Program Description

“Today’s leaders need relational strength. Intellectual strength, physical strength and emotional strength,” Dean Erika H. James told Wharton School graduates in her ‘26 commencement speech. Leaders need to have stamina and be resilient to keep up with changes that are happening at faster and faster rates. James is one of the most influential voices in business education today. A trained organizational psychologist and expert on crisis leadership, Dean James will discuss how leaders can stay prepared for the situations and crises that haven't happened yet — and what she's learned from the ones that have. We will also explore what diversity in the workplace means at this moment, and how the landscape for women in business leadership has shifted. We'll discuss how Wharton's new AI & Analytics Initiative is reshaping the classroom, and what a business degree will give students that AI can't replace.

Speaker Bio

Erika H. James became the dean of the Wharton School on July 1, 2020. Trained as an organizational psychologist, Dean James is a leading expert on crisis leadership, workplace diversity, and management strategy.

Prior to her appointment at Wharton, Dean James was the John H. Harland Dean at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School from 2014 to 2020. An award-winning educator, accomplished consultant, and innovative researcher, she has paved the way for women in leadership both in education and corporate America. Dean James has been instrumental in developing groundbreaking executive education programs, including the Women’s Leadership program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School. In addition to her academic responsibilities, Dean James is a board member of Morgan Stanley, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc., and several organizations that align with her passions for education and advancing women in business.