With over three decades of experience advising on some of the most complex Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and corporate finance transactions, Luigi Rizzo brings unmatched practitioner expertise into the classroom. Now Professor of Practice at Imperial Business School, he is eager to help students connect rigorous theory to the realities of global finance. 

From boardrooms to business schools 

Mr Rizzo is Vice Chair of Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley, where his sole focus is on advising some of the firm’s most important clients as they raise, manage, and allocate capital. Across his career, he has held senior leadership roles at bulge-bracket leading global investment banks, where he served as head of M&A and corporate finance and, later, head of investment banking for the EMEA region. 

His professional journey has placed him at the forefront of international finance, navigating cross-border mergers, landmark IPOs and restructuring transactions. For him, each deal is more than just a financial transaction, it’s a lesson in strategy, leadership, and methodical execution. 

Alongside his full-time career in investment banking, Mr Rizzo has been deeply engaged in teaching. He is an Adjunct Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, where he teaches postgraduate electives in M&A and Strategic Corporate Finance. He has also taught at Imperial as a visiting professor, delivering courses on M&A, and is a regular guest lecturer at leading business schools in Europe and the US.  

At Imperial, Mr Rizzo’s approach to teaching is shaped by his conviction that corporate finance cannot be understood through theory alone. By combining theory with case studies filled with insights from his decades as a practitioner, he gives students a view of how financial principles are applied in real situations where the stakes are high and potential biases always present. 

“It is a privilege to be part of the Imperial community and help students bridge the gap between theoretical frameworks and the daily realities of global finance,” he says.  

This bridging role is central to his work as Professor of Practice: giving students the analytical tools to thrive, while grounding discussions in the nuanced complexity of real-world decision-making.  

Mr Rizzo’s academic foundation was laid at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, where he earned his undergraduate degree and MA in Business Engineering. Today, he continues to combine practice and scholarship through his own doctoral research, as a part-time PhD student in the English Faculty of the University of Cambridge. As a full-time practitioner and an academic, he regularly exchanges with scholars on emerging themes in finance, from the role of capital markets in innovation to evolving regulatory and geopolitical challenges. 

A global finance perspective at Imperial  

At Imperial Business School, Mr Rizzo will continue to draw on his global experience to prepare students for careers in investment banking and corporate finance. His teaching highlights the need for both technical skills and judgment, showing how theory and practice intersect in shaping financial outcomes.  

For him, joining Imperial is not only about teaching but also about being part of a world-class institution at the crossroads of business, technology and policy. Mr Rizzo said: “Imperial’s strength lies in combining analytical rigor with practical impact. It is exciting to contribute to a community where research and teaching are so closely connected to real-world challenges.”  

With his extensive background and passion for mentoring, Mr Rizzo is set to play a key role in shaping the next generation of finance leaders at Imperial.