Simon Loertscher

Simon Loertscher is Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics, Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne, and Director of the Centre for Market Design since November 2015. He previously served as Deputy Director Research of the Centre from April 2012 to October 2015. Loertscher joined the University of Melbourne in January 2007 as Lecturer, advancing to Senior Lecturer with tenure in September 2009, Associate Professor in January 2014, and Professor in 2016. Earlier in his career, he held positions as Lecturer at the University of Bern from September 2005 to December 2006 and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University from January to May 2005. He holds a Doctorate in Economics from the University of Bern (2004) and a Master’s in Economics (lic.rer.pol.) from the same university (2000).

Loertscher's research specializes in Industrial Organization, Market Making, Mechanism and Market Design, and Political Economics with a focus on Market Microstructure. His influential publications appear in leading journals, including 'Coordination in the Fight Against Collusion' with E. Iossa, L. Marx, and P. Rey (American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, 2024); 'Monopoly Pricing, Optimal Randomization, and Resale' with E. Muir (Journal of Political Economy, 2022); 'Incomplete Information Bargaining with Applications to Mergers, Investment, and Vertical Integration' with L. Marx (American Economic Review, 2022); 'Merger Review for Markets with Buyer Power' with L. Marx (Journal of Political Economy, 2019); 'A Long Way Coming: Designing Centralized Markets with Privately Informed Buyers and Sellers' with L. Marx and T. Wilkening (Journal of Economic Literature, 2015); and book chapters such as 'Location Games' in Spatial Economics Volume I (Springer, 2020). He has received the Deans’ Prize for Exceptional Distinction in Research Excellence (2023, 2020, 2016), Deans’ Prize for Exceptional Distinction in Research Training (2019), Jerry S. Cohen Award for Best Antitrust Article (2023, 2022), University of Melbourne Awards for Excellence in Engagement (2019, 2017), and Tullock Prize for the Best Theoretical Paper (2009). Loertscher serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Economic Theory (since 2021) and American Economic Journal: Microeconomics (since 2020), among other editorial roles.

Professional Email: simonl@unimelb.edu.au