Going Globetrotting with Wharton!
Wharton has been making its way around the world on its Impact Tour with Dean Erika H. James, where she has been in conversation with Wharton’s faculty and alumni. The School is bringing these expert-to-expert insights to audiences as a way of saying “thank you” to the Wharton community. Learn what’s been happening in cities around the world! And check online to see where the Wharton Impact Tour is stopping next.
DALLAS: The Dallas stop of the Wharton Impact Tour saw alumni show up in numbers to hear from Dean James and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in conversation about leadership, community, and more.
Dean James, who has lived in Dallas, said Johnson is a doer with incredible resilience and a mover and shaker who has the resolve, grit, and resilience necessary to guide Dallas’s future and to navigate any challenges that may lie ahead.
During the event, alumni also shared conversation and cocktails while meeting with old friends and making new connections.
The event was made possible through the generosity of Dr. William Spears, WG’67, and his wife, Candye.
TOKYO: Dean James visited the Wharton community in Tokyo for the Wharton Impact Tour’s first stop in Asia. During the event, James and Ernie M. Higa, W’74, chairman, president, and CEO of Higa Industries Co., Ltd., discussed their shared leadership principles of perseverance, creativity, and optimism.
On the topic of entrepreneurship in Japan, Higa highlighted the importance of having a global mindset. While Wharton has grown tremendously since his college years, he said that the paramount experience the School affords students is the opportunity to learn from diverse peers and pursue opportunities abroad, which is key to developing entrepreneurial skills and global citizens.
Dean James said there are currently about 1,200 living alumni in Japan, making the community the second largest Wharton alumni population outside of the United States.
TEL AVIV: The Wharton Impact Tour’s Tel Aviv stop was Dean James’s first visit to the city as Wharton’s leader. She spoke to attendees about Israel’s impact as a nation of innovators and creators.
“Wharton’s priorities of furthering the importance of data-driven analytics and developing the next generation of world-class entrepreneurs aligns closely with the business community here in Israel,” she said. “I am excited that Wharton can be a partner in this exciting future.”
Dean James also expressed her appreciation for the Wharton Club of Israel, a member of the Wharton Global Clubs Network.
“Our worldwide alumni clubs are a direct tie to the School, and I value your commitment to the Wharton community,” Dean James said. “I would like to share my gratitude with the club, specifically for their efforts in establishing and funding the Wharton Club of Israel Fellowship, which provides financial support to outstanding MBA students from Israel. This generosity helps Wharton to recruit talented scholars who will help shape the business world in years to come.”
DUBAI: “At no other time,” said Dean James, “have leaders in every industry and on every continent grappled with so many changes.”
During the Wharton Impact Tour’s stop in Dubai, James highlighted the important role that Wharton alumni in the city and the greater Middle East play not only in the future of Wharton but in helping businesses adapt to change.
Wharton “is now exceptionally well prepared to seize the moment,” said James. With the School’s emphasis on data-driven decision making and its commitment to enhancing diversity, Wharton and its alumni are equipped, as James put it, “to extend our output for the good of the rest of the world.”
Noting Dubai’s dynamism as a global city, James also expressed thanks to members of the Wharton Club of the Middle East and North Africa. After describing new initiatives like the Venture Lab at Tangen Hall, James introduced Navin Valrani, W’93 GED’18 GRD’23, vice chairman and managing director of the Al Shirawi Group, and Pam Grossman, dean of Penn’s Graduate School of Education, to speak further on the intersection of learning and entrepreneurship.
“A Wharton Education does not end with graduation,” James reminded the audience. “Our students are our primary stakeholders, and supporting them means we are changing lives.”