The Risk Institute

About Us

The conversation about risk starts here.

Our Mission

To advance enterprise risk management through cross-disciplinary collaboration, academic research, thought leadership and talent development.

Why The Risk Institute Matters

The Risk Institute at The Ohio State University Max M. Fisher College of Business is a consortium of forward-thinking organizations and academics with a focus on risk and enterprise risk management.

Today, every facet of a company, from the board and C-suite down, is affected by risk and enterprise risk management practices.

We operate at a unique intersection of risk leaders, academic researchers, students and industry professionals across all industries and functions. With our innovative and cutting-edge approaches to risk management, the Risk Institute creates a unique forum and immersive experience for members to neutrally convene, network and engage in risk-centered conversations, ideas and strategies that they often cannot find anywhere else.

Our Founding Members

Battelle

Huntington

Nationwide

The Ohio State University

Our Team

Isil Erel headshotIsil Erel, Academic Director

Dr. Isil Erel, David A. Rismiller Chair in Finance, holds a Ph.D. in financial economics from MIT Sloan School of Management. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and business administration from Koç University, Turkey. Her research, which has been published in top finance journals, spans a variety of areas within corporate finance, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and financial institutions.

Isil is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)’s Corporate Finance program and a research member at the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI). She also serves on the boards of the European Finance Association (EFA), Foundation for the Advancement of Research in Financial Economics (FARFE), the Financial Intermediation Research Society (FIRS) and the Risk Institute.

Isil is an editor of the Review of Corporate Finance Studies and an associate editor of the Journal of Financial Intermediation. She is the 2010 recipient of Fisher’s Pace Setters Faculty Research Award, the 2015 recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award, and 2020 recipient of the Recognition Award for significant out-of-classroom contributions at Fisher.


Ashley Corry headshotAshley Corry, Program Coordinator

Ashley Corry is the Program Coordinator at The Risk Institute at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. A versatile professional, with high attention to detail and skills across multiple communication platforms, she earned her bachelor’s degree in communication at Wittenberg University and has worked in communication consulting for nearly ten years. She earned her Master of Arts in Management from Antioch University Midwest (formerly Antioch University McGregor) and her Master of Science in Athletic Administration from Ohio University, with a focus on risk and communication dynamics in team sports.

At The Risk Institute, Ashley is a dedicated logistician and professional event planner supporting a variety of Risk Institute initiatives. She is committed to delivering exceptional audience experiences and elevating business performance via data-driven strategies, meaningful market insights, streamlined processes and strong cross-functional partnerships.


Samantha Ellwood headshotSamantha Ellwood, Associate Director

Samantha (“Sammie”) earned her Master of Public Administration from Ohio State’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and her Bachelor of Arts in cultural anthropology from Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College. Before joining the Risk Institute, she spent two years recruiting for startups in technology and life sciences. Prior to that, she spent five years at The Ohio State University as the Glenn College’s Graduate Programs Manager, where she contributed to the development of three new master’s programs while wearing many hats as a student affairs professional (recruiting, onboarding, advising, event planning). Before that, she worked at Ohio State’s College of Medicine coordinating classes for first and second-year medical students.

Sammie brings a wide set of professional skills to the Risk Institute, including program and stakeholder development/management, strategic planning, change management and data-driven decision-making. She has a passion for relationship-building both within the university and with private, public and community partners.

Contact Us

Samantha Ellwood
Associate Director, The Risk Institute 

255 Mason Hall | 250 W. Woodruff Avenue | Columbus OH, 43210

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