COBRA People

Marcel Olbert is Professor of Taxation, Accounting, and Finance at the University of Mannheim. His research examines how corporate taxation and disclosure regulation shape firms’ decisions, with a focus on multinational companies and global capital allocation. Marcel regularly publishes in the leading academic journals, has several editorial roles, and is a senior research associate at ZEW and Principal Investigator of the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center TRR 266 “Accounting for Transparency.” Previously at London Business School, he was named as one of Poets&Quants top 40-under-40 MBA professors.

When not in research & teaching mode, Marcel gets fulfilling distraction by working out and spending quality time with his family consisting of his wife, three daughters, one dog, and three chickens.

As Center Manager at COBRA, Christian Fischer oversees the center’s operational infrastructure across events, projects, and administrative processes, supporting the development and delivery of its programs while ensuring smooth day-to-day delivery. He has been with Mannheim Business School for over ten years, contributing extensively in various program management roles. He holds a BSc in Economics from LMU Munich and previously worked in international education and nonprofit contexts. When Christian is not busy keeping COBRA running, he enjoys his additional role as Senior Program Manager for the Mannheim Master in Management Analytics & AI at Mannheim Business School.

Trias Kolokitha-Schmitz is Launch Director at COBRA, where she supports the center’s development and overall positioning. She brings extensive experience in research strategy and governance, grant and portfolio management, and international collaboration through her work at London Business School. 

Trias holds a Dr. phil. and an MA from Leibniz Universität Hannover. She lives in London with her husband, teenage son, and Italian Volpino. Alongside her role in institutional strategy, she works as a certified and accredited coach and breathwork facilitator, informed by her background in social psychology. 

Sophie Ockert holds a Bachelor's degree in Culture and Business Studies, with a focus on German Studies and Business Administration, as well as a Master's degree in Philosophy and Business Administration from the University of Mannheim. During her Master's studies, she specialized in social philosophy. Since September 2022, she has been the Area Manager of the Accounting & Taxation Area at the University of Mannheim.

Prof. Dr. Oliver G. Spalt is Chair of Financial Markets and Financial Institutions at the University of Mannheim and studies how households, firms, and investors make financial decisions. He has published in all leading finance journals, including the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, and the Review of Financial Studies. He is a Research Member of the European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) and a recipient of the prestigious NWO VIDI grant.

Prof. Dr. Eckhard Janeba is Chair of Public Finance and Economic Policy at the University of Mannheim and specializes in public economics and international taxation. His research focuses on tax competition and the effects of globalization on fiscal policy, and he serves as Chair of the Academic Advisory Board to Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

Prof. Dr. Barbara Stage is Assistant Professor for Financial Accounting and Business Taxation at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management. Her research focuses on corporate taxation and tax transparency, studying how disclosure and regulation affect firms’ tax planning and behavior.

Dr. Matti Boie-Wegener

Dr. Matti Boie-Wegener is currently a post-doctoral researcher in Accounting and Taxation at the University of Mannheim. He earned his doctorate in Economics from the University of Göttingen and his research focuses on corporate taxation and empirical tax policy.

Johannes Gaul

Johannes Gaul is a PhD candidate at the University of Mannheim and the ZEW, working at the intersection of accounting, taxation, and public economics. His research uses new data sources and empirical methods to study responses to policy interventions, tax compliance, and economics fraud.

Jonathan Sattler

Jonathan Sattler is a PhD candidate at the University of Mannheim, working on topics related to sustainability reporting, sustainability regulation, and the energy transition. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from THM Gießen and a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Mannheim. In his research, he also collaborates with Marcel Olbert to study how regulatory frameworks and reporting practices shape corporate behavior in the context of sustainability and energy transformation.

Carolina Grande

Carolina Grande holds holds a Master's degree in International Development and Public Policy from Nova School of Business and Economics (NOVA SBE), a postgraduate certificate in Accounting and Tax from the Lisbon School of Economics and Management (ISEG), and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Lisbon (FDUL). She previously worked in tax and fiscal policy consulting at Syntesia and PwC Portugal, and as a research assistant at NOVAFRICA in Mozambique. Her previous work focused on taxation, fiscal policy, and public economics. She will join the Taxation Track at the Center for Doctoral Studies in Business at GESS in September 2026.

Juan Camilo Obando

Juan Camilo Obando Martínez is a researcher at the University of Mannheim. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Universidad de los Andes. His research focuses on taxation, inequality, and public economics, with an emphasis on using administrative data to study income distribution.

Chelvi Rodge

Chelvi is an empirical researcher with interests in consumer finance, financial discrimination, and social mobility. Chelvi previously served as a Predoc in Finance at the Indian School of Business and holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Economics from BASE University.   

Bao Ky Anna Doan

Bao Ky Anna Doan is currently pursuing her Master's degree in the Mannheim Master in Management (MMM) program. Her specialization lies in Accounting and Taxation.

Jovana Mieusnic

Jovana Mileusnic is a PhD student at the University of Belgrade. She holds a master’s degree in Economics from the same institution. Her research interests liein applied econometrics and operations research, with a focus on finance and business applications.

Luca Caprari

Luca Caprari is a PhD student in Taxation at the University of Mannheim and a researcher at the German Business Panel. He was previously a trainee at the European Central Bank. His research interests lie at the intersection of taxation, AI, and surveys.

Rebeca Lazo is a Peruvian international student at the University of Mannheim, where she is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Culture and Economy with a focus on Media and Communication Studies and Business Administration. After obtaining her bilingual International Baccalaureate Diploma, she briefly studied at the University of Lima, where she further deepened her interest in business, media, and communication before continuing her studies in Mannheim. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of communication, entrepreneurship, and the arts, which she complements through practical experience in the start-up and venture capital sectors.

Dominic Wassermann holds a Bachelor's degree in International Management and is currently pursuing a Master's in Management with a focus on Finance. His international academic profile includes semesters abroad in the United States and at ESSEC Business School in Paris. Alongside his studies, he has gained practical experience in financial controlling and consulting at BMW AG and Deloitte.