Faculty Directory

Wanli Zhao

Assistant Professor

Office: Washburn Shops, 213
Phone: +1-508-831-5185
Fax: +1-508-831-5720
zhaowl@wpi.edu

Educational Background

• B.S., Harbin Institute of Technology, China
• MBA, Temple University
• PhD, Temple University

Research & Teaching Interests

Corporate governance; board of directors; ownership structure; CEO compensation.

IQP Advising Interests

international comparisons; impact of technical change on job & business; economics in mature countries; economics in developing countries; stock market analyses

Research

His research focuses on corporate governance issues and especially on the board of directors. (1) specific director expertise and the impact on corporate activities such as financial reporting, internationalization, and consequently firm performance; (2) board structure, determinates of board structure and the impact on corporate governance

Recent Publications

• Family controlled firms and informed trading: Evidence from short sales, with Ron Anderson, and David Reeb, 2^nd round R&R at Journal of Finance.

• Legal expertise on corporate audit committees and financial reporting quality, with Jayanthi Krishnan, and Yuan Wen, under 2^nd round review at Accounting Review.

• The economics of director heterogeneity, with Ron Anderson, David Reeb, and Arun Upadhyay, forthcoming, Financial Management.

• Director capital and corporate disclosure quality, with David Reeb, under review at Journal of Accounting and Public Policy.

• Board efficacy: The importance of director human and social capital, with Jay Choi, and David Reeb, under review at Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization.

View detailed list

Years of Service at WPI

• 2007-preseent Assistant Professor of Finance

Professional Experience & Activities

• Financial Management Association Annual Meeting (06, 07, 08, 09)
• American Accounting Association Annual Meeting (09)
• Academy of Management Annual Meeting, ad hoc reviewer, 2009.
• Journal of International Management, ad hoc reviewer, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.
• International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets, ad hoc reviewer, 2007, 2008.
• Australia and New Zealand International Business Academy, ad hoc reviewer, 2008.

Professional Societies/Memberships

• Academy of International Business
• Academy of Management
• American Accounting Association
• American Finance Association
• Financial Management Association