Emerging COO Program
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Learn. Level up. Leap to operations leadership.
The Emerging Chief Operating Officer (COO) Program from Wharton Executive Education equips senior executives, experienced operations leaders and aspiring COOs to strengthen operational excellence, strategic decision making, and enterprise leadership. In today’s complex and evolving operations landscape, the chief operating officers are expected to act as both strategist and operator, overseeing complex operational dynamics, managing risk, and driving growth and resilience across the organization.
Led by renowned Wharton faculty, this six-to-eight-month program integrates operations management, leadership development, and data-driven decision making to prepare you for enterprise-wide impact. You will gain the strategic insight, analytical capability, and leadership mindset to navigate operational challenges, lead innovation management, and drive sustainable organizational performance.
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Learning journey
The six-to-eight-month online learning journey includes 14 weeks of core leadership knowledge and two immersive sessions that will help you develop the skills required for future C-level leadership. The program also offers an optional two-day in-person networking event and recognition ceremony* on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia, where you will have the opportunity to build connections with your peers.
* Note: A registration fee of US$250 is applicable.
** Note: The last two weeks of the core modules will be held after the 10 weeks of specialized phases.
Curriculum
The Emerging COO Program from Wharton Executive Education offers a comprehensive curriculum that is designed to equip you with the strategic skills to oversee complex operational dynamics in today’s evolving operations landscape. You will learn to lead with a strategic mindset, apply data-driven decision making, and drive operational excellence while developing a powerful professional network that will be a valuable resource on your journey to the C-suite. Through this learning experience, you will gain the confidence to engage effectively with stakeholders, develop the expertise for operations management and step into the role of today’s chief operating officers.
Live Online Sessions
The program features live, interactive sessions that connect you with Wharton faculty and peers from across industries. Live sessions from the core modules on leadership development focus on strengthening leadership capacity and building a collaborative learning community through faculty-led teaching and group sessions. These are complemented by executive development sessions, applied workshops designed to translate leadership concepts into practice. Building on this foundation, live sessions on specialized modules deepen domain expertise and address complex business challenges through interactive, faculty-led learning with peers. Together, these experiences cultivate executive capability, foster collaboration, and ensure the practical application of classroom insights.
*The number of faculty-led sessions may vary.
Executive networking
Networking is a defining element of the Emerging Chief Operating Officer program. During the core modules, participants engage in cross-cohort peer networking through group sessions, faculty-led discussions, and collaborative exchanges that broaden perspectives across industries and functions. This engagement continues in the specialized modules through curated cross-cohort activities, while program-specific interactions foster deeper connections within each functional area. In addition to the recognition and networking event held on campus, these touchpoints create a powerful, diverse network of senior executives that endures well beyond the program.
Note: The networking opportunities includes cross-cohort participant interactions between the Emerging Chief Operating Officer (COO) Program, Emerging Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Program, Emerging Chief Product Officer (CPO) Program, and other programs to be announced in the future.
What you will learn
The program will enable you to:
Develop, articulate, and implement a clear operations strategy and vision aligned with enterprise-level objectives to drive operational excellence
Build trust, manage relationships, and communicate transparently and influentially with a broad range of stakeholders
Understand organizational politics and structures, building the alliances needed to be a proactive and effective voice in the C-suite
Evaluate and leverage operational data, financial acumen, and risk-management strategies to be an agile leader who can think strategically beyond the scope of technical expertise
Cultivate the ability to swiftly adapt to disruptions in the operations landscape, as well as global business changes and challenges
Foster a culture of ethical decision making while inspiring and leading diverse teams toward cohesive and transformative goals
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Who is this program for?
The Emerging Chief Operating Officer (COO) Program from Wharton Executive Education is designed to empower experienced operations leaders and mid-level executives to enhance their leadership skills and management skills, enabling them to leverage emerging technologies, operational innovation management solutions, and data-driven decision making to elevate their impact and continue on their paths to becoming COOs.
The Emerging Chief Operating Officer Program is ideal for:
Mid-career operations leaders seeking to develop executive leadership skills and mindset to lead enterprise-wide operations strategy and systems and accelerate their career growth
Senior operations professionals looking to leverage innovative solutions and data-driven decision making to stay ahead of emerging trends and take on new leadership opportunities
Program highlights
Immerse yourself in a comprehensive curriculum that empowers you with the strategic leadership skills and the operational expertise to transition to a C-level role.
Cultivate future-ready strategic skills through personalized assessments and evidence-based exercises, webinars, and career workshops.
Create a detailed strategy to evolve your leadership abilities that propels you toward your objective of becoming a chief operating officer.
Experience real-time learning in live sessions that give depth to key senior leadership concepts and enable you to develop strategic acumen.
