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cc-by-nc-nd, (c) Hutschenreiter, et al., 2025
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/221525

From Rivals to Allies? CEO Connections in an Era of Common Ownership

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Abstract

Institutional common ownership of firm pairs in the same industry increases the likelihood of a preexisting social connection among their CEOs. We establish this relationship using a quasinatural experiment that exploits institutional mergers combined with firms' hiring events and detailed information on CEO biographies. In addition, for peer firms, gaining a CEO connection from a hiring firm's CEO appointment correlates with higher returns on assets, stock market returns, and decreasing product similarity between companies. We find evidence consistent with common owners allocating CEO connections to shape managerial decisionmaking and increase portfolio firms' performance.

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HUTSCHENREITER, Dennis C. and QIANSHUO, Liu. From Rivals to Allies? CEO Connections in an Era of Common Ownership. UB Economics – Working Papers. 2025. Vol.  E25/486. [consulted: 15 of June of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/221525

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