Robert Clark is a professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Toronto. He specializes in industrial organization and has made contributions to competition policy and regulation. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Western Ontario and is also an affiliated professor at HEC Montreal and a Fellow of the Bank of Canada.
Clark’s research focuses on two main areas. The first aims to develop a better understanding of anticompetitive behaviour on the part of firms, and the government response to these practices. His research has mostly centered on two such activities: (i) agreements amongst competitors to fix prices, and (ii) mergers amongst rival firms. The second focuses on competition in the banking sector and its implications for financial stability. Clark’s research is particularly centered on changes in banking market structure, often stemming from transformations to the regulatory environment. He is interested in the impact of these changes on outcomes such as mortgage pricing, bank-risk, and access to credit.
His research has been published in leading journals such as the American Economic Review, the Journal of Political Economy, the Review of Economic Studies, and the RAND Journal of Economics. His contributions have been rewarded with several research prizes, including the 2024 John Rae Prize, and both the 2015 and 2025 best paper prize from the Association of Competition Economics. Clark has been invited to present his research in the most prestigious international conferences, central banks, and academic institutions throughout the world.