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New WSB Faculty: Meet Dmitry Orlov, Assistant Professor of Finance

By Wisconsin School of Business

November 15, 2019

The Wisconsin School of Business welcomes Dmitry Orlov, an assistant professor of finance. Originally from Moscow, Russia, Orlov’s research interests span several areas of finance and economics, including banking, markets for repurchase agreements, Bayesian persuasion, dynamic contracts, mutual funds, and stochastic games. Orlov earned his BS in mathematics from Moscow State University, his MS in data analysis from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, and his PhD in financial economics from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He previously served as an assistant professor of finance at the Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester.

Orlov shares his thoughts on joining WSB and the University of Wisconsin–Madison community below.

A headshot of Dmitry Orlov, assistant professor of finance
Dmitry Orlov

WSB: How did you get into your field of research?

Orlov: I became fascinated with decision-making in organizations such as banks and IT companies. What followed was a long track to understanding why good decisions are not always made.

WSB: What attracted you to UWMadison?

Orlov: I was drawn by working with a great collection of researchers at the Wisconsin School of Business as well as the Department of Economics. I was also attracted by the uniqueness of the broader university community.

WSB: What was your first visit to campus like?

Orlov: I found a very friendly community of researchers who had excellent and hard questions during the seminar. And I was surprised how walkable Madison is.

WSB: What’s one thing you hope students who take a class with you will come away with?

Orlov: I’d like to see our students come away confident in their own ability to solve real world problems and not put too much faith in experts.

WSB: Do you share your expertise and experiences with the public through social media? If so, which channels do you use?

Orlov: I don’t use social media as much as I should, but I am trying to write a paper that will be worthy of Instagram.

WSB: Do you feel your work relates in any way to the Wisconsin Idea? If so, please describe how.

Orlov: I work at the intersection of finance and organizational theory. Each has a large influence in Wisconsin where the local banking community is closely intertwined with businesses.

WSB: What’s something interesting about your area of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter at parties?

Orlov: Finance teaches us that we need well-diversified portfolios to get the best risk/return allocation. Well diversified index investing, however, may lead you to profit from businesses you may not find appealing on environmental and social dimensions.

WSB: Do you have favorite hobbies or other interests?

Orlov: Cats, music, and outdoor rock climbing.


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