Professor and Chair of Finance
Roles and Responsibilities
Director, Edinburgh Centre for Financial Innovations
Co-Director, Centre for Purpose-Driven Innovation in Banking (in partnership withÌýNatWest Group)
Background
Gbenga is a Professor and Chair of Finance, and as the Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Financial Innovations, he leads on strategic FinTech and Financial Services initiatives at the University of Edinburgh. He isÌýCo-Director forÌýthe NatWest Group-funded Centre for Purpose-Driven Innovation in Banking.ÌýHe was the Founding Director of both the University's PhD in Financial TechnologyÌýprogramme and its flagship postgraduate taught FinTech programme, the MSc Finance, Technology and Policy (FTP).ÌýGbenga is alsoÌýan elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh;Ìýa Fellow at the Rozetta Institute (formerly Capital Markets CRC) in Sydney, Australia; a Member of the Bank of England and HM Treasury's Central Bank Digital Currency Academic Advisory Group;Ìýand a Council Member of the of the World Economic Forum’sÌýGlobal Future Council on the Future of Resilient Financial Systems for the 2023-2024 term.
He has held the position of Visiting Professorships at various times at Macquarie University inÌýSydney,ÌýUniversidade Catolica Portuguesa, PortoÌýand China University of Petroleum, Beijing.
Gbenga holds an 91´óÉñ (with distinction) and a PhD (in Market Microstructure) from the University of East Anglia, where he also held teaching and research positions with the Norwich Business School and the Environmental & Energy Finance Group respectively. He isÌýa graduate ofÌýYaba College of Technology, Lagos, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice from The University of Edinburgh.
Research Interests
Gbenga’s research interests cover the general financial economics space, with a core focus on the microstructure of financial markets. His current research examinesÌýthe microstructure evolution of financial markets against the backdrop of technology and policy innovations. In addition, he investigates economic issues relating toÌýtrading in energy and environmentalÌýmarkets, such as the markets for crude oil and emissions financial instruments.ÌýThe practical relevanceÌýof his research has led to his work being regularlyÌýdiscussed in leading international media outlets,Ìýsuch as The New York Times,ÌýThe Economist, Financial Times, Forbes, and Bloomberg,ÌýandÌýhis being commissionedÌýto undertake research projects on behalf of financial services companies, policymakers andÌýregulators. His commissioned reports have beenÌýpublished by the likes of the UK's Financial Conduct Authority and the UK Houses of Parliament'sÌýAll Party Parliamentary Corporate Governance Group.ÌýHe hasÌýdelivered scores of invitedÌýresearch keynotes and seminars inÌýprivate/public sector fora and at universities/research and innovationÌýinstitutes around the world, including atÌýthe UK Houses ofÌýParliament, Financial Conduct Authority, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Zhejiang University, Cardiff University, University ofÌýOtagoÌýDunedin, University of Reading's ICMA Centre,ÌýVictoria UniversityÌýWellington, University of South AustraliaÌýAdelaide and Pan African University's Lagos Business School.Ìý
He is the author (with Andros Gregoriou)Ìýof 'Carbon Markets: Microstructure, Pricing & Policy', published in 2018 by Palgrave Macmillan, andÌýauthored or co-authored peer-reviewedÌýresearch papers published in international journals in financial economics, includingÌýJournal of Financial Markets,ÌýJournal of Banking & Finance, Journal of Empirical Finance,Ìýas well as papers published in journals fromÌýother related fields, such as Journal of Marketing,ÌýExpert Systems with ApplicationsÌýand Physica A: StatisticalÌýMechanics and its Applications.