Rebecca Lester

Research Statement

Professor Rebecca Lester's research focuses on the economic consequences of U.S. tax policies on multinational companies. Specifically, her work studies how accounting rules and tax policies affect firm investment and employment decisions.

Research Interests

• Taxation
• Firm Investment
• Multinational Location Decision
• Mergers and Acquisitions

Teaching Statement

Professor Lester teaches the first year MBA Financial Accounting course. The objective of this course is to learn how a company's economic transactions are reflected on financial statements and to train students to be informed users of this financial information.

Bio

Rebecca Lester joined the Stanford Graduate School of Business as an Assistant Professor of Accounting in July 2015. She studies the effects of accounting rules and tax policy on domestic and multinational firm investment decisions. Her recent work has examined how U.S. tax rules have encouraged firms to reinvest offshore rather than repatriate cash to the U.S. She also has examined how firms have responded to a recent U.S. manufacturing tax incentive that was intended to increase domestic investment and employment.

Professor Lester received her PhD in Accounting from the MIT Sloan School of Management and both a B.A. and Masters of Accountancy from the University of Tennessee. Prior to her studies at MIT, she was a Manager in the M&A Transaction Services practice of Deloitte in Chicago, Illinois.

Academic Degrees

• PhD, Accounting, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015
• Masters of Accountancy, University of Tennessee, 2002
• BS, Accounting, University of Tennessee, 2002

Academic Appointments

• Assistant Professor, Stanford GSB, 2015 - present

Professional Experience

• Manager, Deloitte M&A Transaction Services, 2003-2008
• Tax Senior Consultant, Deloitte Lead Tax Services, 2001-2003
• CPA, State of Illinois (Inactive), 2003

Awards and Honors

• Michelle R. Clayman Faculty Scholar, 2017-2018
• R. Michael and Mary Shanahan Faculty Scholar, 2016-2017
• ATA/PwC 2016 Outstanding Tax Dissertation Award
• MIT Sloan Thesis Prize, First Place
• Stanford MBA Distinguished Teaching Award - Honorable Mention
• Deloitte Foundation Doctoral Fellowship

Teaching

Degree Courses

2017-18

ACCT 210: Financial Accounting

Financial accounting is the measurement of economic activity for decision-making. Financial statements are a key product of this measurement process and an important component of firms'' financial reporting activities. The objective of this course...

2016-17

ACCT 210: Financial Accounting

Financial accounting is the measurement of economic activity for decision-making. Financial statements are a key product of this measurement process and an important component of firms'' financial reporting activities. The objective of this course...

Executive Education & Other Non-Degree Programs

• Finance and Accounting for the Nonfinancial Executive Learn how to make better financial management decisions to increase the value of your company in the marketplace.
• Supply Chain Management: Strategies and Innovations Develop strategic supply chain frameworks and discover how to leverage innovation to compete and succeed in a rapidly evolving global economy.

Insights by Stanford Business

writtenTax Reform: Giving with One Hand and Taking with the Other

December 4, 2017

A new study by Stanford’s Rebecca Lester suggests that the GOP plan to cut corporate tax rates could also discourage risk-taking.