Rice University Scholar Chosen to Lead the Strategic Management Society

Yan “Anthea” Zhang, the Fayez Sarofim Vanguard Professor of Management at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University in Houston, Texas, is the new president-elect of the Strategic Management Society. Professor Zhang will serve as president-elect for two years. She will be president the following two years and past-president for the next two years.

The Strategic Management Society consists of over 3,000 members from more than 80 countries including academics, business practitioners, and consultants. Members work on developing and sharing strategic management insights around the world.

Professor Zhang previously served the society as associate editor of its Strategic Management Journal, representative-at-large for its Global Strategy Interest Group, and representative-at-large for its Corporate Strategy and Corporate Governance Interest Group.

“I seek to both expand SMS’s presence on a global scale and increase the diversity and inclusivity of our community,” Zhang stated. “From my own experience, I understand the career hurdles that are sometimes faced by junior, female and international scholars, and I want to see SMS play a critical role in fostering an inclusive academic community for strategy scholars from all backgrounds.”

Dr. Zhang first joined the faculty at Rice University in 2001. Her research has focused on CEO succession and corporate governance of public-listed companies, and foreign direct investment and technological entrepreneurship in emerging markets (notably China).

Professor Shang holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Nanjing University in China. She earned a master’s degree in international business from the City University of Hong Kong and a Ph.D. in strategic management from the University of Southern California.