From the Dean

Class of 2012 Embarks on a Life of Learning

Tom Robertson — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:17:00 GMT

As our graduating students prepare to cross the finish line this month, our campus is in a period of high optimism. That is as it should be. The Class of 2012 came to us because they were determined to change their lives—and maybe even one day the world. Now they are moving on, armed with new knowledge to be put into action throughout their careers. While they must leave campus to do this, they certainly do not leave Wharton. Instead, they join our lifelong community: one of the largest and most influential alumni networks of any business school.

Wharton alumni continue to share insights at gatherings such as this weekend’s Alumni Reunion and at our celebrated Global Alumni Forums, this year in Milan May 17-18 and in Jakarta June 22-23. They remain connected with each other via mentoring networks and affinity clubs, and with their faculty via online educational offerings, including our award-winning Knowledge@Wharton, now with 2 million subscribers across five international editions.

Ben Franklin knew that “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest,” and with that in mind we are so proud to launch our newest graduates into a gratifying lifetime of learning. We wish them well, and we look forward to welcoming them back to campus and to other Wharton events many times in the years to come.

The Power of Wharton Knowledge

Tom Robertson — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:52:00 GMT

Penn's founder Benjamin Franklin believed that the inclination and ability to serve mankind should be "the great aim and end of all learning." At Wharton today, we hold fast to Franklin's value. The aim and end of all our learning here — whether in the classroom, in our research centers or in our collaborations with government and industry — is to create knowledge with consequence for the world.

Wharton's comprehensive brand and identity initiative certainly revealed as much. Rigorous research and self-analysis has unearthed a powerful, flexible theme of which we can all be proud. Knowledge for Action draws upon the great qualities that have always been evident at Wharton: rigorous research, dynamic thinking, and thoughtful leadership.

Innovation, global presence and social impact still form the foundation of all that we do, but now with this brand communications platform, we have some exciting new ways to tell our distinguished and ongoing story.

Beautiful New West Coast Campus

Tom Robertson — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:58:00 GMT

Physical places still matter, even in our digital world. In business education they matter more than ever, because they provide space for people to come together amid their busy, far-flung lives. That's just one reason I am so proud of our new West Coast campus. Located on the sixth floor of the Hills Plaza Building on the Embarcadero, the new Wharton | San Francisco campus features digital high-definition classrooms, state-of-the-art conference rooms, an attractive dining space, and inspiring views of the San Francisco Bay. It is an impressive space, home to our Executive MBA program on the West Coast, as well as programs in executive education and entrepreneurship, and a number of our popular Global Modular Courses. Soon the space will also play host to full-time MBA students enrolling in our San Francisco semester. I encourage you to visit; you won't be disappointed.

Recruiting Season: A Time for Optimism

Tom Robertson — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:25:00 GMT

This winter we are seeing many reasons for optimism in our on-campus recruiting efforts. The MBA Program’s Dedicated Interview Pool concluded January 26 after a successful session—and just one snow storm. The number of companies participating was up 3% and the number of jobs on offer was up 7%. Bain, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, Merck, Morgan Stanley and Nike were here as always, while Apollo, GMT Capital, Highline, JAT Capital and the startup Quidsi were among the firms recruiting on campus for the first time. We also deepened our relationships with Apple, Conoco Phillips and Facebook. On the undergraduate side, summer internship recruiting began January 31, with a packed suite through mid-February. The schedule features regulars such as Blackstone, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey and Microsoft, as well as many new firms, including Ares Management, Chrysler, Crossix Solutions, Ninah Consulting, Quidsi and Sixpoint Partners. We also have reached maximum capacity for our spring career fair on February 17 with more than 100 employers, including 10gen, CloudMine, Klout, Pivotal Labs and Twitter, all of which will participate in a dedicated start-up fair.

This is not the easiest economy for business school graduates in general, but I find it incredibly heartening that the best and most exciting new companies continue to seek Wharton talent. It is a testament to our venerable tradition and to our reputation for educating collaborative, innovative students who are eager to translate their Wharton knowledge into action.

Students and Faculty Put Knowledge into Action in Global Modular Courses

Tom Robertson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:08:00 GMT

Wharton truly is a global business school, and the journeys we make between semesters reflect our ever-broadening reach and our ever-deepening knowledge.

