91ÒùĸÊÓƵ

Before earning his PhD at Northwestern University and launching his academic career at Purdue University, was an equity analyst at an institutional brokerage firm in India.

He spent his days researching publicly traded companies to help investors make strategic decisions about buying and selling stocks. This involved analyzing financial statements and creating valuation models for companies, which he enjoyed.

Initially, the work felt very straightforward. “I believed in the numbers,” says Menon. But as time went on, he realized that a firm’s valuation is influenced by more complex factors than those captured within financial statements. These include ‘soft’ factors like corporate governance practices and transparency, for instance. 

Eager to understand these nuanced influences, Menon decided to pursue a PhD in accounting, leaving India for the US in 2011. He earned his doctorate at the prestigious Northwestern University, where he became interested in analytical accounting, a methodology that involves complex and nuanced concepts and the creation of economic models. From there, Menon headed to Purdue University — one of the top 10 public universities in the US —  to take up his first academic post.

Nearly a decade later, Menon decided to relocate to Canada to continue his research and teaching at the 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ’s 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ School of Business. In July 2025, he joined the school’s accounting and business analytics department, bringing with him a deep interest in how financial regulations, governance structures, and disclosure requirements influence corporate behaviour. 

For Menon, the 91ÒùĸÊÓƵ School of Business was a clear choice: “The U of A has a very strong presence in analytical accounting methodology.” He notes that the friendly culture of the faculty and the campus at large has made the transition an easy one.  

At the moment, Menon’s research is primarily focused on the effects of regulatory enforcement on auditor behaviour and financial reporting quality as well as how economic forces, both internal (for instance, shareholder activism) and external (for instance, activity within product and supply markets), influence what firms choose to disclose. As the summer winds down, Menon is preparing to teach a case-based course to senior undergraduate students this fall. This format encourages critical thinking and class discussion, and is less structured than most undergraduate courses. Menon, who enjoys teaching as much as research, says he relishes the challenge. 

“It’s an unstructured, ambiguous method, but that’s the point,” he says. “I want students to engage with the material, struggle with the complexity, and ultimately develop the kind of reasoning skills that will serve them in the real world.”