LBS professor awarded Norwegian Finance Initiative grant

Julian Franks receives £124,929 for engaged ownership investigation

Julian Franks, Professor of Finance, London Business School, has been awarded a joint research grant of £124,929 with Professors Marco Becht, Université libre de Bruxelles, and Professor Hannes Wagner, Bocconi. The grant has been awarded by Norges Bank under the Norwegian Finance Initiative (NFI) Research Programme. 

The grant has been given to fund a three-year investigation into engaged ownership. Professor Franks, Becht and Hannes’ research will examine the effectiveness of engaged ownership by analysing the extent, impact and value of engaged ownership by Standard Life Investments (SLI), a global asset manager based on recorded data from the period 2004-2014. 

This competitive award was made under the NFI Research Programme to facilitate financial economic research of the highest academic standard in areas of particular relevance for the long-term management of the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG).

Professor Franks’ research focuses on bankruptcy and financial distress, corporate ownership and control, cost of capital and regulation.