Many students and faculty used the time off during Winter Break to participate in one of our innovative Global Modular Courses. Taught in cities around the world, these intensive courses give students first-hand exposure to business challenges and opportunities in regions undergoing rapid change. This winter, Jagmohan Raju introduced students to marketing strategies for the Indian consumer in Mumbai; Bulent Gultekin looked at finance in the Middle East and Africa in Abu Dhabi; Katherine Klein tackled issues of conflict, leadership and change in Kigali; Karl Ulrich led students in web-based product development in San Francisco; and Kent Smetters considered clean technology for energy, also in San Francisco.

The new semester is now underway, and our buildings are bustling once again. I look forward to the semester ahead, along with our next round of Global Modular Courses during Spring Break, and to watching our students and faculty put their newfound knowledge into action. Happy new year!

See video coverage of the global modular courses.

Wharton's Foothold on the West Coast

Tom Robertson — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:08:00 GMT

Over the Halloween weekend, I joined more than 300 faculty, staff, students, and alumni at our campus in San Francisco. Ours was not a costume party, but certainly, we were all in good spirits, celebrating a decade of Wharton on the West Coast.

Launched in 2001, Wharton | San Francisco has in ten years become home to a thriving MBA Program for Executives, a rich portfolio of executive education programs, a workshop for entrepreneurs and a lively Executive Speaker Series. For more than 700 Wharton alumni, their alma mater is in San Francisco, and it was wonderful to see so many of them reconnect with each other and with the place that has meant much to them in their intellectual and professional journeys.

Marketing Professor David Bell, a regular on the West Coast faculty, gave a fascinating keynote on geographic variation in internet retail performance, a fitting topic for an event that had drawn guests from across continents and oceans. Then we all donned hard hats and toured the brand new campus on the celebrated San Francisco Embarcadero, which will hold its first Wharton class in January. It was a proud moment for the School as we paid tribute to our footholds on both coasts, and to the spirit of innovation that animates the Wharton community worldwide.

Public Policy is Our Business Too

Tom Robertson — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:30:00 GMT

When we hear the words “public policy,” many of us think of Washington and the responsibilities of government officials. We rarely think of the role that business schools play—and yet, perhaps we should.

Wharton is a dynamic institution with real-world expertise across numerous fields, including public policy. A significant corps of faculty across all 11 of our teaching departments conducts research that is germane to government decision-making, and students at all levels—undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral—have the option of focusing their studies on the intersection of business and public policy. Increasingly, we are placing a limited number of students, some of them supported by the Bendheim Loan Forgiveness Program, in internships and jobs in the public sector.

It makes a great deal of sense, for government is a key influence on business, and business has much to offer government. Since our founding in 1881, Wharton has been committed to enhancing social and economic welfare around the world, and this moment of global uncertainty has made it clear that being a force for good doesn’t just mean good business; it means good public policy as well.

An Extraordinary Opportunity for the MBA Class of 2013

Tom Robertson — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:51:00 GMT

At MBA Convocation August 3, we had the pleasure of formally welcoming the class of 2013. It was a wonderful event, the audience comprising the 845 newest members of our Wharton community, and the stage filled with faculty representing each of our eleven teaching departments. Deputy Vice Dean Peggy Bishop Lane, Statistics Professor and winner of the Anvil Award for Exceptional Teaching Robert Stine, and Vice Dean Howard Kaufold all joined me in addressing these accomplished new students, setting the tone for their two years at Wharton.

When it was my turn to speak, I told the class that life will get busy here, but that they shouldn’t let that distract them from the extraordinary opportunity they have before them: to build relationships with exceptionally talented and motivated classmates, to explore diverse new avenues for professional and personal fulfillment, and especially, to learn from the most knowledgeable and highly-cited business faculty in the world. In their elegant speeches, Professor Stine and Vice Dean Kaufold both reinforced this idea of engagement.

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Throughout the ceremony, I watched our newest students nodding and reflecting. With privilege comes responsibility. They know this. They know that this great research university offers them advantages that they could not get anywhere else, and that their time here will be as demanding as it is exhilarating. Wharton has the potential to be the most formative chapter of their intellectual and professional development, and we are confident that they will make the most of it.

