Hoje Jo is the Gerald and Bonita A. Wilkinson Professor of Finance at Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business. A distinguished scholar whose work lies at the intersection of corporate finance, governance, and sustainable business, he is widely recognized for integrating ethical and social responsibility frameworks into financial research.
Born in Korea, Jo completed a B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature at Seoul National University (1977) before pursuing graduate studies in finance. He earned an M.B.A. from the State University of New York at Buffalo (1982) and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Florida (1986).
Jo launched his academic career as an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico in 1986. He joined Santa Clara University in 1990 and has since held several leadership roles, including Chair of the Finance Department (2011–2014) and Acting Chair (2009). He was appointed to his endowed professorship in 2013.
With more than 110 peer-reviewed articles, Jo’s research appears in leading journals such as the Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Business Venturing, and Review of Accounting Studies. His work has garnered over 16,400 citations and an h-index of 39 (as of January 2026), reflecting substantial scholarly impact. A central theme of his research is the connections among corporate finance, corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental sustainability, and ethical governance. His influential paper, “The Economics and Politics of Corporate Social Performance” (co-authored with Baron and Harjoto), received the 2009 Moskowitz Prize for Socially Responsible Investing.
Jo’s contributions have been honored with multiple awards, including the Iddo Sarnat Memorial Award from the Journal of Banking and Finance (1996), Best Paper Award at the Financial Management Association/PACAP Joint Conference (2000), the Mae-Kyung Best Paper Award (2008, 2018), and the AJFS Samsung Asset Management Best Paper Award (2021). He is also a recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) and Santa Clara University’s President’s Special Recognition Award (2013).
Deeply engaged in the academic community, Jo served as President of the Korea America Finance Association (2008–2009) and has contributed to editorial boards for journals such as the Global Finance Journal and Review of Accounting and Finance. He has been a visiting professor at institutions including Korea University Business School, Seoul National University, and KAIST.
Before entering academia, Jo gained industry experience in South Korea with Ssangyong Corporation and Daewoo Industrial Co. He has also advised and served on the boards of several Silicon Valley technology startups and venture firms.
In addition to his research, Jo teaches across undergraduate, MBA, and specialized finance programs, with courses in financial management, venture capital, private equity, and international finance.
February 2026