Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Program

Explore emerging technologies, AI/ML advancements, blockchain, and global technology trends that are shaping industries.

Module 7: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning​

Examine the concept and value of machine learning (ML) and how its application can significantly disrupt the status quo in almost every industry. Discuss the critical elements of data, the algorithmic predictions made using data, and how to teach an algorithm to make progressively better decisions, gaining knowledge to begin leveraging ML as a tool for innovation and disruption in your industry.

Module 8: The AI Stack and Competitive Implications

Gain insights into how AI can be strategically implemented to address organizational goals while considering competitive and economic implications. Delve into the evolving dynamics of the AI industry and how organizations can navigate challenges to gain a competitive edge. 

Module 9: Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies

Understand the nuances of blockchain technology and its close association with cryptocurrencies. Explore how organizations can leverage blockchain and cryptocurrencies to innovate, disrupt, and add value while also examining the potential challenges and limitations of these technologies. 

Module 10: Technology Policy

Focus on the evolving role of big technology in society; critical issues surrounding data privacy, regulation, and compliance; and effective compliance strategies to mitigate data privacy risks. Explore the most widely adopted best practices and standards that organizations use to navigate global data laws and regulations. Gain a deeper understanding of cyber law and the key compliance issues that modern technology leaders must address.

Module 11: Global Technology Trends

Understand how global technology trends influence organizational strategy and competitiveness, assess the role of intellectual property and talent clusters in your own industry, and discuss the role that migration patterns play in driving innovation and attracting foreign investment. 

Module 12: Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Essentials for a New Business Era

Examine how ESG factors influence an organization's trajectory and how misalignments can lead to significant challenges and reputational risks. Equip yourself with a solid understanding of how to assess, implement, and integrate ESG strategies within your organization to ensure long-term success and sustainability. 

Note: Module topics are subject to change.

Gain practical insights into implementing technology strategies, managing innovation, and scaling your organization’s technological infrastructure.

Module 13: Scaling

Discuss how early-stage organizations eventually face limitations as growth demands more formal processes and structure, and assess an organization’s readiness for scaling, emphasizing the importance of aligning the market and the product. Get equipped with the tools to manage scaling challenges effectively and make informed decisions to support long-term organizational growth.

Module 14: Metrics

Discuss the framework for determining an organization’s readiness and ability to scale. Establish the metrics that must be in place both before and after scaling to ensure the organization’s expansion is not only successful but, more importantly, sustainable.

Module 15: Leading Innovation

Explore the dynamics of innovation and how organizations can harness it to create value. Gain insights into the strategic decisions organizations must make when deciding to enter new markets or create entirely new solutions, and how these decisions align with innovation horizons. 

Module 16: Process View of Innovation and Innovation Tournaments

Discuss how organizations must innovate their processes around innovation management and create a repeatable sequence while remaining focused on creating a new or novel approach, which is at the heart of innovation. Explore the concept of Innovation Tournaments, where multiple ideas are proposed, tested, and rated to determine which innovations should move forward.

Module 17: The CTO Perspective: Balancing External and Internal Modes of Innovation

Explore the dynamic relationship between innovation, competition, and collaboration within an organization’s growth strategy. Gain insights into how organizations can strategically balance internal innovation management with external partnerships to maximize growth and sustainability.

Module 18: Accessing New Technologies and Platforms through Acquisitions

Delve into the strategic role of acquisitions in accessing new technologies and platforms, with a focus on how organizations can leverage acquisitions to extend their market footprint and foster growth. Explore the nuances of acquisitions and alliances, understanding their impact on both the acquiring and the acquired organizations.

Note: Module topics are subject to change.

• Technology Acceleration Program: Understand emerging technologies, such as ML and AI, and explore their implications for various industries while you evaluate the growth potential of disruptive technologies.

• Driving Strategic Innovation: Leading Complex Initiatives for Impact: Prepare yourself to create and execute a well-developed innovation strategy that ensures your organization can meet the challenges of today and the future.

• Product Management and Strategy: Gain a comprehensive understanding of cutting-edge product management techniques, along with strategies for implementing them, which will give your organization a competitive edge.

