Joanna Błach has a post-PhD in Finance. She is currently an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Finance, University of Economics in Katowice (Poland). She is the head of the Department of Corporate Finance and Insurance and the director of the Finance and Accounting Programe for bachelor and master students at the University of Economics in Katowice. Her research interests and expertise focus on corporate financial management, with a special focus on the financing strategy, application of financial innovation and corporate governance mechanisms, as well as investor relations and integrated reporting. She is a member of the European Finance Association, the British Accounting and Finance Association and the European Risk Research Network. She also has professional experience in financial analysis and integrated reporting.