November 30, 2016

PHILADELPHIA, PA: Entrepreneur Sanjay Rajaram started ImagineSys Inc., a quantitative analytics services firm that caters to Wall Street clients, in 2001. As his business grew, he realized his background in engineering and computer science was not enough. “I needed new knowledge and skills to be able to better run my business,” he says. Rather than turn to a traditional MBA, Rajaram chose the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania’s new General Management Program (GMP), offered through Wharton Executive Education.

Wharton Executive Education has launched the General Management Program to provide a highly personalized learning experience. Unlike other programs offered by other business schools that offer the same curriculum for each executive, GMP’s four core courses (one of each in finance, leadership, strategy, and marketing) and two electives are selected to meet the individual needs of participants. There are currently over two dozen courses from which to choose.

That personalization appealed to Raymond J. Quinlan, chairman and CEO of Sallie Mae. Because he already has a MBA from Columbia Business School, Quinlan is enrolled in the Wharton Executive Education courses that are most relevant and important to him in his current management role. “I have a band of experience,” he says. “I don’t want or need to study everything that is covered in an MBA. The ability to tailor my learning experience so that it concentrates on strategy, innovation, and marketing is what sold me.”

“This is a unique opportunity for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and technical experts transitioning into management,” notes Vice Dean Jagmohan Raju, who directs the program. “The General Management Program can be different for every participant no matter their learning goals, their industry, or their experience. It is a completely personal approach.”

Executive coaching is also part of the program, providing guidance and feedback to help meet personal goals. “In addition to building a strong base of business knowledge, you will work on specific leadership skills,” says Raju. “Because the General Management Program is a learning journey, there are multiple opportunities to apply lessons learned and modify and refine new competencies as needed.”

Flexibility has often been cited as a reason busy executives are unable to attend a comprehensive program — taking consecutive weeks off for an educational experience, no matter how valuable, is not an option for some. The six individual courses comprising the General Management Program, however, do not run consecutively (although those wishing to make fewer than six trips to Philadelphia can choose some courses that run back-to-back).

The learning does not end when the program does, however. Participants are granted Wharton alumni status, which allows them to tap the expertise of a global network of 95,000 alumni in 153 countries. Numerous educational and networking alumni events are held each year, including the Wharton Global Forums that explore timely issues with Wharton faculty, government officials, and distinguished alumni. “For executives ready to move to the next level, this is an unprecedented opportunity,” says Raju.

Rajaram agrees: “Completing Wharton’s General Management Program will not only sharpen my management skills but also help grow my business.”

To enroll, or for more information on the General Management Program, contact Wharton Executive Education at +1.215.898.1776 or execed@wharton.upenn.edu

About the Wharton School

Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With a faculty of more than 235 renowned professors, Wharton has 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 100,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs, and thousands of pre-collegiate students explore business concepts through Wharton’s www.wharton.upenn.edu.

Media Contact

Sarah Schwab
Director of Marketing Communications
Aresty Institute of Executive Education
The Wharton School
University of Pennsylvania execed-pr@wharton.upenn.edu