Kevin Mak

Research Statement

Kevin is interested in the nature of financial markets. Specifically, he focuses on the structure of stock markets, the network effects in marketplaces, the pricing of investments undergoing special situations, and experiential learning in the classroom.

Research Interests

• Market microstructure
• Marketplaces
• Arbitrage
• Asset pricing
• Hedge funds
• Trading lab
• Finance lab
• RAIL

Teaching Statement

Kevin Mak is the Director of the Real-time Analysis and Investment Lab (RAIL) at the Graduate School of Business. The RAIL facility has been built to integrate experiential learning components into GSB classes and motivate students to learn by actively making decisions and analyzing outcomes. The lab is equipped with industry standard financial data applications used by practitioners on a day to day basis. In addition, it is host to a suite of trading and portfolio management simulations that allow students to ‘paper trade’ scenarios with real or simulated market data. Kevin teaches GSB students about decision making given uncertainty and how to identify and quantify various types of risks. In addition, Kevin guest-lectures in other related courses that utilize the RAIL facility.

Bio

Kevin is the director of Stanford’s Real-time Analysis and Investment Lab. His primary role at the Stanford GSB is to facilitate learning in the RAIL facility by teaching, guest-lecturing and coordinating the use of the educational resources in the facility. Kevin teaches FIN562, Financial Trading Strategies, as well as guest-lectures for various accounting and finance courses in the MBA curriculum. Kevin earned his Bachelor’s of Commerce followed by his Master’s of Finance degrees at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. While at Rotman, he was the Manager of the Financial Research and Trading Lab where he co-invented two trading and portfolio management simulation platforms.

Kevin’s primary interest is in marketplaces and their function- from equity markets to online sports betting and e-commerce markets. He strives to understand the microstructure, liquidity formation, pricing, and network effects in each of these unique but similar markets.

Kevin’s teaching interests revolve around experiential learning and he has designed and built over 50 case studies that illustrate different asset pricing, behavioral finance, market microstructure, and portfolio management principles.  Kevin is currently involved with overseeing the student-managed fund at Stanford.

Kevin is actively involved in the investment industry, providing investment consulting and training to various regulatory bodies and investment management firms. Kevin was awarded his CFA charter in 2008. Kevin is an adviser to Massdrop.com, a community commerce startup founded by his former students.

Academic Degrees

• Master of Finance, University of Toronto, 2010
• Bachelor of Commerce, University of Toronto, 2005

Academic Appointments

• Director of RAIL, Lecturer in Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2012-Present
• Manager, Rotman School of Management, 2005-2012

Professional Experience

• Advisor, Massdrop, 2012-present
• Principle, 306W Inc, 2011-present

Teaching

Degree Courses

2017-18

FINANCE 305: Capital Markets and Institutional Investing

This course teaches recent advances in asset allocation and management. We focus on the practical implementation of asset allocation and management tools in allocating assets, selecting asset managers and managing risk. Students apply these tools...

FINANCE 305A: Capital Markets and Institutional Investing

(Same as FINANCE 305) This course teaches recent advances in asset allocation and management. We focus on the practical implementation of asset allocation and management tools in allocating assets, selecting asset managers and managing risk....

FINANCE 362: Financial Trading Strategies

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the different types of trading strategies employed by various money management institutions. These financial trading strategies are used to manage the risk and return profiles of specific...

2016-17

FINANCE 362: Financial Trading Strategies

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the different types of trading strategies employed by various money management institutions. These financial trading strategies are used to manage the risk and return profiles of specific...

In the Media

Computer Programs Let MBAs Live in the Moment

Financial Post Executive, October 25, 2011

Lab Brings Bay and Wall Streets to Classroom

Toronto Star, September 7, 2011

A Chill Falls over Chinese Stocks

The Globe and Mail, June 20, 2011

China’s Appeal for Investors Takes a Hit

The Globe and Mail, June 5, 2011

Reading Students Tops at Rotman Trading Challenge

National Post, February 2006