Paul Alan Gompers | |
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Alma mater | Harvard University University of Oxford |
Occupation | Economist |
Employer | Harvard Business School |
Medal record | ||
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Men's athletics | ||
Representing ![]() | ||
World University Games | ||
![]() | 1985 Kobe | Marathon |
Paul A. Gompers is an American economist and former long-distance runner. He is the Eugene Holman Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. He is the co-author of three books.
Paul A. Gompers grew up in Belleville, Illinois. [1] He graduated with a bachelor's degree in biology from Harvard University in 1987. [1] [2] He earned a Marshall Scholarship to attend the University of Oxford, where he earned an MSc in economics. [1] [2] He earned a PhD in business economics from Harvard University in 1993. [1] [2]
Gompers was an accomplished long-distance runner. Running for the Harvard Crimson, Gompers placed 5th at the 1986 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships. He represented the U.S. at the 1983 World Cross Country Championships and was a national champion over the 20K run in 1987. [3]
In December 1983, Gompers ran 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 28 seconds in his first ever marathon while still a freshman at Harvard. The time was a world under-20 record, and it still stands as the fastest marathon ever by an American teenager. [3] [4] [5] [6] At the 1985 World University Games, Gompers won his first international medal by placing 3rd in the men's marathon. [3]
Gompers trained by running 150 to 170 miles per week, including 35 miles at once sometimes. [7]
Gompers worked as a biochemist for Bayer shortly after college. [2] After his PhD, he was an assistant professor of finance at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. [2] He joined the Harvard Business School, [1] where he eventually became the Eugene Holman Professor of Business Administration. [2] He now teaches executive education at the HBS. [2] He has written between 50 and 60 business cases. [8] He has also published articles in The Journal of Finance , the Journal of Financial Economics , the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity , The Journal of Private Equity , the Quarterly Journal of Economics , The Journal of Law and Economics , etc. [1] Additionally, he is the co-author of three books, two of which were co-authored with his HBS colleague Josh Lerner and the third one with his HBS colleague William A. Sahlman.
Gompers serves on the board of directors of Spur Capital Partners, a private equity firm. [1] He is also a senior advisor to Cornerstone Research, a litigation consulting firm. [9] He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. [9]