Jeeva Somasundaram

Jeeva Somasundaram is a tenured Associate Professor of Decision Sciences in the Operations and Business Analytics area at IE University.

Prior to joining IE, Jeeva completed his PhD in Management (Decision Sciences) at INSEAD, France, and served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Behavioral Economics at the National University of Singapore (with a joint affiliation to ETH Zurich). During his PhD, he was also a Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher with the European Union’s CONCORT (Consumer Competence Research Training) network, and a visiting PhD student at the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, USA.

His research lies at the intersection of decision theory and behavioral economics, with a focus on decision-making under risk and habit formation and behavioral change. He employs a combination of mathematical modeling, randomized lab experiments, and field experiments, following a consistent approach: first developing a rigorous theoretical foundation, then testing its predictions empirically, and ultimately applying the insights to address managerial challenges in domains such as environment, health, operations, and marketing.

Jeeva’s work has been published in leading academic journals, including Communications Medicine (Nature Portfolio), Communications Psychology (Nature Portfolio), Energy Economics, European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Economic Theory, Journal of Marketing, and the Journal of Risk and Uncertainty.

At IE University, Jeeva teaches Data Analytics (core) course in the International MBA and Master in Management programs, Experimental Design and Causal Inference for PhD and Master in Management students, and contributes to the executive program on Attention, Habit, and Digital Well-being. He has received multiple teaching awards across different programs in recognition of his excellence in the classroom.

For more on his research and teaching, please visit jeevasomasundaram.com.

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

• Associate Professor in Decision Sciences, Operations and Business Analytics Area, IE University, Spain, 2025 – Present

• Assistant Professor in Decision Sciences, Operations and Business Analytics Area, IE University, Spain, 2018 – 2025

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Behavioral Economics, National University of Singapore (Joint affiliation to Future Resilient Systems, ETH Zurich), 2016 – 2018

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

• Ph.D. in Management (Decision Sciences), INSEAD, France, 2012 – 2016

• M.Sc. in Management (Decision Sciences), INSEAD, France, 2012 – 2014

• P.G.D.M. (M.B.A. equivalent), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong, 2009 – 2011

• B.E. (Electronics & Communication), Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Anna University, India, 2005 – 2009

CORPORATE EXPERIENCE

• Associate, Project Advisory and Structured Finance, SBI Capital Markets Ltd, Bangalore, India, 2011 – 2012

• Summer intern, Dr. Reddy’s laboratories, 2010

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)

3- Good Health and Well-Being

10- Reduced Inequalities

12- Responsible Consumption and Production