• Leading a Technology-Driven Organization: Explore an outside-in approach to leadership that is particular to tech-driven companies by thinking like a customer, and meet the demands of the marketplace.

• Executive Presence and Influence: Persuasive Leadership Development: Gain the skill set needed to have an impactful executive presence through strategic persuasion and craft your unique leadership style.

• Corporate Governance: Maximize Your Effectiveness in the Boardroom: Gain a deeper understanding of corporate governance and increase your impact on board-level decisions by understanding the role, structure, and responsibilities of corporate governance.

• M&A and Corporate Development Strategies: Gain the skills to tackle the entire life cycle of a deal-making process, including corporate development strategy, M&A decisions, due diligence, divestitures, and negotiation strategies.

*Electives are subject to change.

As part of the CTO Program, you will engage in case study discussions and explore real-world applications of cutting-edge research through live online sessions led by Academic Director Lori Rosenkopf. Gain valuable insights into industry challenges and opportunities, with a focus on emerging technologies, digital transformation, and innovation.

• Case Study 1: Deloitte Pixel -

Discuss ambidextrous organizations, disruption, and change management as key to unlocking technology's value.

• Case Study 2: Online Education in Elite Business Schools -

Understand approach to buy, borrow, or build when it comes to entering new markets/implementing new technologies.

• Research Applications Deep Dive -

Explore the impact of networks, mobility, and influence in tech-driven industries.

In addition to the core curriculum, the CTO Program features a series of live online sessions dedicated to the latest trends in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). With a special focus on emerging technologies like generative AI (genAI), these online sessions provide cutting-edge insights and practical applications to help you leverage these technologies effectively in your organization. Join industry leaders and experienced faculty for in-depth discussions and thought-provoking lectures on how AI/genAI is enhancing productivity and customer experience and how ML is transforming industries by enabling strategic decision making, automating complex processes, fostering responsible innovation, and driving ethical governance. The online sessions are designed to help participants like you stay ahead in the fast-evolving technological landscape and gain practical AI/ML skills.

1. Generative AI: Capabilities, Risks, and Use Cases

   Explore how AI and ML can drive strategic decision making, optimize business processes, and unlock new opportunities for growth.

2. Agentic AI and the Future of Autonomous Technology

   Understand how professionals are leveraging emerging technologies like AI, genAI, and ML to reshape workforce dynamics, adapt to big data-driven processes, and foster innovation, redefining the human-AI collaboration frontier.

3. Responsible AI: Ethics, Regulation, and Governance

   Dive into the evolving regulatory landscape of AI, discussing key laws, governance frameworks, and strategies for implementing responsible AI practices.

4. The AI Stack Ecosystems

   Explore how chips, cloud infrastructure, foundation models, and applications form the AI stack, shaping the opportunities and constraints of generative AI. Gain strategic insights into the interdependencies driving innovation and the leadership strategies needed to stay competitive.

5. AI Strategy and Enterprise Integration

   Align AI initiatives with business goals and human–AI collaboration. Mitigate risks such as hallucination and deskilling while bridging AI’s technical potential with practical implementation.

Note: Topics and the schedule are subject to change.

Whether a CTO program is worth it depends on your career stage, leadership aspirations, and organizational responsibilities. For senior technology executives seeking to drive emerging technology strategies, scale innovation, innovation management and lead digital transformation, Wharton’s Chief Technology Officer Program offers structured frameworks, faculty expertise, and a global peer network to accelerate enterprise leadership.

The best CTO course will vary depending on your career goals, course design, and the outcomes you value most. You can choose a relevant course by considering factors such as faculty reputation, curriculum focus, and networking opportunities. Wharton’s Chief Technology Officer Program is built around strategy, emerging technology, and execution, combining world-class faculty with a cohort of global leaders to drive enterprise technology and digital transformation. While not a training course in the conventional sense, it offers industry examples, case studies, and interactive discussions that provide training-like preparation for senior technology leadership roles.

The value of the Wharton Chief Technology Officer Program depends on your career stage and the impact you want to create. For senior technology leaders seeking to move from operational oversight to enterprise-wide strategy, the program’s 9- to12-month curriculum, taught by Wharton faculty, blends strategy, emerging technologies, and leadership development with a global peer cohort—delivering both immediate application and long-term career relevance.

