Very often, we associate the dawn of modern financial theory with Harry Markowitz who in the 1950s introduced the formal mathematics of probability theory to the problem of managing risk in an asset portfolio. The 1970s saw the advent of formal models for pricing options and other derivative contracts, whose primary purpose was also financial risk management and hedging. But events in the 1990s made it clear that effective risk management is a critical element for success, and indeed, for long term survival, not only for financial institutions, but also for industrial firms, and even for...

Very often, we associate the dawn of modern financial theory with Harry Markowitz who in the 1950s introduced the formal mathematics of probability theory to the problem of managing risk in an asset portfolio. The 1970s saw the advent of formal models for pricing options and other derivative contracts, whose primary purpose was also financial risk management and hedging. But events in the 1990s made it clear that effective risk management is a critical element for success, and indeed, for long term survival, not only for financial institutions, but also for industrial firms, and even for...