Aaron Yoon

Professor Aaron Seokhyun Yoon is an assistant professor at the Kellogg School of Management. He is interested in examining the role of accounting information and governance in emerging institutions and presented his research around the world to academics and practitioners. His works have been regularly and widely cited in media outlets such as Barron's, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Forbes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

One area of Professor Yoon's research is on how to better quantify a firm's Environment Social Governance (ESG) efforts and integrate the information into equity portfolios to generate excess return. According to the Financial Times, his research on ESG was a turning point on how investors viewed and integrated ESG information. The methodology suggested in his research has been widely implemented by asset owners and investment managers. He also received the 2020 Crowell Prize for best paper in quantitative investing that is awarded by PanAgora Asset Management.

Another area of his research is on the emerging markets. In his dissertation, for example, he examined how Chinese firms met foreign institutional investors privately through the host of reputable foreign brokers to overcome the weak institutional environment. This work was selected as the best international accounting dissertation from the American Accounting Association in 2019.

Professor Yoon currently teaches Financial Accounting Core (ACCT 430) to Kellogg MBA students and received MBA Chair's Core Teaching Award in 2020.

Professor Yoon earned his Doctor of Business Administration from Harvard University; he also earned his masters in Economics and bachelors in Economics and Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS) from Northwestern University in four years. Prior to academia, he previously worked as an equities salestrader and research analyst at Credit Suisse, and also controlled air traffic in the 8th US Army as a Korean augmentee.

Education

• DBA, 2018, Accounting and Management, Harvard Business School
• BA, 2011, Economics & Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences (MMSS), Northwestern University
• MA, 2011, Economics, Northwestern University

Academic Positions

• Assitant Professor, Donald P. Jacobs Scholar, Accounting Information & Management, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2018-present
• Professional Experience
• Equities Salestrader/Quantitative Analyst, Credit Suisse, 2011-2013
• Air Traffic Controller, 8TH U.S. Army, 2007-2009
• Awards
• Dr. Richard A. Crowell Memorial Prize for Best Paper in Quantitative Investing, Pan Agora Asset Management
• Northwestern Kellogg MBA Chair's Core Teaching Award, 2019-2020
• Samsung Lee KunHee Scholarship
• Best Reviewer Award, International Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association
• Outstanding Dissertation Award, International Accounting Section of the American Accounting Association
• United States Army Commendation Medal, 8th US Army
• Harvard Graduate School Fellowship