Expertise

Corporate finance.
Corporate governance.
Corporate taxation.
Regulation of financial institutions.

Overview

Colin Mayer is the Peter Moores Professor of Management Studies at the Saïd Business School. He is an Honorary Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford and of St Anne’s College, Oxford. He is an Ordinary Member of the Competition Appeal Tribunal and a Fellow of the European Corporate Governance Institute.

Mayer was the first professor at the Saïd Business School in 1994 and was the Peter Moores Dean of the Business School between 2006 and 2011. He has served on the editorial boards of several leading academic journals and assisted in establishing the prestigious networks of economics, law and finance academics in Europe at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)). He was a Harkness Fellow at Harvard University, a Houblon-Norman Fellow at the Bank of England, the first Leo Goldschmidt Visiting Professor of Corporate Governance at the Solvay Business School, Université de Bruxelles, and has had visiting positions at MIT and Stanford Universities.

Mayer was a director of Oxera between 1986 and 2010 and was instrumental in building the firm into what is now one of the largest independent economics consultancies in the UK. He has consulted for numerous large firms and for governments, regulators and international agencies around the world.

Mayer researches in the fields of corporate finance, governance, regulation and taxation. He has worked on international comparisons of financial systems and corporate governance and their effects on the financing and control of corporations.

Research interests

Mayer researches in the fields of corporate finance, governance, regulation and taxation. He works on the regulation of financial markets and institutions, international comparisons of financial systems and corporate governance, and their effects on the financing and control of corporations.

Working papers

Klein, Michael & Mayer, Colin, 2011. "Mobile banking and financial inclusion : the regulatory lessons," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5664, The World Bank.  

Armour, John & Mayer, Colin & Polo, Andrea, 2010. "Regulatory Sanctions and Reputational Damage in Financial Markets," CEPR Discussion Papers 8058, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.   

Julian Franks & Colin Mayer & Miyajima Hideaki, 2009. "Equity Markets and Institutions: The case of Japan," Discussion papers 09039, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).  

Zhangkai Huang & Colin Mayer & Oren Sussman, 2008. "How Do Firms Finance Large Cash Flow Requirements," OFRC Working Papers Series 2008fe06, Oxford Financial Research Centre.  

Wendy Carlin & Andrew Charlton & Colin Mayer, 2008. "Multinational Ownership and Subsidiary Investment," OFRC Working Papers Series 2008fe05, Oxford Financial Research Centre.

Articles

Marco Becht & Julian Franks & Colin Mayer & Stefano Rossi, 2009. "Returns to Shareholder Activism: Evidence from a Clinical Study of the Hermes UK Focus Fund," Review of Financial Studies, Oxford University Press for Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(8), pages 3093-3129, August.  

Published as:

Marco Becht & Julian Franks & Colin Mayer & Stefano Rossi, 2010. "Returns to Shareholder Activism: Evidence from a Clinical Study of the Hermes UK Focus Fund," NBER Chapters, in: Corporate Governance National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

Julian Franks & Colin Mayer & Stefano Rossi, 2009. "Ownership: Evolution and Regulation," Review of Financial Studies, Oxford University Press for Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(10), pages 4009-4056, October.  

Becht, Marco & Mayer, Colin & Wagner, Hannes F., 2008. "Where do firms incorporate? Deregulation and the cost of entry," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 241-256, June.  

Franklin Allen & Colin Mayer & Marco Pagano & Josef Zechner, 2008. "Special issue on corporate governance," Review of Finance, Oxford University Press for European Finance Association, vol. 12(1), pages v-vii.   

Colin Mayer, 2008. "Trust in Financial Markets," European Financial Management, Wiley Blackwell Ltd, vol. 14(4), pages 617-632.   

Julian Franks & Colin Mayer & Hannes Wagner, 2006. "The Origins of the German Corporation - Finance, Ownership and Control," Review of Finance, Oxford University Press for European Finance Association, vol. 10(4), pages 537-585, December.  

