On the afternoon of Monday, May 25, 2026, the Business School of Central University of Finance and Economics successfully held the 9th Distinguished Academic Forum of 2026 in Conference Room 615, Main Teaching Building, Xueyuan South Road Campus. Professor Li Jiatao, Lee Quo Wei Professorship in Business at the Business School of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, was invited as the keynote speaker. More than ten faculty members, doctoral students and master's students from the Business School attended the academic event.
The forum was presided over by Professor Lin Song from the Business School of Central University of Finance and Economics. Before the lecture commenced, Professor Lin Song introduced Professor Li Jiatao's academic achievements to all participants. Professor Li currently serves as Chair Professor in the Department of Management and Director of the Center for Business Strategy and Innovation at the HKUST Business School, as well as Senior Fellow of the HKUST Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). He is also a Yangtze River Scholar Distinguished Professor and a Fellow of the Academy of International Business (AIB). He previously served as Vice President of AIB (2016-2019) and Chair of the 2018 AIB Annual Conference.Professor Li was Associate Editor of the Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS) from 2016 to 2025, and held the same position at the Strategic Management Journal (SMJ) between 2009 and 2016. In addition, he has held multiple administrative roles at HKUST Business School, including Senior Associate Dean (2013-2017), Associate Dean (2009-2013) and Chair of the Department of Management (2006-2017). His research papers have been published in top-tier management journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Management and Journal of International Business Studies, and many of his works have won Best Paper Awards.
Professor Li Jiatao delivered a lecture entitled Dissenting Shareholder Votes and Non-CEO Executive Turnover. Using a sample of S&P 1500 constituent firms from 2004 to 2019, he elaborated on how institutional investors’ dissenting votes in director elections affect the turnover rate of non-CEO executives.Existing literature largely focuses on the succession of board chairs and CEOs, while this study fills the research gap regarding impacts on other senior executives. The research reveals that dissenting votes cast by institutional investors lead to a significant rise in the turnover rate of non-CEO executives.Through rigorous empirical analysis, Professor Li verified this finding. He further discussed the underlying mechanisms and theoretical contributions, offering a new perspective for understanding how shareholder governance influences the stability of corporate top management teams.
After the lecture, teachers and students present engaged in a lively discussion with Professor Li Jiatao. The topics covered included shareholder voting and governance mechanisms, incentives and restraints for non-CEO executives, the role of institutional investors, and relevant research against the Chinese context. The session greatly facilitated the exchange and collision of academic ideas.
As a key platform for the Business School of Central University of Finance and Economics to fulfill its mission of advancing new management knowledge, the Distinguished Academic Forum centers on frontier issues in business administration and the management practices of Chinese enterprises. It pools global wisdom and innovative insights, and strives to provide theoretical support and practical solutions for the sustainable social and economic development of China.
