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Professor Simone Varotto

Professor of Finance

Programme Director of MSc Finance and Financial Technology (FinTech)
Programme Director of MSc Climate Change, Sustainable Business and Green Finance
Head of the Climate and Finance Research Cluster

Proofessor Simone Varotto

Specialisms

  • Climate finance, 
  • Banking and bank regulation, 
  • Credit risk, 
  • Systemic risk

Location

ICMA Centre, Whiteknights Campus

Simone Varotto is Professor of Finance at the ICMA Centre, Henley Business School, University of Reading. He holds a PhD in Financial Economics from the University of London and began his career at the Bank of England, where he worked on credit risk modelling and bank regulation.

His research focuses on green and sustainable finance, securitisation, loan syndication, financial regulation, and systemic risk. Simone has published extensively in leading journals such as the Journal of Corporate Finance, Journal of Banking and Finance, and Journal of International Money and Finance. He is the recipient of the University of Reading’s Best Research Output Prize and the Emerald Literati Award for Excellence.

Simone leads the Climate and Finance Research Cluster at the University of Reading and has collaborated with institutions such as the Natural History Museum on projects related to biodiversity loss and SME performance. He has supervised numerous PhD students who now hold academic and industry positions worldwide.

He teaches postgraduate modules in credit risk and climate finance and serves as Programme Director for MSc Finance and Financial Technology and MSc Climate Change, Sustainable Business and Green Finance. Simone has been an invited speaker at events hosted by the European Central Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, and CFA Institute, and has held external examiner roles at Imperial College, Birkbeck College, and the University of Edinburgh.

