Global Summit 2026

Rob Alexander, Ed.D.

Rob Alexander is vice provost and university dean for enrollment management at the University of Rochester, where he leads the University’s admissions, financial aid, communications, and enrollment strategy efforts. A recognized leader in higher education, he has held senior administrative and teaching positions at institutions across the United States. Before joining URochester, he served as vice president for enrollment and communications at Millsaps College, where he helped strengthen enrollment, increase student diversity, and expand international student representation. He also contributed to curriculum development and taught management courses that combined liberal arts and business education.

Dr. Alexander is an active member of several national professional organizations, including the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the College Board, and the Association of Governing Boards. He frequently speaks on enrollment management and marketing strategy and has published work in professional higher education journals and magazines. He holds degrees from Tulane University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Thomas J. Farrell Ed.D., ’88, ’90W

Thomas J. Farrell is senior vice president for advancement at the University of Rochester, where he leads the institution’s fundraising, alumni engagement, and advancement initiatives. An advancement leader with more than 30 years of experience, he joined URochester in 2014 to help complete the University’s historic $1.4 billion Meliora Challenge campaign and strengthen its advancement program. Today, he is leading For Ever Better: The Campaign for the University of Rochester, the University’s largest fundraising and engagement initiative to date, which seeks to raise $1.75 billion while deepening connections among alumni, students, faculty, staff, and the broader community.

Before returning to his alma mater, Dr. Farrell served as chief development officer for the University of Illinois and president and CEO of the University of Illinois Foundation. He previously held senior advancement leadership roles at the University of Chicago, where he helped launch a $5 billion campaign, and at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a key strategist for the $4.3 billion Making History campaign. His career also includes leadership positions at Dartmouth College and the University at Buffalo. Dr. Farrell holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Rochester and an EdD in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.

Evans Lam ’83, ’84S (MBA)

Evans Lam is managing director of wealth management and senior portfolio manager at UBS Financial Services. A distinguished financial leader, he has advised the State Council of China on monetary reform and previously held senior positions at Citigroup Smith Barney, Bankers Trust, and Toronto Dominion Bank.

A devoted University of Rochester volunteer and philanthropist, Mr. Lam earned his bachelor’s degree from URochester in 1983 and his MBA from the Simon Business School in 1984. He serves as a University trustee and chairs the George Eastman Circle, the University’s leadership annual giving society. Together with his wife, Susanna, he has established scholarships, professorships, and transformative initiatives that expand opportunities for students across the University. Through the Evans Lam Study Abroad Scholarship, he has supported undergraduate exchange opportunities in Hong Kong and China while personally mentoring recipients. An influential ambassador for URochester, Mr. Lam has inspired alumni and friends worldwide to advance the University’s mission through service, leadership, and philanthropy.

Yi Li 97 (MS), ’00 (PhD), P’26

Yi Li is founder and CEO of Appotronics Corporation Limited, a global leader in laser display innovation. He founded the company in 2006 and continues to lead its advancement of laser display, AI, and AR technologies. Dr. Li earned a bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University before pursuing graduate studies at the University of Rochester, where he received both a master’s degree and a PhD in mechanical engineering.

Under Dr. Li’s leadership, Appotronics has pioneered laser display technologies that have expanded applications across multiple industries, including professional display, cinema systems, automotive optical products, and emerging visual technologies. A dedicated University of Rochester volunteer and member of the University’s Global Leadership Council, Dr. Li has generously supported the University of Rochester Global Summit.

Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, Ph.D.

Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela is vice provost for global engagement and professor at the Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester. Born and raised in South Africa, she came to the United States after completing high school and has built a distinguished career advancing international higher education, research collaboration, and global partnerships. She also holds an Extraordinary Professorship at the University of Pretoria, maintaining strong academic and professional ties to her home country. Dr. Mabokela earned her MA and PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her BA from Ohio Wesleyan University.

Throughout her career, Dr. Mabokela has focused on strengthening higher education institutions to better serve diverse and historically marginalized communities. Before joining URochester, she held senior leadership positions at the University of Illinois and Michigan State University, where she helped expand global engagement initiatives and international partnerships. Over the past two decades, she has led research and capacity-building efforts across Africa and other regions, including South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Ghana, Egypt, and Pakistan. Author or editor of seven books and a widely published scholar in comparative and international higher education, Dr. Mabokela continues to shape global conversations on educational access, equity, and international collaboration.

