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Program Experience
Highlights and Key Outcomes
In CEO Academy®, you will:
- Engage in candid discussions of business-critical topics with your C-level peers
- Gain tactical insights from 15+ of the most sought-after speakers who continue to drive transformation in leadership
- Share and learn in intimate conversations with carefully vetted attendees in a transparent, off-the-record environment
- Hear from veteran CEOs leading their organizations at critical moments about what they learned
Experience and Impact
CEOs face increasing economic uncertainty, disruptive innovation, and activist shareholders. This unique leadership program brings together current and former chief executives from major companies, leaders from institutional investment and governance firms, and Wharton’s senior faculty members.
In sum, this program provides a unique learning experience for CEOs, in which they can elevate their thinking around leadership and strategy and learn from other successful leaders in a collaborative peer environment. CEO Academy® executives and faculty have collectively served on more than 50 major company boards.
Session topics may include:
- Activism: Investors, Employees, Public
- Artificial Intelligence
- Board Excellence
- CEO, CFO, CHRO Collaboration
- CEO Succession
- CEO Survival/Crisis Management
- Cybersecurity
- Economic Update
- Geopolitical Issues
- Impacts from Global Elections
Sample Agendas
CEO Academy: Sample Program Schedules
Download New York Agenda | Download Dubai Agenda
New York, NY – SAMPLE AGENDA
Day 1
1:00 p.m. Opening Networking Reception
Elevated hors d’oeuvres will be served
2:00 p.m. Welcome
Dennis Carey — Founder, CEO Academy
Sandy Climan — Chairman, CEO Academy
Michael Useem — William and Jacalyn Egan Professor Emeritus of Management and Faculty Director, Leadership Center & McNulty Leadership Program, The Wharton School
2:15 p.m. Leading Through Uncertainty: A CEO’s Playbook for Resilience, Risk, and Reinvention
Charles F. Lowrey — Executive Chairman, Prudential Financial
3:00 p.m. The Next Shockwave: What Every CEO Must Know About the Economy’s Shifting Center of Gravity
Aditya Bhave — Managing Director and Senior U.S. Economist, Bank of America
3:45 p.m. The Human Exploit: Why Your People Are the Biggest Cybersecurity Risk
Shawnee Delaney — Former DIA Clandestine Services Officer; CEO, Vaillance Group
4:30 p.m. Insight to Action: A Peer Forum on Leading Through Risk, Disruption, and Human Complexity
Michael Terpin — Founder and CEO, Transform Ventures
6:00 p.m. Networking and Cocktails
6:45 p.m. (DINNER) Boardroom Dynamics: Leadership, Strategy, and Succession in a Transforming Landscape
8:30 p.m. End-of-Day Wrap-Up
Day 2
7:30 a.m. Informal Breakfast
8:00 a.m. Talent at a Turning Point: Workforce and C-Suite Transformation
8:45 a.m. Power, Pressure, and Pivot Points: Leading Through Geopolitical Upheaval and Global Realignment
Ram Charan — Director; Advisor to Global CEOs and Boards
9:30 a.m. Break
9:40 a.m. The Future Is Fragmented: How CEOs Must Lead in an Age of Relentless Reinvention
Robert C. Wolcott — Co-Founder and Chair, TWIN Global
10:25 a.m. Insight to Action: Confronting Complexity Across Capital, Talent, Technology, and Global Risk
Breakouts: Led by Experienced Facilitators
11:15 a.m. Built to Outlast: The Leadership Playbook for Enduring Growth and Market Dominance
Mark A. Turner — Former CEO and Executive Chairman, WSFS Financial Corporation
12:00 p.m. (LUNCH) Leading Through Crisis: Lessons in Resilience, Innovation, and Ethical Decision-Making
Alex Gorsky — Former Chairman and CEO, Johnson & Johnson
1:30 p.m. Capitalizing on New Leadership Models for Sustainable Success
Michael Useem — William and Jacalyn Egan Professor Emeritus of Management and Faculty Director, Leadership Center & McNulty Leadership Program, The Wharton School
Harbir Singh — Mack Professor; Professor of Management; Co-Director, Mack Institute for Innovation Management; and Faculty Director, Huntsman Program, The Wharton School
2:15 p.m. Insight to Action: Leading for the Long Game — Endurance, Crisis, and Purpose-Driven Growth Breakouts: Led by Experienced Facilitators
3:00 p.m. Key Takeaways and Certificate Presentation
3:15 p.m. End of Program
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – SAMPLE AGENDA
Day 1
8:30 a.m. Informal Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Welcome
Dennis Carey — Founder, CEO Academy
Sandy Climan — Chairman, CEO Academy
Michael Useem — William and Jacalyn Egan Professor Emeritus of Management and Faculty Director, Leadership Center & McNulty Leadership Program, The Wharton School
9:45 a.m. Leadership, Innovation, and Shaping the Future: A Conversation with Siemens CEO Barbara Humpton
Barbara Humpton — President and CEO, Siemens Corporation
10:30 a.m. Leveraging AI and Digital Transformation for Unprecedented Economic Power and a Competitive Edge
Tiger Tyagarajan — Former President and CEO, Genpact
11:15 a.m. Break
11:25 a.m. The Future of Capital: Navigating Investment Strategy and Financial Innovation
Vineet Budki — Managing Partner and CEO, Sigma Capital
12:10 p.m. (LUNCH) Networking Lunch
1:15 p.m. AI, Deficits, and the New Economic Regime: How CEOs Must Navigate the Next Decade
Roger W. Ferguson Jr. — Former Vice Chairman, Federal Reserve Board; former CEO, TIAA
2:00 p.m. The CEO’s Balancing Act: Building Enduring Businesses Across the GCC and Beyond
Shiv — Operating Partner, Advent International; Former CEO, PepsiCo India
2:45 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. Navigating Power and Policy: Business, Diplomacy, and the Trump-Era Global Order
Ambassador Gordon D. Sondland – Founder & Chairman, Provenance Hotels; Former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union
