The Aresty Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has a new executive director to oversee daily operations. Judy McHugh, formerly Wharton’s senior director of customized programs, was named to her new position recently by Tom Colligan, vice dean of executive education at the school.

“With her passion for the business, for embodying the highest principles of leadership, and ¬most of all for our clients, Judy is uniquely qualified to help us continue to set the bar for excellence in executive education,” Colligan says.

McHugh has been with Wharton Executive Education for more than five years and has more than 20 years experience in the industry, partnering with executives of major corporations and professional services firms. As executive director, she will spearhead efforts to enhance the School’s close partnerships with executive education clients.

“Our focus will be on providing groundbreaking educational initiatives, led by our outstanding faculty and supported by the full breadth and depth of Wharton and University of Pennsylvania resources,” McHugh says.

McHugh will be responsible for the daily operations of Wharton’s $80 million executive education division, with a staff of 95. One of her first objectives as executive director will be to deepen collaborative relationships between Wharton and other Penn divisions in order to provide clients with the full spectrum of what Penn has to offer. “We can reach into the university and bring in knowledge from areas that have a direct and significant impact on business,” McHugh says.

With 11 academic departments and 24 research centers and initiatives, the university has a scope of resources that is especially significant for what McHugh says is her ultimate goal - to partner with Wharton clients in developing innovative programs designed around the specific needs of their organizations.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school. It is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. Executive education at Wharton brings together over 10,000 executives each year from all corners of the globe in a partnership of learning.

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