Sharon Kats

Sharon P. Katz is Professor of Accounting and Control at INSEAD. Prior to joining the faculty at INSEAD in 2018, he was a member of the faculty at Columbia Business School from 2010 to 2018, and at Harvard Business School from 2006 to 2010.

Professor Katz received his Ph.D. in Business Administration, with distinction, from Columbia Business School. He also earned an MBA from UCLA, which he completed with honors, and a B.A. in Economics and an LL.B. in Law (dual degree) from Tel Aviv University, completing both Magna Cum Laude. Following his MBA, Professor Katz worked for the Investment Banking Division of Citigroup, specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions. He also worked as a corporate lawyer and served in the Israeli Air Force.

Professor Katz's research interests focus primarily on equity valuation, debt contracting, tax avoidance, and earnings quality, with particular attention to private equity ownership. His research has been published in leading academic journals including the Journal of Accounting and Economics, the Journal of Accounting Research, the Journal of Law and Economics, Management Science, Review of Accounting Studies, and The Accounting Review. Professor Katz has received multiple awards for his research, including the American Accounting Association (AAA) Competitive Manuscript Award, the AAA Financial Accounting and Reporting Section Best Dissertation Award, and the Best Paper in Private Equity from the Financial Economics and Accounting Conference. He is a member of the AAA and currently serves on the editorial board of The Accounting Review and the Journal of Accounting, Auditing & Finance.

Professor Katz teaches Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, and Financial Statement Analysis & Valuation to both MBA and executive education students. Professor Katz is a recipient of the Columbia Business School Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence, the Singhvi Prize for Scholarship in the Classroom, awarded by the graduating students - the most prestigious teaching award at Columbia Business School, and the INSEAD Deans’ Commendation for Excellence in MBA Teaching.

Research Areas

Equity Valuation, Debt Contracting, Tax Avoidance, Earnings Quality, Private Equity Ownership

Teaching Areas

Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis & Valuation