Ken Merchant holds the Deloitte & Touche LLP Chair of Accountancy at the University of Southern California. Previously he served as the dean of USC's Leventhal School of Accounting (1994-2001), and he taught at Harvard Business School (1978-90). Over the years he has worked or consulted for many corporations, both large and small, and has served on four corporate boards of directors. Professor Merchant has also served in leadership roles for many academic and professional organizations, including the American Accounting Association and Financial Executives International, and he has won multiple awards for his research contributions. He is a graduate of Union College (BA), Columbia University (MBA), and the University of California, Berkeley (PhD), is a Certified Public Accountant (Texas), and holds a Certificate of Director Education (NACD). In 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Turku School of Economics (Finland). His work is supported by his wife (Gail) and daughters (Abbidee and Madelyn).