Abstract: The essence of management is a practical activity, and the experience of leaders who master the direction of enterprise development is extremely important for the production and development of enterprises. Based on the data of A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2007 to 2019, this paper empirically tests the influence of the chairman''s R&D background characteristics on the digital transformation of enterprises. The study found that chairman with R&D background can effectively promote the digital transformation of enterprises, especially for state-owned enterprises and high-tech enterprises. From the perspective of mechanism identification and inspection, chairman with R&D background can optimize the investment and financing behavior of enterprises, and stimulate the innovation vitality of enterprises while reducing innovation risks. These improvements are all conducive to the digital transformation of enterprises. In particular, the chairman with a research and development background has a strong ability to deal with uncertainty. In the case of strong economic policy uncertainty, he has shown a greater driving force for digital transformation and innovation. The research conclusions of this paper provide an interpretation perspective from the characteristics of executives for understanding the digital transformation of enterprises, and provide empirical evidence for improving the capabilities of enterprise leaders and the needs of enterprise transformation.