Wharton Executive Education

New Executive Director Takes the Helm

Judy McHugh, formerly Wharton's senior director of customized programs, recently was named executive director of the Aresty Institute of Executive Education by Tom Colligan, vice dean of executive education at Wharton.

"With her passion for the business, for embodying the highest principles of leadership, and most of all for our clients, Judy is uniquely qualified to help us continue to set the bar for excellence in executive education," Colligan says.

McHugh has been with Wharton Executive Education for more than five years and has over 20 years' experience in the industry, partnering with executives of major corporations and professional services firms. As executive director, she will spearhead efforts to enhance the school's close partnerships with executive education clients.

"Our focus will be on providing groundbreaking educational initiatives, led by our outstanding faculty and supported by the full breadth and depth of Wharton and University of Pennsylvania resources," McHugh says. She will be responsible for the daily operations of Wharton's $80-million executive education division, with a staff of 95.

One of McHugh's first objectives as executive director will be to deepen collaborative relationships between Wharton and other Penn divisions in order to provide clients with the full spectrum of resources that Penn has to offer. "We can reach into the university and bring in knowledge from areas that have a direct and significant impact on business," McHugh says.

And with 11 academic departments and 24 research centers and initiatives, Wharton itself has a scope of resources that is especially significant for what McHugh says is her ultimate goal — to partner with Wharton's clients in developing innovative programs designed around the specific needs of their organizations.