WHU
The Chair of Mergers and Acquisitions focuses its research and teaching activities on the broad area of corporate finance with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, investment banking, and corporate valuation.

About us

Professor Aktas holds the Chair of Mergers and Acquisitions at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management since September 2013. He is also the co-director of the executive education program devoted to Mergers and Acquisitions at WHU. He previously worked at Skema Business School (France), EMLYON Business School (France), and Louvain School of Management (Université catholique de Louvain). Being interested in empirical corporate finance in general, Professor Aktas is known for his research articles on Mergers and Acquisitions published in leading international journals including the Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Economic Journal, Journal of Corporate Finance, and Journal of Banking & Finance. His research has been featured on the programs of leading international conferences, and quoted in widely read international media, such as the Financial Times, The New York Times, and Sueddeutsche Zeitung. He was a visiting researcher at the Anderson School of Management (UCLA, Los Angeles) in 2001–2002. Professor Aktas is also a member of the Supervisory Board of Pulcra Chemicals.

Recent research publications by Professor Nihat Aktas

Finance and Accounting Group

Ahmad, M. F., Aktas, N., Croci, E. (2023), Climate risk and deployment of corporate resources to working capital, Economics Letters, Vol. 224, 111002.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Baros, A., Croci, E. (2022), Corporate divestitures around acquisitions, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 73, 102189.

Finance and Accounting Group

Ahmad, M. F., Aktas, N., Aziz, S. (2023), Does bilateral trust matter during mergers and acquisitions negotiations?, British Journal of Management, Vol. 34 (4), pp. 2212-2233.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Boone, A., Witkowski, A., Xu, G., Yurtoglu, B. (2021), The role of internal M&A teams in takeovers, Review of Finance, Vol. 25 (4), pp. 1047–1088.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Boone, A., Croci, E., Signori, A. (2021), Reductions in CEO career horizons and corporate policies, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 66, 101862.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Petmezas, D., Servaes, H., Karampatsas, N. (2021), Credit ratings and acquisitions, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 69, 101986.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Croci, E., Ozbas, O., Petmezas, D. (2021), Executive compensation and deployment of corporate resources: evidence from working capital, Review of Corporate Finance, Vol. 1 (1-2), pp. 43-80.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Andreou, P., Karasamani, I., Philip, D. (2019), CEO duality, agency costs, and internal capital allocation efficiency, British Journal of Management, Vol. 30 (2), pp. 473-493.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Andries, K., Croci, E., Özdakak, A. (2019), Stock market development and the financing role of IPOs in acquisitions, Journal of Banking & Finance, Vol. 98, pp. 25-38.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Louca, C., Petmezas, D. (2019), CEO overconfidence and the value of corporate cash holdings, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 54, pp. 85-106.

Finance and Accounting Group

Ahmad, M. F., Aktas, N., Croci, E. (2023), Climate risk and deployment of corporate resources to working capital, Economics Letters, Vol. 224, 111002.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Baros, A., Croci, E. (2022), Corporate divestitures around acquisitions, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 73, 102189.

Finance and Accounting Group

Ahmad, M. F., Aktas, N., Aziz, S. (2023), Does bilateral trust matter during mergers and acquisitions negotiations?, British Journal of Management, Vol. 34 (4), pp. 2212-2233.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Boone, A., Witkowski, A., Xu, G., Yurtoglu, B. (2021), The role of internal M&A teams in takeovers, Review of Finance, Vol. 25 (4), pp. 1047–1088.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Boone, A., Croci, E., Signori, A. (2021), Reductions in CEO career horizons and corporate policies, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 66, 101862.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Petmezas, D., Servaes, H., Karampatsas, N. (2021), Credit ratings and acquisitions, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 69, 101986.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Croci, E., Ozbas, O., Petmezas, D. (2021), Executive compensation and deployment of corporate resources: evidence from working capital, Review of Corporate Finance, Vol. 1 (1-2), pp. 43-80.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Andreou, P., Karasamani, I., Philip, D. (2019), CEO duality, agency costs, and internal capital allocation efficiency, British Journal of Management, Vol. 30 (2), pp. 473-493.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Andries, K., Croci, E., Özdakak, A. (2019), Stock market development and the financing role of IPOs in acquisitions, Journal of Banking & Finance, Vol. 98, pp. 25-38.

Finance and Accounting Group

Aktas, N., Louca, C., Petmezas, D. (2019), CEO overconfidence and the value of corporate cash holdings, Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 54, pp. 85-106.

Selected research publications by Professor Nihat Aktas

Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis
Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt, Helen Bollaert and Richard Roll
Journal of Financial Economics
Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt and Richard Roll
Journal of Financial Economics
Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt and Richard Roll
Economic Journal
Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt and Richard Roll
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis

Market response to European regulation of business combinations

Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt and Richard Roll
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis
Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt, Helen Bollaert and Richard Roll
Journal of Financial Economics
Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt and Richard Roll
Journal of Financial Economics
Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt and Richard Roll
Economic Journal
Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt and Richard Roll
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis

Market response to European regulation of business combinations

Nihat Aktas, Eric de Bodt and Richard Roll

See more publications on Google Scholar & SSRN

Our team

Johanna Häring
Johanna Häring
Personal Assistant
Andreas G. Zetzsche
Andreas G. Zetzsche
Chair Affiliate Former Group Head of M&A RWE AG, Essen
Dr. Alexander Witkowski
Dr. Alexander Witkowski
Dissertation: "Empirical Essays in Corporate Finance"
Dr. Santo Centineo
Dr. Santo Centineo
Dissertation: "Essays in Empirical Corporate Finance: Family Firms, Investment Decisions, and Performance"
Dr. Ali Özdakak
Dr. Ali Özdakak
Dissertation: "Empirical Essays on Initial Public Offerings and Mergers & Acquisitions"
Dr. Can Deniz Dogan
Dr. Can Deniz Dogan
Dissertation: “Essays in Mergers and Acquisitions”

Teaching - Bachelor and Master courses as well as final theses

  • Corporate Finance, mandatory BSc course, 2nd semester
  • Valuation and M&A, elective MiF course, 1st semester
  • Mergers and Acquisitions, elective MiM course, 2nd semester
  • Investment Banking, MBA
  • Mergers & Acquisitions, MBA

Get in touch with us –

We look forward to hearing from you.
Professor Nihat Aktas
Professor Nihat Aktas
Chairholder

Our location

Chair of Mergers and Acquisitions
WHU Campus Vallendar
WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management
Burgplatz 2
56179 Vallendar