Acquire rich, real-world insights from Wharton faculty on developing strategic vision for operations management and data-driven decision making.
Understand how modern operations strategies and leadership practices are applied to address complex real-world business challenges and drive meaningful business transformation.
Build a powerful professional network and connect with a global cohort of peers and operational leaders through virtual meet-ups and an immersive on-campus event.
Optimize your learning journey through weekly check-ins with a success coach assigned to your cohort.
Case studies
Assess and refine your decision making in preparation for the C-suite through the Emerging COO Program from Wharton Executive Education. Understand how to develop strategies that drive business excellence, strengthen internal operations, and lead transformation. Explore real-world examples from organizations such as Amazon, Kodak, John Deere, Patagonia, TOMS, and Whole Foods.
Amazon and Whole Foods
Identify key factors that determine an organization’s adaptability to disruptive change through Amazon’s acquisition of a high-end grocery chain.
John Deere
Understand authentic leadership and the LEAP framework through the leadership journey of factory manager Rosalind Fox.
Kodak
Apply the key attributes of managing disruption to assess how Kodak navigated the transition from chemical film to digital photography.
Patagonia and TOMS
Analyze how these two action-driven organizations aligned their operations strategies with their purposes to do good.
Tesla
Examine the impact of interorganizational relationships and networks on this EV manufacturer’s competitiveness.
Capstone project
The capstone project presents an opportunity for you to synthesize the knowledge and insights gained throughout the program’s comprehensive curriculum and apply them to an extended case study. Through a systematic and strategic approach, you will leverage the program's learnings to develop a detailed strategy-based roadmap and framework. This hands-on experience enables you to engage effectively with the program’s learning and translate theory into practice to drive change.
Meet the faculty
World-renowned Wharton faculty in the Emerging COO Program will prepare senior operations leaders to face a wide array of challenges. You will leverage their insights and domain expertise to better understand your business and industry and immediately apply the learnings to your organization.
Academic Director; Panasonic Professor of Manufacturing and Logistics; Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions
Senthil Veeraraghavan teaches operations strategy, for which he has received multiple Wharton Excellence in Teaching Awards. His research encompasses revenue management, marke...
Assistant Professor of Management; Dorinda and Mark Winkelman Distinguished Faculty Scholar
Assistant Professor of Management; Dorinda and Mark Winkelman Distinguished Faculty Scholar
Vice Dean and Faculty Director, ESG Initiative; Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management in Honor of Russell E. Palmer, Former Managing Partner, The Wharton School
David W. Hauck Professor at the Wharton School; Professor of Management; Chairperson, Management Department
Alice Y. Hung President’s Distinguished Professor; Professor of Health Care Management; Professor of Management
Marissa King’s research focuses on deciphering the complexities of human interactions within the context of health care organizations, teams, and broader social structures. He...
Mack Professor; Professor of Management; Co-Director, Mack Institute for Innovation Management; Faculty Director, Huntsman Program
Note: The faculty list is subject to change.
Certificate
Earn a Wharton Executive Education digital certificate upon successful completion of the Emerging Chief Operating Officer Program. Past participants of this transformative program get exclusive access to a wide range of professionals, events, and networking opportunities.
Note: After successful completion of the program, your verified digital certificate will be emailed to you in the name you used when registering for the program. All certificate images are for illustrative purposes only and may be subject to change at the discretion of the Wharton School.
Please also note that participation in the Emerging COO Program (a) will not result in a degree from, alumni status, or earned credit at the University of Pennsylvania or the Wharton School (or, to Wharton’s knowledge, any other institution), (b) will not be recorded on a University of Pennsylvania or Wharton transcript, and (c) does not guarantee or suggest that a participant will be admitted to the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton School, or any other university or institution.
Please also note that participation in the Emerging COO Program (a) will not result in a degree from, alumni status, or earned credit at the University of Pennsylvania or the Wharton School (or, to Wharton’s knowledge, any other institution), (b) will not be recorded on a University of Pennsylvania or Wharton transcript, and (c) does not guarantee or suggest that a participant will be admitted to the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton School, or any other university or institution.
FAQs
Connect with a program advisor for a 1:1 session
Our program advisors have helped senior executives across the world choose the right program for their career goals. Schedule a 1:1 to get a deeper understanding of why the Emerging COO Program is the right fit for you.
Email: learner.success@emeritus.org
Phone: +1 315 847 4592 (U.S.) / +44 782 202 6595 (U.K.) / +65 3138 6189 (S.G.)
The program will observe a scheduled holiday break from December 24, 2025 through January 1, 2026.
Early applications are encouraged. Admissions are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Flexible payment options available.
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