The fee for the Wharton Chief Technology Officer Program can be found on the program page. This fee covers academic content, online coursework, and faculty interaction. Travel, accommodation, and the optional on-campus networking event fee are additional. Flexible payment options and early application benefits may also be available for participants.

A CTO course can speed up your progression by adding strategic frameworks, perspective, and a strong network to your on-the-job experience. Many CTOs transition from senior engineering or product roles over time. Taking a course like Wharton’s Chief Technology Officer Program can help accelerate this path, equipping you with strategic frameworks, global networks, and practical training through case studies and industry applications that prepare you for enterprise-level responsibilities.

A chief technology officer typically advances through senior roles where technology and business strategy intersect, such as product leadership, engineering, or enterprise innovation. Success requires leadership skills, strategic insight, and cross-functional influence. Senior tech leaders can solidify their experience by enrolling in an executive education program. The Wharton CTO Program helps senior technology leaders transition from oversight to enterprise-wide strategy and impact.

A chief technology officer can come from diverse educational paths, often with foundations in engineering, computer science, or related disciplines, paired with business or leadership training. What matters most is the ability to align technology with enterprise goals. The Wharton CTO Program builds the strategic and leadership expertise to excel in this role.

Choosing a chief technology officer program depends on your career goals, leadership responsibilities, and the scale of transformation you want to lead. Important factors include faculty expertise, curriculum depth, program flexibility, and peer learning opportunities. The Wharton CTO Program spans 9–12 months with world-renowned faculty, modular learning, electives, and a senior global cohort, equipping leaders to align innovation with enterprise strategy and drive measurable impact.

While experience is critical for becoming a chief technology officer, a CTO course can accelerate your readiness by giving you structured insights, exposure to global leaders, and a network of peers. Wharton’s Chief Technology Officer Program complements on-the-job experience with case-based learning and interactive sessions that provide training-like understanding of enterprise-wide leadership, without being a traditional training program.

The CTO Program has been designed with your busy schedule in mind. You will be required to commit not more than three to five hours per week, enabling you to benefit from this transformative program while fulfilling your day to day work responsibilities. The impactful program offers a blend of self-paced modules and live interaction.

The 9- to 12-month learning journey of the CTO Program includes live online and video online sessions with renowned faculty, industry experts, and global peers. You can take advantage of weekly live sessions and the Slack channel to ask questions and discuss ideas with your success coach and cohort participants. Real world technology challenges and examples and a debrief of the program learnings are delivered through a combination of recorded video and live online lectures. The program concludes with a two-day on-campus graduation and networking event on the Wharton Executive Education campus in Philadelphia.

While the CTO Program does not grant alumni status or alumni benefits, it opens up a unique pathway to apply for the prestigious Wharton alumni status upon further qualification criteria and additional tuition. As an alum of this transformative program, you get exclusive access to a wide range of professionals, events, and networking opportunities. You can also benefit from additional tuition assistance upon enrolling in further online electives from Wharton Executive Education.

The program fee covers teaching fees, all academic material, and access to online coursework. The fee does not include the registration fee of US$250 for the optional two-day on-campus networking and recognition ceremony, accommodation expenses for the on-campus event, travel expenses (domestic and international, including visa fees), and any other expenses not specifically mentioned in the program fees.

You can pay the full program fee upfront or pay in easy installments. If you apply well in advance of the program start date, you can receive a tuition fee benefit. If you would like to approach your company with a sponsorship request for this program, here is a customizable template that you can use.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to take any more electives than the specified number. The electives are designed to help you gain specialized skills in areas that are aligned with your career so that you can dedicate focused time for learning and honing those skills.

Yes. We provide closed-captioning and transcripts for all pre-recorded videos as well as closed-captioning for recordings of live sessions.

Program fees for Emeritus programs with Wharton Executive Education may not be paid for with (a) funds from the GI Bill, the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Act of 2008, or similar types of military education funding benefits or (b) Title IV financial aid funds.