Wharton graduates first Global Executive MBA cohort
Members of Wharton’s first Global Executive MBA cohort reflect on their academic journeys and the opportunities the program’s hybrid design unlocked for them.
2 min. read time
Edmond Chan had always dreamed of earning a Wharton MBA. But with a young family in Hong Kong and work that required frequent travel, he found the commute to Philadelphia or San Francisco for the School’s traditional Executive MBA program simply not feasible. That all changed in 2023 with the launch of the program’s Global cohort. That cohort, which will graduate its first class of students in May, combines online and in-person learning, making the prestigious Wharton MBA more accessible for professionals worldwide.
(Clockwise from top left) Sona Sundaramurthy with her husband, Anantha Puthucode (right), and Andrzej Biesiekirski (left) in Panama City; Alfonso L. Corcuera (left) and Biesiekirski in Seoul; Edmond Chan (right) at a Philadelphia social gathering; Corcuera and wife Maria Fernanda Iniestra in San Francisco; Sundaramurthy harvests cassava in Bangkok; executive MBA students in Berlin.
(Image: Courtesy of Wharton Magazine)
Before Chan became part of the cohort, though, he had one final hurdle to consider: He was transitioning from a role at financial technology firm ZA to the helm of ZeroPlus Group, a company in the accessories and toy space with locations across Asia. Could he manage the responsibilities of growing a company, raising two children, and traveling around Asia, all while pursuing an MBA?
Alfonso L. Corcuera, a director at ACON Investments, found himself in a similar position. The long and unpredictable commute from Mexico City to Wharton kept the Executive MBA program out of reach for him. With the announcement of the Global cohort, though, Corcuera saw the opportunity to pursue his dream. “I had transitioned from investment banking to private equity and became heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of our portfolio companies,” he says.
When Wharton first introduced the cohort, some observers wondered whether the online component—which makes up about 75 percent of the program—could match the quality of in-person classes. The answer from administrators, faculty, and students has been a resounding yes. “The Global cohort students pursue the exact same degree, with the same curriculum and the same faculty most of the time,” says Mauro Guillén, vice dean of Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives. “It is meant to make the Wharton MBA accessible to students who cannot travel every other weekend.”
The idea for a global expansion of the program began with Peggy Bishop Lane, former vice dean of the Executive MBA program, and director Diane Sharp, whose early vision and strategic direction were crucial in designing a cohort that evinces the same rigor and depth of learning online and in person.
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