Jun Qian, Ph.D.

Jun Qian is professor of finance and executive dean of the International School of Finance at Fudan University, a position he has held since the school’s founding in 2017. A leading scholar in corporate finance, financial institutions, and capital markets, he previously served in senior academic leadership roles at the Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and was a tenured professor at Boston College. In 2023, he was elected to the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Shanghai Committee.

Dr. Qian’s research has been published in premier journals, including the Journal of Finance, Review of Financial Studies, and Journal of Financial Economics. A five-time recipient of Elsevier’s Highly Cited Chinese Researcher recognition in applied economics (2021–2025), he is also the author of The Power of China’s Financial System. He serves in advisory and leadership roles across academia, financial markets, and public policy. Dr. Qian earned a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and a BS from the University of Iowa.

Wang Qian, Ph.D.

Wang Qian is deputy director of the Division of Global Cooperation and Exchange at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where she is also an associate professor and doctoral supervisor in the School of Media and Communication. Dr. Qian’s research focuses on health communication, cross-cultural communication, and studies of social media and new media. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tsinghua University and a PhD from Purdue University in the United States.

Huaxia Rui, Ph.D.

Huaxia Rui is the Xerox Professor of Information Systems and Technology at the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School. His research focuses on artificial intelligence, economics, and social media. He has been a member of the Simon faculty since 2012 and was appointed Xerox Professor in 2020. He earned a PhD in Information Systems and an MS in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin, and both a BE and an ME in Control Theory and Engineering from Tsinghua University.

Dr. Rui’s research has been published in premier journals, including Information Systems Research, Management Science, MIS Quarterly, and the Journal of Financial Economics. His work has also been featured in major media outlets such as the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to his research, Dr. Rui is a dedicated educator who has developed and taught a wide range of courses at the University of Rochester. His current teaching focuses on AI and deep learning, agentic AI applications, business modeling, and research methods.

Kim Xu ’02S (MBA)

Kim Xu is chief operating officer of Circle Harmony Healthcare Group and a global leader in digital transformation, data strategy, and technology innovation. Over a career spanning more than 20 years, she has helped organizations unlock growth through digitalization, artificial intelligence, and data-driven business transformation. She is a fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Science and currently serves as director of the Data Value Center of the Shanghai Modern Services Federation.

Ms. Xu previously served as IBM’s first chief digital officer and was among the earliest advocates for digital transformation in China. As the first chief operating officer of Megvii, she built key operational functions and established China’s first enterprise AI Ethics Research Center. She has also served as a senior adviser at Warburg Pincus, advising on emerging technologies, investments, and innovation strategy.

Francis T.F. Yuen

Francis T.F. Yuen is a distinguished business leader and corporate director with extensive experience across finance, telecommunications, insurance, and capital markets. He currently serves as deputy chairman, non-executive non-independent director of Pacific Century Regional Developments Limited and is an independent non-executive director of Shanghai Industrial Holdings Limited and Yixin Group Limited. Earlier in his career, he served as chief executive of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited from 1988–1991 and held senior leadership positions with the Pacific Century Group, PCCW Limited, and Pacific Century Insurance Holdings Limited. He has also served on the boards of China Pacific Insurance Group Company Limited and Agricultural Bank of China Limited.

Mr. Yuen earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Chicago. In addition to his corporate leadership, he is chairman of the board of trustees of the Hong Kong Centre for Economic Research and chairman of Ortus Capital Management Limited. His longstanding commitment to higher education is reflected in his service as trustee emeritus of the University of Chicago and trustee of Fudan University in Shanghai.

Tony Zhang ’03S (MBA)

Tony Zhang is chairman, Greater China and country CEO China at Commerzbank, Germany’s second-largest bank. He is a dedicated University of Rochester volunteer and member of the University’s Global Leadership Council. Zhang has built a distinguished international career in banking and financial services spanning the United States, Hong Kong, and mainland China.

Prior to joining Commerzbank, Zhang held senior leadership positions at Lehman Brothers in New York, Deutsche Asset Management in Hong Kong, Bank of America, and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia in Beijing. He serves on the boards of the Shanghai Banking Association and the German Chamber of Commerce East China. He is a CFA charterholder and licensed practitioner with the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. He also teaches at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management and the School of Finance at Renmin University of China.