I am an associate professor of finance at the University of Amsterdam. I joined in 2012 after obtaining a PhD in Economics from Brown University. I was born in the former Yugoslavia (Croatia), moved to the United States before my 3rd birthday, and lived there until joining the UvA.

Research: My current research focuses mostly on the growing reliance on intangible assets and human capital across the economy, in particular how this transition affects corporate investment and employee retention. I also have a nascent line of work on improving estimation of causal effects through the integration of reduced-form and structural estimation. My previous research examined executive incentives from equity grants, and the interplay between Credit Default Swap markets and debt renegotiation.

Teaching: I specialize in teaching computer programming applications in finance. My approach emphasizes that programming is an exercise in logical thinking --- a good programmer must know how to break down repetitive tasks into a well-structured set of instructions. In order for a computer to execute these instructions, the programmer must further ensure that they are complete and based on Boolean logic. I'm skeptical that students can effectively do "vibe coding" without understanding programming logic. At the UvA, I teach this approach in courses and a programming bootcamp which I developed. 

Leadership: I am Program Director of the MSc Finance. I manage a large team of faculty who teach a cohort of about 300 students per year. During my directorship, the program has added new course content on quantitative trading, FinTech, and sustainable finance.

Current Teaching
Master in International Finance: Investments and Algorithmic Trading (Block 1, Sept-Oct.)
Master in International Finance: Data Analytics and Quantitative Trading (Block 2, Nov.-Dec.)
Master in Finance: Advanced Corporate Finance (Block 1, Sept.-Oct.)
Executive Education: AI in Finance module (taught on demand)

Past Teaching at UvA
Master in Finance: Valuation (2014-2018)
Master in Finance: Corporate Governance (2013)   
Bachelor: Corporate Finance (2012, 2013)

Note to students: Due to my current administrative responsibilities as Program Director of the MSc Finance, I generally do not have capacity to supervise master theses.

For the most up-to-date overview of my research papers, please check my SSRN page or my Google Scholar profile.

Publications

Limited Attention to Detail in Financial Markets: Evidence from Reduced-Form and Structural Estimation (with Henrik Cronqvist, Elisa Pazaj, and Zacharias Sautner), 2024, Journal of Financial Economics 154, 103811.

Managerial Short-Termism and Investment: Evidence from Accelerated Option Vesting (with Zacharias Sautner), 2020, Review of Finance 24, 305-344.

Renegotiation or Bankruptcy? The Effects of Out-of-Court Costs on Distress Resolution (with Murillo Campello and Rafael Matta), 2019, Review of Finance 23, pp. 513-556.

The Retention Effects of Unvested Equity: Evidence from Accelerated Option Vesting (with Torsten Jochem and Zacharias Sautner), 2018, Review of Financial Studies 31, pp. 4142-4186.

Working Papers

[New paper June 2025] Addressing Anticipation Effects in Finance (with Elisa Pazaj and Zacharias Sautner). To be presented at EFA 2025.

[New draft June 2025] Creating Intangible Capital (with Robin Doettling and Enrico Perotti). Reject and Resubmit, Management Science. Presented at Mitsui Finance Symposium 2017, FIRS 2017, AFA 2020.

The Intangible Economy and the Decline of Corporate Leverage in Europe (with Enrico Perotti and Alessando Zona Mattioli) [Draft available upon request]

The Composition of Human Capital Within Firms [Draft available upon request]

Do Firms Replenish Executives' Incentives After Equity Sales?