compensation committees choose peer companies whose CEOs receive bigger compensation packages. IT and Firm Profitability Investing in IT may have more of an effect on a firm’s profitability than advertising or even R&D. Center for Financial Policy Research Highlight: Mobile Music