Wharton@Work

September 2025 | 

Beyond Success: Build a Legacy That Lasts

Beyond Success: Build a Legacy That Lasts

Success changes the questions you ask.

When you first launched or took the helm of your business, the questions were clear: Can we make this work? Can we break even? Can we hire, scale, and grow? But once those hurdles are behind you, and your company has achieved lasting traction and profitability, a different set of questions takes shape: Where are we headed? What’s my long-term vision? How can I evolve fast enough to stay ahead of change? Who will lead after me? And what mark will I leave behind?

These are the kinds of questions that fuel Wharton’s new Owner/President/CEO Program (OPC) — a first-of-its-kind learning experience designed specifically for leaders who have already built something meaningful and are now ready to define what comes next.

“Too often, we get stuck fighting fires,” says Wharton management professor, deputy dean, and program co-director Nancy Rothbard. “We don’t stop to identify the opportunities that could shape our future. This program gives you that space — to pause, think differently, and build a bold vision for your company and your legacy.”

A Unique Moment for Owner/Founders

The OPC Program was created for owner-founders, presidents, and CEOs who have already achieved sustained success — leaders of companies with at least $25 million in annual sales or valuation and 50 or more employees. Participants tend to be at the helm of established, often family-owned or founder-led enterprises, and are wrestling with some of the most daunting challenges in business today: reinvention, succession, digital disruption, and growth in a volatile economy.

These challenges demand not just awareness, but a renewed approach to leadership. “If you earned your degree even 15 or 20 years ago, the world you were educated for no longer exists,” Rothbard explains. “Technology, globalization, and the pace of change have transformed every aspect of business, from how we lead and hire to how we connect with customers and source talent. To thrive today, leaders have to keep learning.”

OPC Program co-director and Wharton marketing professor Jagmohan Raju adds: “Many focus on predicting the future; some work on adapting to it. OPC helps you create a future where you and your business can thrive. You learn not just to play the game but to influence the rules of the game.”

Built for What Comes Next

Designed specifically for the realities of owner-led business leadership, the OPC Program unfolds across three immersive modules and a curated set of electives. The program combines academic rigor with practical insight and creates the space for deep reflection, strategic thinking, and creative experimentation.

Participants will step away from their daily responsibilities and dive into topics that matter most at their level — from advanced finance and innovation to succession planning, growth strategy, and long-term impact. They will revisit core skills through a new lens; explore emerging business trends in San Francisco’s innovation ecosystem; and develop a 5- and 10-year plan for their company with input from faculty, peers, and Wharton alumni.

“We’re not just handing out frameworks,” Rothbard notes. “We’re helping you think critically and creatively about your specific business, and about the kind of company you want to lead into the future. This is about going from excellence to eminence, from what you've already achieved to the broader legacy you want to build.”

Learning That Breaks the Mold

The OPC curriculum draws on Wharton’s world-class faculty and its unmatched capacity to customize content for senior leaders. “One thing that makes Wharton different,” says Rothbard, “is that we don’t teach every topic the same way. We match the learning method to the material.”

That means a blend of lectures, case discussions, workshops, simulations, field visits, and peer learning, delivered with precision and purpose. “Some concepts are best explored through experience,” she notes. “Others require structured discussion or foundational framing. We use the right tool for the job.”

Raju emphasizes that the learning extends far beyond the classroom: “You’ll pressure test and trade ideas with peers who have faced the same high-stakes decisions you have. They’ll learn from you, and you’ll learn from them, creating a community that becomes a pillar you can lean on for the rest of your life.”

That community continues to grow at the conclusion of the program, when OPC participants gain Wharton alumni status. The benefit unlocks lifelong access to a global network of more than 100,000 alumni. From alumni events to peer introductions, the network becomes an enduring source of insight, opportunity, and support.

Coaching That Catalyzes Growth

Whether you’re facing succession challenges, planning a strategic pivot, or navigating leadership transitions, OPC’s personalized executive coaching helps clarify your goals and build the confidence to pursue them. Each participant begins their coaching journey during the first module and continues through structured individual and group sessions throughout the program.

For many founder-owners, this is a rare and transformative experience. “These leaders don’t often get space to step back and reflect,” says Rothbard. “Coaching creates that space — and gives them tools to lead more effectively, even in ambiguity.”

Your Company, Your Vision, Your Legacy

The Owner/President/CEO Program isn’t about stepping away from your business — it’s about stepping above it. It gives founder-led executives the tools, frameworks, and trusted peer network to think beyond the day-to-day and lead with long-range clarity.

Participants leave the program with more than a strategic plan. They gain fresh perspectives; sharpened leadership instincts; and the confidence to evolve their business, develop future leaders, and shape a legacy that lasts.

Raju frames it this way: “When your family’s name is on the company, its products, and its buildings, you’re protecting and expanding the vision your family created. Your responsibility is not only to safeguard that legacy but to build a new story for future generations.”