With my colleagues on the faculty and staff, I look forward to watching these students develop their minds and skills, putting knowledge into action, both at Wharton and beyond.

A Surge of Energy in August

Tom Robertson — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:39:00 GMT

It is August, still the middle of summer for many people, but not for Wharton’s newest MBA students. As of this weekend, the Class of 2013 has arrived on campus and Pre-Term is well underway. I have to confess, this is one of my favorite times of the year, when the quiet of July gives way to a sudden surge of energy and activity that only new students can bring.

Not even having met them yet, I know they are an extraordinary bunch. Their median GMAT is 720 and seventy-five percent of them speak more than one language. A remarkable forty-five percent are women—a record for Wharton and across our peer schools. Thirty-six percent are international students, hailing from 73 countries, and another thirty-three percent are U.S. students of diverse backgrounds. Their work experience spans the globe and their talents and passions span every field of human endeavor. They represent the future of business and government, and I look forward to welcoming them officially at our Convocation.

New Perspectives on Global Issues at Alumni Forum

Tom Robertson — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:00:00 GMT

One of the highlights of my job as Dean is meeting and learning from our many impressive alumni around the world. Over the years the Wharton Global Alumni Forums have become the premier venue for these conversations. At each one -- whether it is in Beijing, Bogota, Cape Town or Madrid -- hundreds of alumni, faculty and staff come together for a series of spirited discussions about the state of global business.

For the first time this year we combined our three regional meetings into a single event, which we concluded last week in the innovation mecca of San Francisco. Although it was the first time we have held an Alumni Forum in the United States, it was a truly global affair with alumni from all over the world in attendance and presentations by Levin Zhu of China International Capital Corporation, Jacob Wallenberg of Investor AB and Carlos Pires Oliveira Dias of Camargo Corrêa.

We engaged in fascinating panel discussions on such topics as the rise of the CIVETS countries (Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa), the global private equity industry, and the new roads that are being paved in social media. We also toasted the 10th anniversary of Wharton | San Francisco, our West Coast campus that is home to a thriving MBA Program for Executives, a world-renowned menu of non-degree programs for executives and a strong entrepreneurial program.

It was an invigorating session, including the keynote speech from Craig Venter on his work with the human genome. It was especially heartwarming to award the Dean's medal to our alumna Connie Duckworth who has been such an impressive role model for women executives.

As always, I came away with a new perspective on the constantly evolving business landscape, heartened by the vision and knowledge of the worldwide Wharton community.

See photos of the Wharton Global Alumni Forum in Flickr.

Bon Voyage to the Class of 2011

Tom Robertson — Fri, 20 May 2011 16:40:00 GMT

Rain threatened Philadelphia this past weekend, but it couldn’t dampen the spirits of our undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral program graduations. As Dean, I had the pleasure of addressing our new graduates as they embarked on the exciting next phase of their lives.

There is an old English proverb: “Hap and mishap govern the world.” Nowhere is this truer than in the world of business. The global economy is evolving rapidly, and many of our graduates will work in industries that don’t yet exist. But as I told them Sunday, I have every faith that these students—now alumni—will soon be leading that change. They understand the importance of integrity, and of innovation, and of reinventing themselves from time to time. They will not be content to reflect the world; they will shape it, just as generations of Wharton graduates have done before them.

I encouraged the class of 2011 to cultivate their personal brands—their best assets in an ever-changing world—and I reminded them that education is a lifelong process, not one that ends with graduation.

The weekend was full of optimism from start to finish, despite the weather, despite the natural uncertainty of the modern business world. It was a great time for the graduates and their families, and we wish them all the very best on the road ahead.

New Portals for Wharton Knowledge

Tom Robertson — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:53:00 GMT

Being a thought leader means much more than having a strong academic brand to attract top faculty and students. It also means using that brand to advance knowledge for the benefit of those outside our institutional walls—and finding creative new channels through which to do so.

