Upcoming Sessions
Session starting on
Location
Online
Duration
5 weeks
Fees
€
1,850
Programme Director
Daniel A. Bens
Professor of Accounting and Control
Daniel Bens is a Professor of Accounting and Control at INSEAD, which he joined in August 2012. He has served as Area Chair for the department since 2015. He was a member of the University of Arizona faculty from 2005 to 2012, serving as Associate Dean of MBA programs for the last three years. Daniel was on faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business from 1999 to 2005.
Daniel Bens is directing the Financial Analysis for Non-Financial Managers and the Business Strategy and Financial Performance programmes.
Daniel received his PhD in Accounting from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, his MBA in Finance from Indiana University, and his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Penn State University. He was a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Pennsylvania, working for Price Waterhouse and then Westinghouse prior to attending graduate school.
His research focuses on the determinants and effects of discretionary disclosure in financial reports. That is, why do some firms just disclose the minimum of information as required by securities laws while others voluntarily exceed that benchmark considerably? Further, are there tangible financial effects from these decisions? He also examines real economic effects that firms may experience when they make seemingly cosmetic accounting choices. For example, he has studied how firms alter their share repurchase strategies to improve earnings per share (EPS) performance, while at the same time cutting long-term investments to finance the strategy.
Daniel has taught in full-time and Executive MBA programmes, as well as non-degree executive education. He received the INSEAD Dean’s Commendation for Excellence in MBA Teaching in 2013-2015 and has been twice nominated by INSEAD MBA students as Best Core Course Professor. His research has been cited or he has been quoted in Fortune, Business Week, and various US newspapers via the Associated Press and Reuters news services. His research has appeared in the leading academic journals including The Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research, Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance, Journal of Accounting and Economics, and Journal of Accounting Research.
In his spare time, Daniel enjoys traveling with his wife and two young children.
Daniel A. Bens
Professor of Accounting and Control
Faculty
Gavin Cassar
Professor of Accounting and Control
Gavin Cassar is Dean of Finance and Administration of INSEAD and a Professor of Accounting and Control. He is functionally end-responsible for leading the department of Finance, including accounting, treasury, cash management, taxation, and external reporting. Gavin also leads the Financial Planning and Analysis team including being responsible for the management and control of INSEAD's operating and capital budget. In his role, he also leads the Procurement, Legal, Audit, Risk and Compliance function across the school. Gavin is also leading the Business Transformation Office as INSEAD transforms how it works across its many departments. Before joining INSEAD he was a member of The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania faculty. Gavin received his PhD in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley and his Bachelor of Commerce (with First Class Honours) from the University of Newcastle, Australia.
Professor Cassar's research is centered on the role of information, especially financial, in settings of high uncertainty and opacity. In particular, he explores how entrepreneurs and hedge fund managers use information for their decision making needs and contracting with investors. His research has been published in top-tier accounting, finance, management, and entrepreneurship academic journals including The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting & Economics, Review of Financial Studies, Strategic Management Journal and Journal of Business Venturing. He has served as editor of the Journal of Business Venturing and Management Science and on the editorial boards of Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Journal of Small Business Management and Journal of Management Accounting Research.
Professor Cassar teaches management accounting and corporate governance concepts across several programmes and is the recipient of teaching awards including The David W. Hauck Award for Outstanding Teaching, which is the most prestigious teaching award at Wharton and INSEAD’s Deans’ Commendation for Excellence in MBA Teaching on several occasions.
Gavin Cassar
Professor of Accounting and Control
Learning Coach
Learning coaches, led by INSEAD alumni, are available throughout the programme to help participants achieve their learning objectives, as well as help move the discussion forward and exchange ideas with them.
Experienced and successful business professionals from diverse industries, our learning coaches guide the participants in their learning journey, especially their Action Learning Project (ALP), to bring the learning alive in the participants’ business context. They work closely with the participants and help them design an ALP that focuses on their personal development goals, provide feedback and keep them moving in the right direction.
