This exclusive series honors Michael L. Tarnopol, W’58
A global business leader, Mr. Tarnopol served as Vice Chairman of the International Banking Division of Bear, Stearns & Co. Mr. Tarnopol was well known in the Wharton community as a long-time member of the Board of Overseers, and as Vice Chair of Penn’s Board of Trustees. He earned the Distinguished Service Award from the Wharton Alumni Association in 1997, and the Dean’s Medal in 2003 for his work as co-chair of Campaign for Sustained Leadership. Mr. Tarnopol founded the Penn Club of New York, along with his wife, Lynne, CW’60. He passed away in 2005.
Upcoming Events
Beyond Business 2022
Rapid advancements in analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning have radically altered our approach to problem-solving in every domain. More than ever, decision-making in the financial industry is dominated by data. Elsewhere, analytics can be utilized in surprising ways to increase accountability and drive social good. And in sports, data comes into play both on and off the field. In this year’s three-part Beyond Business series, Dean Erika James will join esteemed Wharton faculty and industry-leading experts to highlight the issues at play across this diverse range of subjects and discuss how analytics can provide a viable pathway for solutions.
View all three upcoming lectures on the Beyond Business 2022 page.
Previous Events
Beyond Business 2021
In recent years, companies around the globe have stated their intentions to do more than just make a profit, and ESG — or Environmental, Social, and Governance — has become the unifying lens with which to evaluate efforts. As firms actively strive to contribute positively to the environment, address governance discrepancies, and support social causes, many are also working towards ESG compliance by committing to greater transparency in reporting and investing. In the 2021 Beyond Business series, Dean Erika James joined esteemed Wharton faculty and industry-leading experts to discuss how organizations can improve on these criteria and responsibly drive impact.
View all three event lectures on the Beyond Business 2021 page.
Beyond Business 2020
The wave of protests in 2020 in response to attacks on Black Americans brought attention to the breadth and depth of racial injustice in our country, and the need for a national dialogue. Beyond Business 2020 used its inaugural, three-part series to shine a light on how systemic racism impacts business and society as a whole, and the ways it can be confronted. From C-suite diversity and corporate philanthropy to the role of Black culture in marketing and the impact of systemic racism on Black entrepreneurs — panelists unpacked the issues and provided their insights on how business and organizations can effect change. The series debuted in Fall 2020 with three discussions focused on racial injustice, streaming live on the Wharton School LinkedIn page.
Read an interview with Dean James about the launch of the series.
View all three event lectures on the Beyond Business 2020 page.
The World Post-Crisis: A Discussion on the future of healthcare, technology, finance and the economy.
A conversation with Alex Gorsky, WG’96, Chairman and CEO, Johnson & Johnson; Andy Rachleff, W’80, Founder, Benchmark Capital, and Wealthfront and Marc Rowan, W’84, WG’85, Co-Founder & Senior Managing Director of Apollo Global Management. Moderated by Geoff Garrett, Dean, The Wharton School. Q&A facilitated by Lori Rosenkopf, Simon and Midge Palley Professor; Professor of Management.
Read more at Knowledge@Wharton; watch the video on the Wharton YouTube page.
Unable to access YouTube? View the event recording on Wistia
Mohamed A. El-Erian, Senior Global Fellow, The Lauder Institute; Chief Economic Advisor, Allianz
Mohamed A. El-Erian and Dean Geoff Garrett discussed economic uncertainty in the world in 2020 and how that will shape the future. February 2020
Kurt Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, and Founding Partner, The Asia Group, LLC
Kurt Campbell and Dean Geoff Garrett discussed current China-US Relations, the recent tariffs, and his career as an Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. December 2019
Brian Sheth, W’97, Co-Founder and President, Vista Equity Partners; Co-Founder & Chairman, Global Wildlife Conservation
Brian Sheth, W’97 discussed his career, leadership and time as a Wharton Undergraduate with Dean Geoff Garrett. April 2019.
