American Bankers Association Program

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Program Experience

Highlights and Key Outcomes

Stonier prepares today’s banking leaders for tomorrow’s opportunities through a comprehensive program that combines aspects of strategic planning, leadership, economics, and financial management. Leadership represents an important segment of the Stonier program. As faculty from the Wharton School move you through a wide range of topics in this area, they will help you develop skills to effectively motivate and mentor others and collaborate and network across divisions within your organization to meet high-priority goals.

Curriculum

Year 1 – Build your foundation through the study of strategic leadership, marketing, risk and financial performance.
Year 2 – Apply the skills through ABA’s interactive BankExec™ simulation, allowing you to manage and run your own bank.
Year 3 – Become the leader you strive to be through the study of ethical leadership and managing through challenge to drive organizational change.

Capstone

Between Years 2 and 3, students will have an important opportunity to address an initiative within your own organization. The Capstone project is the culminating component of the Stonier experience and often has a career-changing impact.

Electives

To aid students in meeting their personal and professional development needs, the curriculum includes a broad selection of elective classes in Years 2 and 3. Students select four electives during both Years 2 and 3 from a broad menu of options. Students can create an individualized course of study consistent with their professional development goals, choose courses that seem particularly relevant to the career path in their institutions, or select offerings that seem especially valuable for their sponsoring institution.

Who Should Attend

ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking Program is designed for rising stars within a bank, holding company, or financial services organization. The program also attracts managerial personnel at a federal or state agency and senior managers at a firm that provides services to banks. Participants ideally have five years of financial services experience, and have acquired knowledge in at least three of the following areas: financial statement analysis, bank operations, credit administration, accounting, and economics.

You graduate with a Stonier Diploma and a Wharton Leadership Certificate and return to your institution with an enhanced ability to lead, motivate, and mentor others, as well as being a more strategic leader to your organization.

Fluency in English, written and spoken, is required for participation in Wharton Executive Education programs unless otherwise indicated.

Faculty

Peter Cappelli, DPhilSee Faculty Bio

Academic Director

George W. Taylor Professor of Management; Director, Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Human-resource practices, public policy related to employment, talent and performance management

Dafna Eylon, PhDSee Faculty Bio

President, Eylon Associates

Emilie Feldman, PhDSee Faculty Bio

Michael L. Tarnopol Professor; Professor of Management, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Corporate governance, corporate strategy, diversification, divestitures, firm scope, spinoffs, mergers and acquisitions

Santiago Gallino, PhDSee Faculty Bio

Charles W. Evans Distinguished Faculty Scholar; Associate Professor of Operations, Information, and Decisions; Associate Professor of Marketing, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Empirical operations management, retail management

Claudine Gartenberg, PhDSee Faculty Bio

Associate Professor of Management, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Research Interests: Corporate strategy; organizational strategy; firm scope; motivation; corporate governance; compensation and pay inequality; corporate purpose

Raghuram Iyengar, PhDSee Faculty Bio

Miers-Busch, W’1885 Professor; Professor of Marketing; Faculty Director of Innovation, Experiential Learning and Research Initiatives, Analytics at Wharton, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Pricing, social influence, social networks

Mary-Hunter McDonnell, JD, PhDSee Faculty Bio

Bantwal Family Goldman Sachs Presidential Associate Professor; Associate Professor of Management, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Organizational theory (political sociology, institutional theory); nonmarket strategy; corporate governance; corporate misconduct and punishment

Michael Roberts, PhDSee Faculty Bio

William H. Lawrence Professor; Professor of Finance, The Wharton School

Research Interests: Applied econometrics, corporate investment, capital structure

Testimonials

This experience has pushed me in all the best ways. It’s made me a stronger, more thoughtful leader and helped me think more strategically about the future of our industry. But just as meaningful are the friendships I’ve built and the amazing network of peers I now have across the country.”

Jessica Butler Stonier class of 2025

Attending the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking was one of the best decisions I’ve made for both my career and personal growth. The program’s rigorous, world class curriculum — paired with distinguished faculty from the banking industry and the Wharton School — created a truly exceptional academic environment.”

Drew Coveney Stonier class of 2019

Attending Stonier is one of the best decisions and investments that I have made both professionally and personally. During my time at Stonier, I was able to network and build long lasting relationships that I still have today. Since completing the program, I can truly say Stonier has reinvigorated my way of thinking in the banking and regulatory industry and has provided several tools that can be applied to my daily job. Thank you, Stonier!”

Darrell D. Jackson Stonier class of 2019

ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking Program

Program Overview

Date, Location, & Fees