Thomas Lys

Thomas Z. Lys is the Eric L. Kohler Chair in Accounting and Professor of Accounting Information and Management and Professor of Law (by courtesy) at the Northwestern School of Law.

Professor Lys’ research has been published in prominent academic journals, including the Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, Journal of Business, and the Journal of Monetary Economics. His research investigates the stock price consequences that result from alternate financial reporting standards, changes in capital structure, changes in the money supply, and from corporate disclosures. He is an editor of the Journal of Accounting and Economics and has served on the editorial board of the Accounting Review. He is a member of the American Accounting Association.

In Kellogg’s MBA program, Professor Lys teaches courses in real estate finance, financial reporting, security analysis, and mergers and acquisitions. He co-teaches this course with a faculty member from Northwestern School of Law and the course is offered jointly to both business and law school students.

In Kellogg's Executive Master's Program, Professor Lys conducts a course on financial reporting, a course on security analysis, and a course on behavioral finance integrating both the economic and the behavioral perspective of financial decision-making. He was awarded the Outstanding Professor of the Year Award, Executive Masters’ Program 32 (1996), 35 (1997), 38 (1998), 44 (2000), and 46 (2000), and the Sidney J. Levy Teaching Award, Master of MBA Program 1998-99.

Professor Lys has consulted with Cox Communications, Ciba Chemical, General Electric, IBM, USX and Guidant Corporation. Professor Lys holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and a master and PhD in Accounting and Finance from the University of Rochester. He is fluent in three foreign languages: German, French, and Polish.

Areas of Expertise Acquisitions (Biotechnology)
Corporate Capital Structure
Corporate Governance
Corporate Restructuring
Debt-Equity Choice
Financial Accounting
Financial Analysts
Financial Disclosure/Statements
Financial Reporting
Management Compensation
Mergers and Acquisitions
Pension Funds
Performance Evaluations
Real Estate
Security Analysis

Education PhD, 1982, Accounting, Finance, University of Rochester

MS, 1980, University of Rochester

Lic.Rer.Pol., 1976, Economics, Operations Research, University of Bern, Summa Cum Laude

Academic Positions Eric L. Kohler Chair in Accounting and Professor of Accounting and Information Management, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2006-present

Professor of Law (courtesy appointment), School of Law, Northwestern University, 2000-present

Gary A. Rosenberg Distinguished Professor of Real Estate Management, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1999-2006

Director, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1997-2006

Gary A. Rosenberg Distinguished Associate Professor of Real Estate Management, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1997-1999

Professor of Accounting and Information Management, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1997-2006

Visiting Associate Professor of Accounting, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, 1997-1997

John L. and Helen Kellogg Distinguished Associate Professor of Accounting and Information Systems, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1995-1997

Associate Professor of Accounting and Information Systems, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1989-1995

Visiting Assistant Professor of Accounting, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, 1986-1987

Assistant Professor of Accounting and Information Systems, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1981-1989

Honors and Awards Teacher of the Year, Kellogg Recanati Award , 2009

Executive MBA Program Outstanding Teaching Awards, Kellogg School of Management

Education Academic Positions Honors and Awards