Reference: Billio, M., Busetto, F., Dufour, A. and Varotto, S. (2025) Bond supply expectations and the term structure of interest rates. Journal of International Money and Finance, 150. 103217. ISSN 1873-0639 doi: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2024.103217
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Alfonso Dufour - Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Sina, A. , Billio, M., Dufour, A. , Rocciolo, F. and Varotto, S. (2025) The systemic risk of leveraged and covenant-lite loan syndications. International Review of Financial Analysis, 97. 103738. ISSN 1873-8079 doi: 10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103738
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Alfonso Dufour - Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Dragotto, M. , Dufour, A. and Varotto, S. (2025) Greenium fluctuations and climate awareness in the corporate bond market. International Review of Financial Analysis. ISSN 1873-8079 doi: 10.1016/j.irfa.2025.104281 (In Press)
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Alfonso Dufour - Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Cathcart, L., Dufour, A. , Rossi, L. and Varotto, S. (2024) Corporate bankruptcy and banking deregulation: the effect of financial leverage. Journal of Banking and Finance, 166. 107219. ISSN 1872-6372 doi: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2024.107219
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Alfonso Dufour - Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Billio, M., Dufour, A. , Segato, S. and Varotto, S. (2023) Complexity and the default risk of mortgage-backed securities. Journal of Banking & Finance, 155. 106993. ISSN 1034-3040 doi: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2023.106993
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Alfonso Dufour - Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Liu, C. and Varotto, S. (2021) Is small beautiful? The resilience of small banks during the European debt crisis. International Review of Financial Analysis, 76. 101793. ISSN 1057-5219 doi: 10.1016/j.irfa.2021.101793
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Busetto, F., Dufour, A. and Varotto, S. (2020) COVID-19 and fiscal policy in the euro area. In: Billio, M. and Varotto, S. (eds.) A New World Post COVID-19 Lessons for Business, the Finance Industry and Policy Makers. Innovation in Business, Economics & Finance (1). Edizioni Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy, pp. 69-81. ISBN 9788869694424 doi: 10.30687/978-88-6969-442-4/005
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Alfonso Dufour - Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Billio, M. and Varotto, S. , eds. (2020) A New World Post COVID-19: Lessons for Business, the Finance Industry and Policy Makers. Innovation in Business, Economics & Finance, 1. Edizioni Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy, pp375. ISBN 9788869694424 doi: 10.30687/978-88-6969-442-4
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Cathcart, L., Dufour, A. , Rossi, L. and Varotto, S. (2020) Differential impact of leverage on the default risk of small and large firms. Journal of Corporate Finance, 60. 101541. ISSN 0929-1199 doi: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2019.101541
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Alfonso Dufour - Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Aftab, Z. and Varotto, S. (2019) Liquidity and shadow banking. Journal of International Money and Finance, 99. 102080. ISSN 0261-5606 doi: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2019.102080
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Varotto, S. and Zhao, L. (2018) Systemic risk and bank size. Journal of International Money and Finance, 82. pp. 45-70. ISSN 0261-5606 doi: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2017.12.002
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto Lei Zhao
Reference: Dufour, A. , Stancu, A. and Varotto, S. (2017) The equity-like behaviour of sovereign bonds. Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, 48. pp. 25-46. ISSN 1042-4431 doi: 10.1016/j.intfin.2016.11.014
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Alfonso Dufour - Professor Simone Varotto Andrei Stancu
Reference: Liu, Y., Padgett, C. and Varotto, S. (2017) Corporate governance, bank mergers and executive compensation. International Journal of Finance & Economics, 22 (1). pp. 12-29. ISSN 1099-1158 doi: 10.1002/ijfe.1565
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto Yan Liu
Reference: Avino, D. , Lazar, E. and Varotto, S. (2015) Time varying price discovery. Economics Letters, 126. pp. 18-21. ISSN 0165-1765 doi: 10.1016/j.econlet.2014.09.030
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Emese Lazar - Professor Simone Varotto Davide Avino
Reference: Avino, D. , Lazar, E. and Varotto, S. (2013) Price discovery of credit spreads in tranquil and crisis periods. International Review of Financial Analysis, 30. pp. 242-253. ISSN 1057-5219 doi: 10.1016/j.irfa.2013.08.002
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Emese Lazar - Professor Simone Varotto Davide Avino
Reference: Coro, F., Dufour, A. and Varotto, S. (2013) Credit and liquidity components of corporate CDS spreads. Journal of Banking & Finance, 37 (12). pp. 5511-5525. ISSN 0378-4266 doi: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2013.07.010
Henley faculty authors:
Dr Alfonso Dufour - Professor Simone Varotto Filippo Coro
Reference: Varotto, S. (2012) Stress testing credit risk: the Great Depression scenario. Journal of Banking and Finance, 36 (12). pp. 3133-3149. ISSN 0378-4266 doi: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2011.10.001
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Varotto, S. (2011) Liquidity risk, credit risk, market risk and bank capital. International Journal of Managerial Finance, 7 (2). pp. 134-152. ISSN 1743-9132 doi: 10.1108/17439131111122139
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Daripa, A. and Varotto, S. (2010) Ex ante versus ex post regulation of bank capital. In: Blenman, L. P., Black, H. A. and Kane, E. J. (eds.) Banking and capital markets: new international perspectives. World scientific publishing company, Singapore, pp. 29-58. ISBN 9789814273602
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto Arup Daripa
Reference: Drage, S. and Varotto, S. (2010) Country bias detection in postgraduate student admissions. International Journal of Management Education, 8 (3). pp. 95-106. ISSN 1472-8117 doi: 10.3794/ijme.83.260
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto Samantha Drage
Reference: Varotto, S. (2008) An assessment of the internal rating based approach in Basel II. The Journal of Risk Model Validation, 2 (2). ISSN 1753-9579
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Varotto, S. (2008) Tests on the accuracy of Basel II. In: Wagner, N. (ed.) Credit risk: models, derivatives, and management. Financial Mathematics Series (6). Chapman & Hall/CRC. ISBN 9781584889946
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto
Reference: Kou, J. and Varotto, S. (2008) Timeliness of spread implied ratings. European Financial Management, 14 (3). pp. 503-527. ISSN 1468-036X doi: 10.1111/j.1468-036X.2007.00362.x
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto J. Kou
Reference: Nickell, P., Perraudin, W. and Varotto, S. (2007) Ratings-based credit risk modelling: an empirical analysis. International Review of Financial Analysis, 16 (5). pp. 434-451. ISSN 1057-5219 doi: 10.1016/j.irfa.2007.06.003
Henley faculty authors:
Professor Simone Varotto Pamela Nickell- William Perraudin

Climate Change and Risk Management

This module provides a detailed discussion of the climate risks faced by corporations and financial institutions. Students will learn how climate data and climate models can be used to measure...

Module code: ICM518

Credit Risk

This course introduces students to a set of newly developed techniques to measure and manage credit risk in bank portfolios. In recent years financial institutions have been looking at ways...

Module code: ICM239

Billio, M. and Varotto, S. , eds. (2020) A New World Post COVID-19: Lessons for Business, the Finance Industry and Policy Makers, Innovation in Business, Economics & Finance, 1. Edizioni Ca' Foscari, Venice, Italy, pp. 375. ISBN 9788869694424

Daripa, A. and Varotto, S. (2010) Ex ante versus ex post regulation of bank capital. In: Blenham, L. P., Black, H. A. andKane, E. J. (eds.) Banking and capital markets: new international perspectives. World scientific publishing company, Singapore, pp. 29-58. ISBN 9789814273602

Varotto, S. (2008) Tests on the accuracy of Basel II. In: Wagner, N. (ed.) Credit risk: models, derivatives, and management. Financial Mathematics Series (6). Chapman & Hall/CRC. ISBN 9781584889946