Generative AI and Business Transformation

"I was drawn to Wharton because I have been following the research coming from the professors for almost two years. I attended the program for a few reasons. First, as head of technology learning for the company, I wanted to assess the viability of the program for our executives going forward. Second, at Visa we are examining the next horizon of using Gen AI to unlock innovation and commercial impact. And third, Im also a practitioner of GenAI, and its an area where I wanted to shore up my skillset, particularly in better understanding the use cases, trade-offs, and strategic implications of implementing GenAI across industries and the impact on people, which is the area I focus on. The program exceeded my expectations. It was extremely well balanced both in the topic areas — implementations, legal implications, and policy — and in terms of the perspectives that the professors brought to the table. I derived particular value from Professor Hosanagar, who walked us through actual examples of implementation of GenAI and workflows. That was gold because it gave me language to then talk to my executives about not looking only at ROI, but also considering alignment to strategy and culture. We have a WhatsApp group for the program cohort, and weve been sharing research and ideas and questions. Its brilliant. Having that network alone is a huge value to me."

Fernando de Leon

Senior Director - Global Head of Technology Learning, Visa

"I was referred to the program by a Wharton MBA grad. Given our companys ongoing Gen AI initiatives, I found the timing opportune to explore this educational opportunity. Ive been in analytics most of my career, but am not a programmer, so I wanted a program that had a mix of hands-on experience, the theoretical side, and industry trends. Wharton’s program was a great balance of those three. Coming out, I am more comfortable using various LLMs, and was able to apply what I learned quickly in terms of prompting, doing some of my own personal work, and doing my work for Wayspring. One of the things I appreciate most about the program is the great mix of people from all over the world, and thats not exposure that you get every day in your regular job. Theres a huge benefit to meeting people outside of your industry and your country, and learning from them and seeing what theyre doing in their own company. At Wayspring, our data science team has been exploring narrow use cases for Gen AI, primarily focusing on enhancing internal efficiency in healthcare data management. While our leadership team is in the early stages of AI adoption, with some utilizing it for personal applications, we recognized the need for a broader implementation strategy. The program effectively addressed this need.There was a mix in the program in terms of experience with AI, and I thought the professors did a great job at appealing to the entire audience.. I found it valuable to partner with people with a variety of skill levels enhancing the learning opportunity for all. The program struck an effective balance between technical content, high-level discussions, and industry trend analysis. As part of our final group session, we developed action plans for our respective organizations. Im currently preparing an executive readout based on these insights for our leadership team. Participating in this program reminded me of the value of continuous professional development. The Wharton program lets you hear from some of the worlds leading experts in this space, get exposed to the latest research, see how its being applied to different companies, and then digest all that and bring it back to your company. You can read about GenAI on your own, but you get a lot more by spending four days in person, meeting with people from all over the world and hearing from professors who are on AI’s cutting edge."

Adam Dunning

Chief of Enterprise Solutions, Wayspring

"I have a solid background in AI, but the field evolves so quickly that staying current is always a challenge. This program gave me a practical framework for implementing AI, focusing on starting with smaller, experimental projects rather than jumping into large-scale initiatives. I also learned new terminology and structures to improve processes we’re already exploring, like how to define and explain complex problems for AI solutions. Our CEO is forward-thinking, and our senior leadership team is very supportive of exploring AI’s potential. This course gave me the tools to frame and present AI use cases and priorities to leadership more effectively. It also helped me educate them on best practices for implementing AI. One of the most valuable lessons was learning how to address workforce concerns about AI thoughtfully. The program provided practical strategies for easing fears of job displacement by focusing on upskilling and training employees. I’ve already shared many insights from the program with our AI governance group and plan to do the same with our AI incubator group, which includes forward-thinking mid-level managers and directors. Before attending, both groups had explored potential use cases, but I now have a framework to help prioritize them. It’s not just about revenue or cost — it’s also about managing risks and ensuring cultural acceptance of AI solutions. For example, financial data projects carry higher risks than creating email content. The program also gave me the chance to connect with peers from different industries, which helped me understand where we stand in AI adoption. While we entered the generative AI space a little later and haven’t made big investments yet, I learned that we’re ahead in our approach and methodology. Before the program, I had studied AI extensively and led experiments with my team. The Wharton program helped me organize that knowledge into a clear framework I can use to drive innovation and prioritize AI opportunities. Attending the program strengthened our foundation and accelerated how we use AI. It was time well spent, and I was so impressed that I’m now exploring the General Management Program ."

Jamie Pierce

Chief Marketing Officer, Service Corporation International