Milena Petrova

Dr. Petrova is a tenured Associate Professor at the Department of Finance of Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University and serves as an Academic Director of the Real Estate Programs at Whitman. She also teaches International Corporate Finance in the masters in finance program at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy. Dr. Petrova further conducts research in the areas of corporate financing strategy and restructuring, corporate governance, commercial real estate valuation, real estate asset pricing, and portfolio management. She has written several book chapters and published over 30 articles in leading international journals including the Journal of Banking and Finance, Financial Management, European Financial Management, Journal of International Money and Finance, Real Estate Economics, and Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, among others. Dr. Petrova has won multiple awards and grants for her research and teaching and presented her research at over 120 international conferences.

Besides being an active researcher, Dr. Petrova is a well-recognized expert in corporate finance and real estate with over 20 years of experience in the field. She has consulted for investment professionals in the USA, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Dr. Petrova has advised on the development, acquisition, and disposition of commercial real estate (hotel, office, industrial, residential and mixed-use), M&As – valuation, post-merger integration, and exit opportunities; corporate restructuring; and business plan evaluation. She has also served as an advisor in setting up REITs and the use of tax-deferred exchanges.

Previously, Dr. Petrova worked in management consulting (Booz Allen Hamilton) and project finance (Finnvera). Prof. Petrova has a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Florida, USA; master’s degrees in finance and business administration from Hofstra University, USA, and Helsinki School of Economics, Finland; and post-graduate certificates in industrial management from Helsinki University of Technology, Finland, Fintech from Oxford University, the UK and Applied Machine Learning from Columbia University, USA.

Education

• Master of Science - MS Aalto University (1998 — 2000)
• Master's degree University of National and World Economy (1997 — 1998)
• Bachelor's degree University of National and World Economy (1994 — 1997)

Companies

• Contact Professor in International Finance Università Bocconi (2016)
• Associate Professor of Finance Syracuse University (2006)
• SDA Professor of Real Estate & Finance SDA Bocconi School of Management (2014 — 2016)
• Visiting Professor of Real Estate University of Amsterdam Business School (2014 — 2015)
• PhD Candidate University of Florida (2004 — 2006)
• Management Consultant Booz Allen Hamilton (2001 — 2002)
• Financial Analyst, Project Financing Unit Finnvera (1999 — 2000)