
Encourages questions and exploration.
Always patient and willing to help.
Inspires students to love their studies.
Makes learning interactive and fun.
Encourages innovative and creative solutions.
Mingze Gao, also known as Adrian, is a Lecturer in Finance in the Department of Applied Finance at Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, a position he has held since January 2024. He also serves as Deputy Director of the Macquarie University FinTech and Banking Research Centre, leading the Digital Infrastructure and Platforms stream. Gao earned his PhD in Finance from the University of Sydney in 2021, a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours in Finance from the same institution in 2016, a Bachelor of Commerce in Econometrics and Finance in 2015, and a Graduate Certificate in Computing from the University of New South Wales in 2023. Prior to his current role, he was a visiting fellow and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Sydney. An elected academic staff member of the Macquarie Business School Faculty Board, Gao teaches courses such as Banking and Financial Intermediation and contributes to various research projects, including Artificial Intelligence for Operational Excellence and Investor Returns in Strata Management, Digital Finance for Climate Resilience in Pacific Island Nations, and Climate Litigation Risk: AI-Enhanced Greenwashing Detection.
Gao's research specializes in banking and corporate finance, encompassing financial intermediation, FinTech, behavioral finance, venture capital, supply chain finance, tax policy, and accounting. His work has been published in leading journals, including Journal of Corporate Finance ("Real Estate Collateral, Lender Screening, and M&A Performance," with Thanh Son Luong and Buhui Qiu, 2026), Finance Research Letters ("Consumer Behaviour and Credit Supply: Evidence from an Australian FinTech Lender," with Henry Leung, Linhui Liu, and Buhui Qiu, 2023), European Management Journal ("Closer than ever: Growing business-level connections between Australia and Europe," 2023), and Journal of Banking & Finance ("Organization Capital and Executive Performance Incentives," with Henry Leung and Buhui Qiu, 2021). Several working papers are under revise and resubmit at top journals such as Management Science and Contemporary Accounting Research. Gao has received the FIRN 2023 The Brattle Group Best Paper Award for "Lone (Loan) Wolf Pack Risk," MQBS Early Career Researcher Support Scheme funding for 2025–2026, Data Horizons Research Funding in 2024, and a nomination for the Students’ Choice Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and the Student Experience in 2025. He serves as an ad hoc referee for multiple ABDC A*/A journals and has presented at conferences including WFA, SFS Cavalcade, EFA, FMA, FIRN, and AFBC.
