EMTM Profiles by Industry:
Financial Services

Rapid technological advances, deregulation, mergers and acquisitions, and globalization have collectively contributed to a tsunami of change that has transformed the financial services industry. The role of technology has changed from a facilitator of business processes in financial services to a driver of changing business models.

EMTM students, alumni and professors point to the program’s value in helping financial services sector executives cope with the influence of rapid technological changes on realms such as cost control and revenue generation, new client and product development, and operational effectiveness. Students appreciate Wharton-led elective courses in areas such as Corporate Finance, Computational Finance and Real Options, as well as technology electives such as IT Security & Privacy and Data Mining.

“EMTM is right in the thick of the financial services sector where technology in general is such a critical ingredient to competitive success,” says Prof. Howard Kaufold, Director of the Wharton MBA Program for Executives, who teaches EMTM’s Corporate Finance course.

“EMTM gives you a greater awareness of tried and true techniques and principles for business management,” says James A. Combs, Jr., EMTM’05, Senior Vice President, Wilmington Trust Company. “It gives you an appreciation for the rapid pace of technological change, helps you determine the potential disruptions those changes may have on your business model, and provides you with the knowledge and capabilities to execute a strategy to position your business where it needs to be in the years ahead.”

While she was still earning her degree, Judith Zosh, MA, EMTM’03, now Vice President, IT Risk Management at JPMorgan Chase & Co., used EMTM knowledge to help establish applications development standards across a global technology team and to best use a firm’s global footprint to locate jobs. Promoted several times since graduation, she says, “Delivering operational effectiveness requires an inter-disciplinary view to be successful. It requires an understanding of the internal supply chain delivering value to the end consumer whether that customer is internal or external. The EMTM program teaches you to attack problems from a multi-disciplinary perspective — organizational design, marketing, technology management and financial management — all are required to create lasting value.”

Joseph A. Ferlisi, EMTM’06, Head of Core Banking & Trust Technology at Merrill Lynch, was Director of Advanced Technology Services when he enrolled in EMTM. “The philosophy in our organization is to drive innovation and strive for excellence in execution while understanding the operating cost impact of our solutions. EMTM helped me manage our group’s response to technology-related security, scalability and business technology partnership issues. The goal is to drive IT as a strategic advantage.”

Related Links
> A House Divided: The Role of Technology, Strategy, Organization, and Culture in the Subprime Crisis
> Technology and the Collapse of Mortgage Markets
> Industry Insights: Financial Services
> A View from Financial Services

Representative Organizations
Companies and organizations where EMTM students and graduates have worked include:

If you are interested in EMTM and would like to speak with a graduate or current student in this career field, please contact us.