Reena Aggarwal

Reena Aggarwal - Profile Summary

Reena Aggarwal is a prominent figure in the fields of finance and academic administration, currently serving as the Robert E. McDonough Professor of Finance and the Director of the Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She has made significant contributions to the areas of financial markets and regulation, IPOs, ETFs, corporate governance, ESG, institutional investors, and digital assets.

Educational Background

Dr. Aggarwal has an impressive educational background. She earned her Master of Management Studies (MMS) in Engineering and Management from BITS Pilani in India and went on to complete her Ph.D. in Finance at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her academic journey provided a strong foundation for her later achievements.

Career at Georgetown University

Her career at Georgetown University started in August 1986, where she has served as a Professor of Finance. Since June 2008, she has also been the Director of the Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy. From August 2016 to July 2020, she took on the additional role of Vice Provost for Faculty, overseeing the faculty across six schools on Georgetown's Main Campus.

Positions Beyond Georgetown

Beyond Georgetown, Dr. Aggarwal has held several prestigious positions. She has been an independent director at Cohen & Steers since January 2017, Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending since January 2019, and Dimensional Funds since January 2022. Additionally, since January 2018, she has served as a strategic advisor at Manna Tree.

Contributions to Notable Institutions

Her contributions extend to various notable institutions.

• She has been a Visiting Professor at MIT,
• a FINRA Academic Fellow,
• an Academic Fellow at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
• a Visiting Scholar at the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
• a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council,
• a Fulbright Scholar to Brazil,
• and a Distinguished Scholar at the Reserve Bank of India's CAFRAL.

Recognition and Awards

Dr. Aggarwal's work has been widely recognized and cited in top-tier publications like the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. She has received numerous awards and honors, including:

• being named an Outstanding Professor by EMBA students,
• recognized among the “Outstanding Faculty” in Business Week’s Guide to the Best Business Schools,
• and described as a Favorite Professor of the ‘Best & Brightest’ by Poets and Quants.
• She has also been awarded the Allan N. Nash Distinguished Doctoral Graduate Award by the University of Maryland and the Distinguished Alumnus Award by BITS Pilani.
• In addition, she received the Georgetown President’s Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award.

Expertise and Leadership

Reena Aggarwal's extensive expertise also encompasses investment banking, research, higher education, business strategy, and financial analysis. Her leadership and public speaking skills further solidify her as a leading expert sought after globally for her insights into financial markets and policy. Currently, she serves on the boards of Cohen & Steers, Dimensional Funds, and Nuveen Churchill Direct Lending Corp.