Aston Business School to boost Accounting Department with three new senior staff additions

Aston University is set to welcome three new experts to its business school’s Accounting Department. These appointments will significantly add to its current research base in several of its core areas including auditing, financial reporting and management accounting.

Professor Kemi Yekini and Dr Galina Goncharenko will join in October 2023, with Professor Teerooven Soobaroyen arriving in January 2024.

Professor Yekini is a distinguished academic. Her notable contributions span various aspects of accounting, with a particular focus on transparency in corporate disclosures and sustainability reporting. Notably, she has been instrumental in taking CSR communication research forward by introducing a linguistic-based methodology. Her research efforts in this realm significantly influenced the comprehensive review of sustainability reports undertaken by Radley Yeldar. Her work has been published in esteemed accounting journals, including but not limited to the Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Accounting Forum, and Business & Society. Her insights have also made valuable additions to the Encyclopaedia of Sustainable Management. Over the past few years, she has played a pivotal role in spearheading the development of an accounting program at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, showcasing her dedication to advancing the field. Professor Yekini will join Aston University from SOAS, University of London, as professor of Accounting.

Dr Goncharenko’s research focuses on social accounting, accountability at work, workplace democracy, netnography and accountability discourses on social media platforms. Her work has published in a number of leading accounting and management science journals, such as Critical Perspectives on Accounting and Business Ethics Quarterly. Her research on organisational accountability for workplace misconduct contributed to the newly launched United Nations Knowledge Hub on Addressing Sexual Harassment. Galina’s research and impact acceleration activities have been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Leverhulme Trust. In 2019, Galina organised the ESRC Festival of Social Science debate #MeToo: A journey towards a harassment-free workplace. She will join Aston University as a reader from the University of Sussex.

Professor Soobaroyen has held academic positions at various universities teaching a range of accounting and governance topics over the last 20 years to undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students. He is widely recognised as a leader in the UK and internationally in the accounting research world including having been the Chair of the British Accounting and Finance Association. His research addresses the role of accounting, accountability and governance, notably in corporate and public sector contexts within the Global South. He has published extensively in internationally recognised journals such as Accounting, Organizations and Society and Accounting Auditing and Accountability Journal. He will join Aston University from the University of Essex.

Professor Kemi Yekini, who will join as a professor in Accounting, said:

“I am excited to be joining Aston Business School. It will allow me to be a part of a vibrant academic community that values engagement with industry, innovation and impact in accounting and business education.”

Dr Galina Goncharenko, who will join as a reader in Accounting, said:

“I am excited and humbled by the opportunity to join the academic community of Aston University. 

“The university’s recent achievements in research and education while prioritising interdisciplinarity and accelerating social engagements, inclusivity and impact are impressive and inspiring.  

“Recognising multiple synergies between the scholarly work undertaken by the Accounting Department and my own research, I am excited to plan for potential new collaborations and research initiatives.”

Professor Teerooven Soobaroyen, who will join as a professor in Accounting, said:

“In joining Aston University, I am very much looking forward to being part of a scholarly community aiming to support students in their educational journey while addressing local, national as well as global accounting and governance challenges.

“Notably, sustainability accounting, public sector financial management and governance are at the forefront of policymakers’ and organisational leaders’ agenda and through my work, I aim to contribute to Aston Business School’s reputation, research profile and engagement with the wider community.”       

Professor Andy Lymer, head of Accounting at Aston University, said:

“This is an exciting new chapter for Aston Business School and I am thrilled to announce the addition of another three distinguished experts to our Accounting Department bringing further internationally recognised profile to the Department. 

“Their collective expertise will enrich our academic community and further our commitment to innovation and impact in accounting and business education. Aston Business School values engagement with industry and embraces interdisciplinary collaboration, both of which align perfectly with the goals of our new colleagues.

“Together, their arrival signals a promising future for the Accounting Department and the broader Aston University community. We look forward to their contributions, insights and the positive impact they will undoubtedly have on our students, research, and engagement with the wider world.”