Mark Finn
Clinical Professor of Accounting Information & Management
Mark Finn is a Clinical Professor of Accounting and International Business at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. From 2001 to 2008 he also served as director of Kellogg's Global Initiatives in Management (GIM) program. Prior to coming to Kellogg, Prof. Finn was on the faculty of the University of Chicago. He received PhD, MS, and MBA degrees from Cornell University and an AB with honors from Stanford University.
Prof. Finn teaches core financial accounting and advanced classes in financial reporting, taxation, international accounting, and . He received the Chairs' Core Teaching Award six times, most recently in 2021. Within the GIM program, he served as a faculty adviser to classes on China, Japan, India, and South Africa. His primary research interests are related to the quality and credibility of financial disclosures, especially in non-US settings. He is a coauthor of International Accounting, 5th Edition, published by McGraw-Hill, the market-leading textbook in international accounting. His research articles include "Market Rewards for Increasing Earnings Patterns" published in the Journal of Accounting Research.
Prof. Finn has been affiliated with the Sasin Graduate Institute of Management, Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand) since 2003 and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (Mumbai, India) since 2021. He has also been a visiting professor at the Indian School of Business (Hyderabad and Mohali) and Keio University (Hiyoshi, Japan). He received the ISB's Teacher of the Year award in 2003, 2008, and 2009.
- Financial reporting and corporate control outside the United States
- particularly in Japan and emerging markets. Accounting for foreign operations and risk management activities. Theoretical topics in auditing
- financial reporting
- and managerial accounting
- Financial reporting and corporate control outside the United States
- particularly in Japan and emerging markets; accounting for foreign operations and risk management activities; theoretical topics in auditing
- financial reporting
- and managerial accounting
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PhD, 1995, Management, Cornell University
MBA, 1990, Accounting, Finance, Cornell University
BA, 1982, Economics, Stanford University, Honors -
Clinical Professor of Accounting and International Business, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2004-present
Visiting Professor of Accounting, Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Chulalongkorn University, 2003-present
Visiting Professor of Accounting, Indian School of Business, 2002-present
Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship, Graduate School of Business Administration, Keio University, 2007-2008
Clinical Associate Professor of Accounting and International Business, Kellogg School of Management, Norhtwestern University, 2001-2004
Assistant Professor of Accounting, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 1996-2001
Assistant Professor of Accounting, Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago, 1993-1996 -
Chairs Core Course Teaching Award 2021, 2020-21
2018 Faculty of the Year, MSMS Program, 2017-18
Chairs Core Course Teaching Award 2014, Kellogg School of Management, 2014
2014 Faculty of the Year, MSMS Program, 2013-14
Chairs Core Course Teaching Award 2012
Chairs Core Course Teaching Award 2008
Chairs Core Course Teaching Award 1999
Business for Scientists and Engineers
For practitioners and academics in science and engineering, this highly focused program provides a solid grounding in business concepts, industry-specific tools and practical frameworks for developing the business acumen you need to advance your life’s work.
;Financial Reporting Systems (ACCTX-430-0)
Financial Reporting Systems introduces generally accepted accounting principles and concepts and trains students to analyze financial statements.
Asset Management Practicum III (FINC-458-0)
Students enrolled in the Asset Management Practicum's (AMP) sequence of courses participate in managing a portion of the Kellogg School's endowment. Across five different portfolios, the Practicum manages around $19.5 million in total. In the practicum students will rotate across roles of industry analysts and portfolio managers. The AMP courses provides weekly exposure to leading asset management practitioners. Students must take two of the three AMP courses: FINC-456, FINC-457 and FINC-458. AMP requires students to have taken either FINC 431 Finance II or FINC 440 Accelerated Corporate Finance before enrolling in the Practicum. Practicum students have the following additional requirements. Prior to, or during their first quarter of the Practicum, students must have taken or be simultaneously enrolled in one of the following classes: FINC 442 (Financial Decisions); FINC 444 (Value Investing); FINC 448 (M&As, LBOs and Corporate Restructuring); FINC 477 (Global Entrepreneurial Finance), ACCT 451 (Financial Reporting and Analysis) or ACCT 452 (Issues in Financial Reporting). Before their graduation: AMP students must take either FINC-450 (Capital Markets) or FINC-465 (Derivative Markets I). Some of these co-requisites can be waived based on a student's background.
Global Financial Management and Reporting (ACCT-457-5)
Designing and executing a global financial strategy is one of the most important duties of senior managers in international organizations. This class will use a mixture of cases and lectures to prepare students to work in this area. Specific topical areas covered will include international taxation and reporting, governance and stewardship in foreign environments, and cross-border financial management. The business questions raised by our exploration of these areas, particularly those related to international taxation, are among the most widely discussed in the business world.
Issues in Financial Reporting (ACCT-452-0)
This course differs from traditional financial accounting classes in that the material is organized according to five broad themes, with particular accounting topics (revenue recognition, lease accounting, etc.) brought in only to the extent that they help elucidate one of the themes. The five themes are: governance and control; quality of earnings; quality of cash flows; consolidation and scope of reporting; fair value reporting and appraisal. Each of these themes contain material in which a large portion of Kellogg students would have an interest. For instance, how boards choose non-GAAP metrics; executive compensation contracts (governance and control); how to assess recurring vs. non-recurring profitability (quality of earnings); the sustainability of cash flows (quality of cash flows); the degree of control of a foreign subsidiary or JV (scope of reporting); the valuation of marketing intangibles, such as brands (fair value reporting). Formal lectures end in Week 9. Week 10 is reserved for group project presentations. An online version of the Week 9 class will be available for students whose summer internships start before the end of the quarter.
Financial Reporting and Analysis (ACCT-451-0)
This course provides a study of current practices in corporate financial reporting and fundamental issues relating to asset valuation and income determination. The emphasis is on financial statement analysis and interpretation of existing financial disclosures. The course stresses critical analyses of financial reporting numbers as a basis for improved risk assessment and cash flow forecasting. Cases are used extensively to enhance relevance.
Financial Planning for Mergers & Acquisitions (ACCT-444-5)
Many companies are able to identify potential merger partners where combinations can result in significant synergies or value creation, but less than half are able to execute the merger to claim the value created. This course provides the technical knowledge necessary to identify targets as well as prepare business and law practitioners for their future collaborations in the mergers and acquisitions field. The course is offered jointly by the Kellogg School of Management and the Northwestern Law School and is primarily targeted for those interested in planning, analyzing, executing, or facilitating corporate acquisitions. Topics include: economics of mergers and acquisitions, securities law and antitrust regulation, financial reporting issues, tax implications, and economic and legal considerations.
Turbo Accounting (ACCT-434-0)
An accelerated version of the core accounting course (430), intended for students with recent exposure to accounting principles. In contrast to 430, this course assumes students already have a working knowledge of the journal entry process. The course explores the principles of financial accounting and the structure and meaning of financial statements and footnote disclosures. The additional time made available by not covering the journal entry process allows for an in-depth study of many financial reporting issues, and for extra coverage of current financial accounting topics.
Financial Accounting (ACCT-430-0)
This course acquaints students with the process used to construct and understand the financial reports of organizations. The objective is to understand the decisions that must be made in the financial reporting process and to develop the ability to evaluate and use accounting data. Emphasis is placed on understanding the breadth of accounting measurement practices and on being able to make the adjustments necessary for careful analysis. The course highlights the linkages between accounting information and management planning, and decision making and control. Course sections that end in "H" will be taught in a format that combines the convenience and flexibility of online learning with the social and instructional benefits of face-to-face classroom experiences. Online sessions are conducted synchronously with classmates and faculty.
