Wharton dean Geoffrey Garrett spoke at the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia as part of his worldwide tour.
Credit: Courtesy of Flynn PhotographyWharton Dean Geoffrey Garrett made a pit stop in Philadelphia on Wednesday — but he didn’t spend much time in his office.
Garrett hosted the Philadelphia stop of his Wharton Global Conversations Tour series at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Center City. One hundred and fifty-one guests attended — mostly alumni and their spouses, but also some current MBA students. The Philadelphia event was the second in the conversation series and follows Garrett’s Jan. 12 visit to Hong Kong.
The theme of leadership underscored the evening, and CEO of investment management company Vanguard and 1983 Wharton MBA recipient F. William McNabb III joined Garrett in the discussion.
“The tour offers me lots of great chances to listen to and learn from Wharton’s incredible alumni literally all around the globe. I got an enormous amount out of the Hong Kong conversation earlier this month and I look forward very much to Philadelphia tonight as we look at the world of business and leadership through the eyes of a great alumnus, Bill McNabb,” Garrett said in a statement prior to the event.
The event proved to be a prime networking opportunity for graduates and current students alike, commencing with a lively cocktail hour for conversation in the hotel’s upper level reception room. “The Wharton experience is one of connectivity, so regardless of career stage, when they network, there is a lot of common ground,” Executive Director of Alumni Relations Lizann Rode said.
Second year Wharton MBA, Alli Chandra, echoed these sentiments. “I came [to the Global Conversation] because of the networking opportunity,” Chandra said. “I am trying to stay in Philly after graduation ... the highlight for me [tonight] was learning that there are over 10,000 alumni in Philly.”
Another second year Wharton MBA, Harman Narula, shared Chandra’s appreciation for the Wharton community. “One of the best parts of Wharton and the MBA program is the community aspect,” Narula said. “When Wharton shines, there is a stronger MBA program.”
Narula attended the event with a group of his fellow class of 2015 marshals, who generate alumni connections and encourage graduates to give back to Wharton.
The hour-long conversation took place in a larger space with digital screens featuring bird’s eye views of Penn’s campus. After an introduction by Vice Dean of Wharton External Affairs Samuel T. Lundquist, Garrett asked McNabb a variety of questions in traditional talk show format about his company, the Euro crisis in Greece and growth rates in China. A question-and-answer period by attendees followed the discussion.
One MBA graduate asked Garrett why female Wharton graduates are not as successful as their male counterparts. Garrett responded with a few examples of successful female Wharton graduates, such as the “number two at Yahoo” and the head of human resources at Goldman Sachs, before adding, “I don’t want that to be an excuse for not doing more.”
Lundquist concluded the event with a “call for leadership.” “The power of the network — that’s what we’re cultivating,” Lundquist said.
Garrett’s next stop on the tour is New York City, where the conversation will continue on Feb. 12.
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