Zsuzsanna Fluck & Colin Mayer, 2005. "Race to the top or bottom? Corporate governance, freedom of reincorporation and competition in law," Annals of Finance, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 349-378, October.  

Other versions:

Zsuzsanna Fluck & Colin Mayer, 2005. "Race to the top or bottom? Corporate governance, freedom of reincorporation and competition in law," OFRC Working Papers Series 2005fe07, Oxford Financial Research Centre.  

Fluck, Zsuzsanna & Mayer, Colin, 2005. "Race to the Top or Bottom? Corporate Governance, Freedom of Reincorporation and Competition in Law," CEPR Discussion Papers 5133, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.  

Mayer, Colin & Schoors, Koen & Yafeh, Yishay, 2005. "Sources of funds and investment activities of venture capital funds: evidence from Germany, Israel, Japan and the United Kingdom," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 586-608, June.   

Carlin, Wendy & Mayer, Colin, 2003. "Finance, investment, and growth," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 191-226, July.  

Colin Mayer, 2003. "Corporate Governance: A Policy for Europe," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics (SJES), Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics (SSES), vol. 139(III), pages 287-297, September.  

Julian Franks & Colin Mayer, 2002. "Corporate governance in the UK : contrasted with the US system," CESifo Forum, Ifo Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 3(3), pages 13-22, October.  

Mayer, Colin, 2002. "Financing the New Economy: financial institutions and corporate governance," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 311-326, June.  

Franks, Julian & Mayer, Colin, 2001. "Ownership and Control of German Corporations," Review of Financial Studies, Oxford University Press for Society for Financial Studies, vol. 14(4), pages 943-77.

Franks, Julian & Mayer, Colin & Renneboog, Luc, 2001. "Who Disciplines Management in Poorly Performing Companies?," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 10(3-4), pages 209-248, July.  

Colin Mayer & Oren Sussman, 2001. "The Assessment: Finance, Law, and Growth," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(4), pages 457-466.

Wendy Carlin & Colin Mayer, 2000. "International Evidence On Corporate Governance: Lessons For Developing Countries," Abante, Escuela de Administracion. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile., vol. 2(2), pages 133-160.  

Mayer, Colin, 1999. "The Assessment: Financial Instability," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(3), pages 1-8, Autumn.

Franks, Julian & Mayer, Colin, 1998. "Bank control, takeovers and corporate governance in Germany," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 22(10-11), pages 1385-1403, October.   

Colin Mayer, 1998. "Financial Systems and Corporate Governance: A Review of the International Evidence," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 154(1), pages 144-, March.

Flemming, John & Mayer, Colin, 1997. "The Assessment: Public-Sector Investment," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 13(4), pages 1-11, Winter.

Mayer, Colin, 1997. "The City and Corporate Performance: Condemned or Exonerated?," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(2), pages 291-302, March.

Julian Franks & Colin Mayer, 1997. "Corporate Ownership And Control In The U.K., Germany, And France," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 9(4), pages 30-45.   

Jenkinson, Tim & Mayer, Colin, 1996. "The Assessment: Contracts and Competition," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(4), pages 1-10, Winter.

Colin Mayer & John Vickers, 1996. "Profit-sharing regulation: an economic appraisal," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 17(1), pages 1-18, February.  

Franks, Julian & Mayer, Colin, 1996. "Hostile takeovers and the correction of managerial failure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 163-181, January.   

Carlin Wendy & Mayer Colin, 1995. "Structure and Ownership of East German Enterprises," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 426-453, December.   

Mayer, Colin, 1994. "The Assessment: Money and Banking: Theory and Evidence," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(4), pages 1-13, Winter.

Jenkinson, Tim & Mayer, Colin, 1992. "The Assessment: Corporate Governance and Corporate Control," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 8(3), pages 1-10, Autumn.

Mayer, Colin, 1992. "'Capital requirements and the behaviour of banks' : by Jean-Charles Rochet," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 1171-1174, June.   

