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Thomas J. Walker, PhD, is a full professor of Finance at Concordia University, director and founder at Emerging Risks Information Center (ERIC), and author/co-author of many various academic books and papers that stem in the domain of climate change, water scarcity, natural catastrophes, digitalization, cyber risks, mass migration, and political extremism.

Early life and education
Dr. Walker was born in Frankfurt in 1970. He holds a BSc in Management Information Systems (US-equivalent) from the Technical University of Darmstadt obtained in 1996. Then, he pursued an MBA in Finance & International Business at the Washington State University, and obtained it in 1998. He also has a PhD in Finance that he obtained in 2001 from the same university. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Walker worked in the German consulting and industrial sector, at firms such as Mercedes Benz, Utility Consultants International, Lahmeyer International, Telenet, and KPMG. He is fluent in English, French, and German.

Academic career
Dr. Walker joined Concordia University in 2001 as assistant professor. By 2008, he was promoted to associate professor. By 2011, he transitioned into the position of Department Chair, which he occupied till 2014. From there on, he occupied various administrative positions at Concordia University as noted below:


 * Interim Chair, Department of Finance (since 2021)
 * Director, Jacques Menard-BMO Centre for Capital Market Research (since 2021)
 * Concordia University Research Chair in Emerging Risk Management (Tier 1) (since 2021)
 * Professor (since 2021)
 * Associate Dean, Research and Research Programs (2016-2017)
 * Director/Co-Director of the David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise (2015-2017)
 * Chair of Finance Department (2011-2014)
 * Laurentian Bank Professor in Integrated Risk Management (2010-2015)

Courses taught at Concordia University include:


 * MSCA 632:	Risk Management (MSc Level)
 * FINA 695GA: Sustainable Financial Management (MBA Level)
 * SIPC Module 6: Sustainable Investing
 * FINA 695W: Risk Management (MBA Level)
 * GIIM 653:	Investment Analysis and Risk Management (Executive MBA Level)
 * FINA 695C: Seminar in Advanced Corporate Finance (MBA Level)
 * GDBA 505:	Corporate Finance (Diploma Level)
 * FINA 683:	Seminar in Portfolio Management (MBA Level)
 * FINA 495:	Honors Seminar in Finance
 * FINA 470:	International Finance
 * FINA 411:	Portfolio Management
 * COMM 308:	Introduction to Corporate Finance

He currently serves as the principal investigator on research grants by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Autorité des marches financiers, and the Global Risk Institute. In the past five years, he raised over $500,000 for various projects in the areas of corporate finance, investments, and emerging risk management, contributing to a career total of managed/co-managed funds of approximately $2.5 million CAD.

In 2018, he founded the Emerging Risks Information Center (ERIC), who’s primary objective is to provide current and relevant information about the emerging risk landscape to academics, practitioners, and regulators who are working in the field. ERIC conducts targeted research on environmental, technological, and societal risks that affect our world today. Since its inception, ERIC has employed over twenty PhD, Master’s, and undergraduate students who serve as research assistants and co-editors/co-authors on various research projects.

Research interests Dr. Walker’s research interests are in risk management, corporate finance, venture capital, sustainability and climate change, fintech, corporate governance, securities regulation and litigation, insider trading, and institutional ownership. He has publishing over seventy articles, book chapters, and edited books in these areas.

Advisory board membership Dr. Walker has been an active member of various advisory boards and steering committees including the human resources group of Finance Montréal, the steering committee of the Montreal chapter of the Professional Risk Managers’ International Association (PRIMA), the academic advisory board of the MMI/Morningstar Sustainable Investing Initiative, the advisory board for Palgrave Macmillan’s “Future Earth” book series on sustainability, the advisory board of Concordia University’s Institute of Aerospace Design & Innovation (CIADI), the advisory board of Concordia University’s Institute for Water, Energy and Sustainable Systems (CIWESS), and the advisory board and scientific committee of the CN Center for Sustainable Supply Chain Management.

Select publications
TBC