3:45 p.m. Insight to Action: Strategy, Innovation, and Resilience in a Shifting Global Landscape
Breakouts: Led by Experienced Facilitators
4:30 p.m. Key Takeaways
4:45 p.m. Break
6:00 p.m. Dinner and Entertainment
8:00 p.m. End-of-Day Wrap-Up
Day 2
8:30 a.m. Informal Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Introduction to Day 2
Dennis Carey – Founder, CEO Academy
Sandy Climan — Chairman, CEO Academy
Michael Useem — William and Jacalyn Egan Professor Emeritus of Management and Faculty Director, Leadership Center & McNulty Leadership Program, The Wharton School
9:45 a.m. Driving Global Growth: Lessons from Leading in Complex Markets
Stanislav Vecera — President, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, Procter & Gamble
10:30 a.m. Bridging Borders: A CEO’s Guide to Navigating Global Diplomacy and Building Strategic Alliances
Ambassador Joseph W. Westphal — Senior Global Fellow, The Lauder Institute; Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
11:15 a.m. Break
11:25 a.m. Why Your Human Capital Strategy May Be Sabotaging Your Growth
Peter Cappelli — George W. Taylor Professor of Management and Director, Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School
12:10 p.m. Networking Lunch
1:15 p.m. Power, Pressure, and Pivot Points: Leading Through Geopolitical Upheaval and Global Realignment
Ram Charan — Director; Advisor to Global CEOs and Boards
2:00 p.m. Capitalizing on New Leadership Models for Sustainable Success
Michael Useem — William and Jacalyn Egan Professor Emeritus of Management and Faculty Director, Leadership Center & McNulty Leadership Program, The Wharton School
2:45 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. From Covert Ops to Boardroom Strategy: Uncovering Lessons from a CIA Spy Turned Global Advisor
3:45 p.m. Insight to Action: Power, Policy, and Performance in Fragmented Markets
Breakouts: Led by Experienced Facilitators
4:30 p.m. Key Takeaways and Wharton Certificate Presentation
4:45 p.m. End of Program
2025 Notable Speakers include:
- Alex Gorsky – Former Chairman & CEO, Johnson & Johnson
- Ambassador Gordon D. Sondland – Former U.S. Ambassador to the EU
- Barbara Humpton – President & CEO, Siemens Corporation
- Charles F. Lowrey – Executive Chairman, Prudential Financial
- Ram Charan – Advisor to Global CEOs and Boards
- Roger W. Ferguson Jr. – Former Vice Chairman, Federal Reserve Board; former CEO, TIAA
- Stanislav Vecera – President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Procter & Gamble
Advisory Board
Participants of CEO Academy® serve as members of boards across a wide range of industries and geographies. Representing virtually every sector of business, below are some of these companies:
- The Vanguard Group
- The Wharton School
- Lockheed Martin Corporation
- Ford Motor Company
- SHRM
- Docusign
Who Should Attend
CEO Academy® is designed for mid-market CEOs to engage in confidential, data-driven discussions on the top business challenges. The program is limited to 50 attendees, who must be a sitting CEO, chairperson, or a senior executive attending as a guest of their CEO. Contact Dr. Vernon Williams at 703.535.6440 or info@ceo-academy.com for additional information.
Participants leave the program with an expanded peer network and powerful insights on how to lead their organizations while managing external pressures, from global competition to shareholder activism.
Fluency in English, written and spoken, is required for participation in Wharton Executive Education programs unless otherwise indicated.
Faculty
Michael Useem, PhDSee Faculty Bio
William and Jacalyn Egan Professor Emeritus of Management; Faculty Director, Center for Leadership and McNulty Leadership Program, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Research Interests: Catastrophic and enterprise risk management, corporate change and restructuring, leadership, decision making, governance
Peter Cappelli, DPhilSee Faculty Bio
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
Vice Chairman, Korn Ferry International
Martine Haas, PhDSee Faculty Bio
The Lauder Professor; Professor of Management, The Wharton School; Anthony L. Davis Director of the Joseph H. Lauder Institute for Management and International Studies, The University of Pennsylvania
Research Interests: Global collaboration, human and intellectual capital, information technology use, knowledge sharing, teamwork
Ethan Mollick, PhDSee Faculty Bio
Ralph J. Roberts Distinguished Faculty Scholar; Associate Professor of Management; Academic Director, Wharton Interactive, The Wharton School
Research Interests: Innovation, entrepreneurship, crowdfunding, games, AI
Michael Roberts, PhDSee Faculty Bio
William H. Lawrence Professor; Professor of Finance, The Wharton School
Research Interests: Applied econometrics, corporate investment, capital structure
Lori Rosenkopf, PhDSee Faculty Bio
Simon and Midge Palley Professor; Professor of Management; Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship, The Wharton School
Harbir Singh, PhDSee Faculty Bio
Mack Professor; Professor of Management; Co-Director, Mack Institute for Innovation Management; Wharton School Faculty Director for the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, The Wharton School
Research Interests: Corporate governance, corporate restructuring, management buyouts, strategies for corporate acquisitions
Z. John Zhang, PhDSee Faculty Bio
Tsai Wan-Tsai Professor; Professor of Marketing; Director, Penn Wharton China Center
Research Interests: Channel and retail management, pricing strategies
By CEO Academy FacultyEngage deeper with the topics directly from the program. Visit Wharton School Press for books by program faculty member Dennis Carey, vice chairman, Korn Ferry International — Go Long, Talent Wins, and Boards That Lead.Visit Wharton School Press to purchase a book.