Corbett, Jenny & Mayer, Colin, 1991. "Financial Reform in Eastern Europe: Progress with the Wrong Model," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 57-75, Winter.

Edwards, J. S. S. & Mayer, C. P., 1991. "Leasing, taxes, and the cost of capital," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(2), pages 173-197, March.   

Helm, Dieter & Mayer, Colin & Mayhew, Ken, 1991. "The Assessment: Microeconomic Policy in the 1980s," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 7(3), pages 1-12, Autumn.

Bertero, Elisabetta & Mayer, Colin, 1990. "Structure and performance: Global interdependence of stock markets around the crash of October 1987," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 1155-1180, September.  

Mayer, Colin & Alexander, Ian, 1990. "Banks and securities markets: Corporate financing in Germany and the United Kingdom," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 450-475, December.   

Collier, Paul & Mayer, Colin, 1989. "Financial Liberalization, Financial Systems, and Economic Growth: The Assessment," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(4), pages 1-12, Winter.

Jenkinson, Tim & Mayer, Colin, 1988. "The privatisation process in France and the U.K," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(2-3), pages 482-490, March.   

Colin Mayer, 1988. "The real value of company accounts," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 9(1), pages 1-17, February.

Mayer, Colin, 1988. "New issues in corporate finance," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 1167-1183, June.  

Mayer, Colin, 1987. "The Assessment: Financial Systems and Corporate Investment," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 3(4), pages i-xvi, Winter.

Mayer, Colin, 1986. "Corporation Tax, Finance and the Cost of Capital," Review of Economic Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 93-112, January.   

Kay, J A & Mayer, C P, 1986. "On the Application of Accounting Rates of Returns," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 96(381), pages 199-207, March.   

Mayer, Colin, 1986. "The Assessment: Financial Innovation: Curse or Blessing?," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 2(4), pages i-xix, Winter.

Collier, Paul & Mayer, Colin, 1986. "An Investigation of University Selection Procedures," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 96(380a), pages 163-70, Supplemen.   

Mayer, Colin, 1985. "The Assessment: Recent Developments in Industrial Economics and Their Implications for Policy," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 1(3), pages 1-24, Autumn.

Colin Mayer & Shirley Meadowcroft, 1985. "Selling public assets: techniques and financial implications," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 6(4), pages 42-56, November.

Colin Mayer & Nick Morris, 1982. "Marginal rates of corporation tax: a disaggregated analysis," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 3(2), pages 142-160, July.

John Kay & Colin Mayer, 1982. "Indexation of capital gains - a critique of the Budget proposals," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 3(2), pages 82-91, July.

Colin Mayer, 1982. "The structure of corporation tax in the UK," Fiscal Studies, Institute for Fiscal Studies, vol. 3(2), pages 121-141, July.

Chapters

Marco Becht & Julian Franks & Colin Mayer & Stefano Rossi, 2010. "Returns to Shareholder Activism: Evidence from a Clinical Study of the Hermes UK Focus Fund," NBER Chapters, in: Corporate Governance National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

Published as:

Marco Becht & Julian Franks & Colin Mayer & Stefano Rossi, 2009. "Returns to Shareholder Activism: Evidence from a Clinical Study of the Hermes UK Focus Fund," Review of Financial Studies, Oxford University Press for Society for Financial Studies, vol. 22(8), pages 3093-3129, August.  

Julian Franks & Colin Mayer & Stefano Rossi, 2005. "Spending Less Time with the Family: The Decline of Family Ownership in the United Kingdom," NBER Chapters, in: A History of Corporate Governance around the World: Family Business Groups to Professional Managers, pages 581-612 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.  

Wendy Carlin & Colin Mayer, 1994. "The Treuhandanstalt: Privatization by State and Market," NBER Chapters, in: The Transition in Eastern Europe, Volume 2: Restructuring, pages 189-214 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.  

