Martin Halek

Martin Halek

PhD

Positions

Associate Professor

Haskayne School of Business, Risk Management and Insurance [RMIN]

Contact information

Web presence

Phone number

Office: 403 220 7262

Location

Office: Scurfield Hall 426

For media enquiries, contact

Janice Hillmer
Senior Communications Strategist
Email: janice.hillmer@ucalgary.ca

 

Background

Educational Background

Doctor of Philosophy Insurance and Risk Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 2002

M.S. Actuarial Science, University Wisconsin - Madison, 1996

B.A. Mathematics, Whitman College, 1990

Biography

Martin Halek is an Associate Professor in Risk Management and Insurance in the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. Prior, he held academic positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Georgia and the University of North Carolina – Charlotte. He was also a visiting professor at Audencia Nantes School of Management in France. Dr. Halek earned a Ph.D. (Insurance and Risk Management) from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. (Actuarial Science) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.A. (Mathematics) from Whitman College. Prior to his academic career, he worked as an actuarial consultant in Seattle, Washington.

Dr. Halek’s areas of research include insurance economics, insurer ratings and financial markets, insurer loss reserving practices, adverse selection and hazard risk assessment. He has published in top academic journals including the Journal of Risk and InsuranceThe Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Forest Policy and Economics and Land Economics. Dr. Halek regularly presents his research at academic conferences and universities, and he is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Risk and Insurance Association (ARIA), the European Group of Risk and Insurance Economists (EGRIE) and the Western Risk and Insurance Association (WRIA). Dr. Halek has received research grants from various organizations including SSHRC, USAID, NFID and Society of Actuaries. He has also received research and teaching awards including the Donald Hardigree Memorial Award for the Outstanding Paper published in the Journal of Insurance Issues and the Les B. Strickler Innovation in Instruction Award by ARIA.

Courses

Course number Course title Semester
RMIN 317 Intro to Risk Mgmt & Insurance Fall 2023
MGST 672 Introduction to Business Fall 2023
MGST 623 Corporate Governance Fall 2023
RMIN 449 Emp Benefits & Social Ins Fall 2023

Projects

International Business in The Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Danger Zones of the Land of Opportunity?International Business in The Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Danger Zones of the Land of Opportunity?

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC) Grant (2018)


The Role of Insurance in Reducing the Frequency and Severity of Fire Losses

National Fire Information Database (NFID) Grant (2017)


Risk Management and Insurance Education in Indonesia

USAID Grant (2013)


Implications of the Cost of End of Life Care: A Review of the Literature

Research Grant, Society of Actuaries (2011-2012)

Awards

  • Donald W. Hardigree Memorial Award for the Outstanding Paper published in the Journal of Insurance Issues, Western Risk and Insurance Association. 2018
  • Semi-finalist for the Financial Management Association Best Paper Award in Corporate Finance, Financial Management Association. 2016
  • The Student Faculty Board Business Award of Excellence Finalist, Wisconsin School of Business, University of Wisconsin-Madison. 2010
  • Les B. Strickler Innovation in Instruction Award, American Risk and Insurance Association. 2006

Publications

  • What Factors Portend Changes in Household Relative Risk Aversion?. with James M. Carson, Randy E. Dumm and Andre P. Liebenberg. Journal of Insurance Issues. (2018)
  • Market Expectations Following Catastrophes: An Examination of Insurance Broker Returns. with Marc A. Ragin. Journal of Risk & Insurance. (2016)
  • Development and Application of a Probabilistic Method for Wildfire Suppression Cost Modeling. with Matthew P. Thompson, Jessica R. Haas, Mark A. Finney, David E. Calkin, Michael S. Hand, Mark J. Browne, Karen C. Short and Isaac C. Grenfell. Forest Policy and Economics. (2015)
  • Information Risk and the Cost of Capital. with David L. Eckles and Rongrong Zhang. Journal of Risk & Insurance. (2014)
  • Coastal Building Codes and Hurricane Damage. with Carolyn A. Dehring. Land Economics. (2013)
  • An Examination of Adverse Selection in the Public Provision of Insurance. with Randy E. Dumm and David L. Eckles. The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review. (2013)
  • Earnings Smoothing, Executive Compensation, and Corporate Governance: Evidence from the Property-Liability Insurance Industry. with David L. Eckles, Enya He, David W. Sommer and Rongrong Zhang. Journal of Risk & Insurance. (2011)
  • Effects of Analysts’ Ratings on Insurer Stock Returns: Evidence of Asymmetric Responses. with David L. Eckles. Journal of Risk & Insurance. (2010)
  • Insurer Reserve Error and Executive Compensation. with David L. Eckles. Journal of Risk & Insurance. (2010)
  • The Hungarian Insurance Market: Economic Transition in the Insurance Sector. with Bertrand Venard and Mark S. Dorfman. Risk Management and Insurance Review. (2008)
  • The Problem of Asymmetric Information: A Simulation of How Insurance Markets Can Be Inefficient. with David L. Eckles. Risk Management and Insurance Review. (2007)
  • Making the Mortgage Insurance Purchase Decision. with David L. Eckles and William H. Wells. Journal of Financial Planning. (2006)
  • Demography of Risk Aversion. with Joseph G. Eisenhauer. Journal of Risk & Insurance. (2001)
  • Prudence, Risk Aversion, and the Demand for Life Insurance. with Joseph G. Eisenhauer. Applied Economics Letters. (1999)
  • Do Coastal Building Codes Make Stronger Houses?. with Carolyn A. Dehring. Regulation. (2014)
  • Managing Flood Risk: A Discussion of the National Flood Insurance Program and Alternatives. with Mark J. Browne. Public Insurance and Private Markets, The AEI Press. (2010)