George Foster

Professor, Accounting
+1 (650) 723-2821

George Foster

The Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Management

Academic Area:

Additional Administrative Titles

Director, Sports Management Initiative
Director, Executive Program for Growing Companies

Research Statement

George Foster’s research and teaching includes entrepreneurship/early-stage companies; financial analysis, especially in commercial disputes; and sports business management. His recent research includes asset creation and destruction, global entrepreneurship, and the role of financial and other systems in the growth and valuation of companies. He also is researching globalization challenges facing both sporting organizations and companies.

Bio

George Foster holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in economics from the University of Sydney and a doctorate from the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. He taught at the University of Chicago and the Australian Graduate School of Management prior to joining the GSB faculty at Stanford University.

His writings include over 50 research articles, over 100 cases, three monographs, as well as multiple editions of several textbooks. Foster’s early and continuing research was on the role of financial analysis in the valuation and growth of companies. He subsequently broadened his research interests to include management control systems, entrepreneurship/venture capital, and sports business management. His textbook writings include Financial Statement Analysis; Cost Accounting: A Managerial Analysis; and The Business of Sports.

Foster works extensively with the World Economic Forum and is a member and former Chair of their Global Agenda Council on Fostering Entrepreneurship. He led the research team on the 2011 Forum publication on Global Entrepreneurship and the Successful Growth Strategies of Early-Stage Companies. He co-led the research team on the 2013 Forum publication on Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Around the Globe and Company Growth Dynamics.


Foster’s 2010 California Management Review co-authored paper on “Building Sustainable High-Growth Startup Companies” won the 2011 Accenture Award for the article that “has made the most important contribution to improving the practice of management.” He has won multiple other research awards including the AICPA Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Accounting Literature (twice) and the Competitive Manuscript Award of the American Accounting Association (twice). He is a winner of the Distinguished Teaching Award at Stanford Business School and has been awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Ghent (Belgium) and the University of Vaasa (Finland).

He is actively involved in the business community, especially with venture-capital backed startup companies and has served on the Board of Directors of multiple companies. He is also actively involved with sporting organizations around the globe, including directing executive programs for the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

Academic Degrees

  • Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Vaasa
  • Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Ghent
  • PhD, Stanford University
  • MEc, University of Sydney, BEc, (First Class Honours, University Medal)

Academic Appointments

  • The Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Management, Stanford GSB
  • Associate Professor, Australian Graduate School of Management
  • Assistant Professor, University of Chicago

Awards and Honors

  • World Economic Forum/Davos Participant
  • Accenture Award, California Management Review
  • Advance 100 Leading Australians Member
  • Outstanding Educator Award, American Accounting Association
  • Distinguished Teaching Award, MBA, Stanford Business School

Publications

Journal Articles

Books

Working Papers

Stanford Case Studies

In the Media

Insights by Stanford Business

School News