Wendell Pritchett, Provost, University of Pennsylvania
Dean Geoffrey Garrett and Provost Wendell Pritchett discuss the changing face of diversity and leadership. February 2019.
Watch the lecture on the Wharton YouTube Page
The Future of Finance: 10 Years After the Financial Crisis
Dean Garrett moderates a panel discussion, featuring: James G. Dinan, W’81, Founder, Chairman & Co-CEO, York Capital Management; Ruth Porat, WG’87, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Alphabet and Google; Marc Rowan, W’84, WG’85, Co-Founder & Senior Managing Director, Apollo Global Management; Robert Wolf, W’84, CEO, 32 Advisors. September 2018
What did we learn from the 2008 crash and what’s next for financial services and technology? Leaders in finance talk with Wharton Dean Geoff Garrett about the transformation that lies ahead.
Read more on Knowledge@Wharton; watch the video on the Wharton YouTube page.
Edith Cooper, Global Head, Human Capital Management, Goldman Sachs
Professor Nancy Rothbard and Edith Cooper discuss workplace diversity. November 2017.
“It’s important that we have an environment where everyone can perform to their ability. If you don’t have diversity, you don’t have the ideas to be a thought leader. If you have one of the same thing over and over, you don’t add to collective knowledge.” — Edith Cooper
Read more on Levo.
Kerwin Charles, Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy
Dean Geoffrey Garrett and Professor Kerwin Charles discuss “The Economics of Race in America.” October 2017.
“I can be hyper-sensitive to how a slip of mine, a failure to achieve something, a screwing up, could affect somebody behind me. To carry that burden as an assistant professor or a graduate student is just a terrible thing. I’d like to assure them … there’s this thing down the line that will have big payoffs for other people that you don’t even know well.” — Prof. Kerwin Charles
Read more and view the the video on Wharton Stories.
Trump Administration and the Economy
Dean Geoffrey Garrett and faculty predict how the new administration’s policies will affect the economy. January 2017.
“Given a scenario in which 10 percent of the undocumented population is deported annually, the assumption is that those jobs would be picked up by native-born workers and that’s just simply not empirically true. When you deport undocumented workers, those [typically low-skilled] jobs aren’t replaced by native-born workers” but by automation. — Prof. Kent Smetters, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury
Read more on Wharton Stories.
Kenneth Chenault, Chief Operating Officer, American Express
Dean Geoffrey Garret and Kenneth Chenault discuss FinTech-enabled commerce and values-based leadership. September 2016.
“Leadership takes many forms, but one thing that is most important is to realize that change is inevitable, especially in the age we live in now, and that you always have to be adaptable to change.” — Kenneth Chenault
Read more on Medium.
Tom Wheeler, Chairman, United States Federal Communications Commission
Tom Wheeler discusses Net Neutrality and digital regulation. February 2016.
“I’m a capitalist with a capital ‘C.’ I am a business person first.” — Tom Wheeler
Read more on Knowledge @ Wharton.
Ron Dermer, W’96, Israeli Ambassador to the United States
Ambassador Ron Dermer joins Dean Geoffrey Garrett for a talk on Israel’s Economy. October 2015.
“I see right now a window of opportunity that didn’t exist before…. Many countries that formerly saw Israel as an enemy now see Israel as a potential partner in addressing their primary security challenges.” — Ambassador Ron Dermer
Read more on Politico.
Douglas Peterson, WG’85, President and CEO, McGraw Hill Financial
Douglas Peterson shares why he takes on difficult jobs. April 2014.
Read more on Wharton Magazine.
Robert Moritz, Chairman and Senior Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Moritz speaks about the experiences that have shaped him as a leader and the importance of financial literacy in nurturing the next generation of leaders. December 2013.
“[The] only way you are going to have the best talent is to have the most diverse talent.” — Robert Moritz
Read more and view the video on Knowledge @ Wharton.
Vikram Pandit, CEO, Citigroup
Professor Michael Useem and Vikram Pandit discuss the 2008 financial crisis and pursuing one’s passion. October 2008.