Colin Mayer, 1990. "Financial Systems, Corporate Finance, and Economic Development," NBER Chapters, in: Asymmetric Information, Corporate Finance, and Investment, pages 307-332 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.  

Julian R. Franks & Robert S. Harris & Cohn Mayer, 1988. "Means of Payment in Takeovers: Results for the United Kingdom and the United States," NBER Chapters, in: Corporate Takeovers: Causes and Consequences, pages 221-264 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.  

Books

Edwards,Jeremy & Franks,Julian & Mayer,Colin & Schaefer,Stephen (ed.), 2010. "Recent Developments in Corporate Finance," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521126397, October.

Freixas, Xavier & Hartmann, Philipp & Mayer, Colin (ed.), 2008. "Handbook of European Financial Markets and Institutions," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199229956.

Franks, Julian & Mayer, Colin & Correia da Silva, Luis, 2003. "Asset Management and Investor Protection: An International Analysis," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199261932.

Mayer,Colin & Vives,Xavier (ed.), 1995. "Capital Markets and Financial Intermediation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521558532, October.

Bishop, Matthew & Kay, John & Mayer, Colin (ed.), 1995. "The Regulatory Challenge," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198773429.

Bishop, Matthew & Kay, John & Mayer, Colin (ed.), 1994. "Privatization and Economic Performance," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198773443.

Mayer,Colin & Vives,Xavier (ed.), 1993. "Capital Markets and Financial Intermediation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521443975, October.

Giovannini,Alberto & Mayer,Colin (ed.), 1992. "European Financial Integration," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521428903, October.

Franks, Julian & Mayer, Colin, 1990. "Risk, Regulation, and Investor Protection: The Case of Investment Management," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198233152.

Edwards,Jeremy & Franks,Julian & Mayer,Colin & Schaefer,Stephen (ed.), 1986. "Recent Developments in Corporate Finance," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number

Recent media coverage:

 

Criticaleye Article (11 November 2011)“In Future We Trust”

Financial Times (25 May 2011), "Proposals to stop another banking crisis are missing the point" 

Business News Network (20 October 2010), "What's Wrong with Regulation?"

Financial Times (19 September 2010) "Fines affect shareholders by factor of 10"

Economist (25 March 2010) "Small Island for Sale: foreign takeovers in Britain"

Financial Times (22 February 2010) "Britain should not fear foreign ownership"

BusinessWeek (31 December 2009) "Business Schools: Irrelevant No More"

Financial Times (4 December 2009). "Business as usual"

The Australian (2 December 2009) "Demand for ethical routes to profits"

New York Times (2 November 2009) "MBAs guide socially concerned entrepreneurs"

Mint (9 April 2009), "Independent directors can't solve governance problems"

Shanghai Business Review (April 2009), "What they are now teaching you at Business School"

Financial Times (30 March 2009) “The great debate: institutional innovation can realign shareholder value”

Financial Times (26 March 2009) “The great debate: into the black hole of shareholder value”

Financial Times (23 March 2009) “The great debate: is shareholder value a ‘dumb idea’?”

Business World (3 March 2009), "In search of a fraud firewall"

The Straits Times (2 March 2009), "Many options for MBA grads"

Financial Times (15 February 2009), "Credit strike highlights need for reform"

Economic Times (9 February 2009), "For a new financial architecture"

The Economist (9 February 2009), "Saïd and done"

Mint (28 January 2009), "Chinks in corporate governance"

Financial Times (12 January 2009) “A richer experience from a single campus”

Multimedia:

Podcast: Business Week (19 December 2008), Saïd’s global vision

Podcast: Oxford iTunes channel (March 2009). "The need for caution in the wake of the financial crisis" 

Video: Bloomberg TV, "Oxford goes to the Valley"

Video: Talking Management with McGill University's Karl Moore, part one and two

Video: 25 Aug CGIO Academic Conference at NUS Business School, Singapore, https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1280922436/a06a0a1045c0c09b590f07b7206a8074