This month at Wharton saw the launch of three such channels, all of which give me great confidence in the ongoing work of our School:

Wharton Digital Press (WDP) is our innovative all-digital publishing operation, delivering relevant, accessible, conceptually sound, and empirically based business knowledge to readers around the world. WDP will publish a wide variety of electronic texts, including e-books, enhanced e-books, mobile apps, and print books available through print-on-demand technology.

Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS), the global standard for business research, is now available to corporate clients such as investment banks, hedge funds, economic consultants, and litigation support firms. WRDS provides access to an extensive collection of databases covering financial, economic and marketing disciplines and can be customized easily to meet a range of business needs.

Finally, Knowledge@Wharton High School (KWHS) is a new edition of our award-winning free online business journal specifically tailored to a teenage audience. Students interested in learning more about the world of business can explore feature stories about teen-run companies and business trends, read articles on how the economy works and careers take shape, and listen to and view audio and video podcasts spotlighting creative and colorful characters across a variety of business fields.

These three initiatives utilize our strengths in technology and build upon Wharton’s promise to be the best business school in the world and for the world. It’s been a fruitful spring indeed.

Spring Energy

Tom Robertson — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:18:00 GMT

While I take great pleasure in traveling the world for Wharton, I must admit I am always glad to return home. After all, the heart of our activity is still right here, among our students, faculty, and staff in Philadelphia and San Francisco.

These past few months our students have furthered their classroom learning by convening impressive conferences across interests and industries—Private Equity & Venture Capital, Women in Business, Whitney M. Young, Aerospace, Restructuring and Turnaround, Entrepreneurship, China Business, Health Care Business, Sports Business, Retailing, Social Impact, Latin America, and India. They have also participated in the annual Wharton Business Plan Competition and produced another entertaining edition of the famous Wharton Follies.

I enjoy seeing our campus burst with spring energy and participating, when I can, in these activities, which represent the Wharton spirit at its best: cooperative, enterprising, and ambitious.

Communication, Conversation and Global Change

Tom Robertson — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:09:00 GMT

Although some of us may be geographically distant from the recent events in Japan, the Middle East and North Africa, there is no denying that their impact has rippled across the globe. Whatever the eventual outcome of the current situations, it's clear that we're seeing the world change before our eyes.

These events have underscored the critical role of communication in shaping the modern world. The speed, accessibility, and transparency of social networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have fundamentally altered the nature of mass communication. By giving a direct, borderless voice to citizens around the globe, they help bring to light issues of all kinds, including many long hidden from view.

Wharton sees these modes of communication as central to our mission as well. Beyond our dedication to educating our students, and our commitment to provide an avenue for lifelong learning for our alumni, the School seeks to disseminate the intellectual capital of our faculty, students, and alumni as broadly as possible.

Recent articles in Knowledge@Wharton, including our Arabic language edition launched just over a year ago, provide timely faculty insights and commentary on events around the world.

In addition to these efforts to disseminate faculty knowledge, we hope to foster an ongoing dialogue among our alumni across the globe. We invite our alumni to share their thoughts and concerns with others in the Wharton alumni community through the School's LinkedIn alumni group.

We hope that, in a small way, our presence in social media serves to connect alumni to each other and to the events that are reshaping our world. We invite you to add your voice to the conversation.

What It Means to Be a Global Business School

Tom Robertson — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:19:00 GMT

Spring break reminded me once again of what it means to be a global business school. At the beginning of the week, I attended the 10th anniversary celebration of the Wharton-INSEAD Alliance in London, which highlighted the benefits of sharing knowledge and resources across oceans and continents. I visited with many Wharton alumni at the event and enjoyed hearing noted author and Wharton alumnus Jeremy Rifkin speak about the European Union's economic sustainability plan, which he developed. I also took advantage of being in one of the three cities in which we hosted global modular courses, dropping in on the "Finance in Europe" course taught by Professors Bulent Gultekin and Bilge Yilmaz. It was incredibly gratifying to see students and faculty deeply focused on issues currently affecting the European economy.

Unfortunately, the end of spring break brought sad news of devastation in Japan, along with worries for our students, faculty, alumni, staff and their families affected by the events. As a global business school in the 21st century, we are tasked with working beyond traditional boundaries, which includes meeting the needs of our global community. My spring break was, like many of yours, an exercise in crossing boundaries and addressing unexpected challenges.