Richard J. Gentry

Dr. Richard J. Gentry is a Professor of Management and FNC Founders Chair of Entrepreneurship at the University of Mississippi's School of Business Administration. He serves as Chair of the Department of Management and Co-Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. His interdisciplinary work bridges strategy, governance, and entrepreneurship with a focus on CEO turnover mechanisms and board dynamics.

Education: B.S. Industrial Engineering (University of Florida, 2001), M.B.A. Finance (University of Florida, 2001), Ph.D. Business Administration (University of Florida, 2006). His industry experience includes roles at Ford Motor Company and Asea Brown Boveri.

Research interests emphasize board behavior, family business governance, and strategic decision-making. Notably maintains the world's largest open-source CEO turnover database (6,000+ downloads) and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. Active in professional service since 2003, including leadership roles in the Academy of Management and Strategic Management Society.

Teaching focuses on entrepreneurship, strategy, and finance at both undergraduate and MBA levels. Courses include Entrepreneurship and Management (GB 370), General Business Topics Review (GB 490), and Dissertation Guidance (MGMT 797).

Key contributions include analyzing boardroom decision-making patterns, family firm governance models, and the strategic implications of CEO transitions. His work integrates agency theory, institutional theory, and resource dependence perspectives to explain organizational behavior.