COMMITTEES
The Wharton Club of New York is organized into six divisions each of which has numerous committees. The following is a list of those committees broken down by division:
- PROGRAMMING DIVISION
- BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
- CAREER DEVELOPMENT DIVISION
- MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION
- FINANCE AND OPERATIONS DIVISION
- EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT'S DIVISION
The Programming division develops, implements, and coordinates all events designed to educate, entertain and/or provide support and information for the alumni network. The Committee is headed by the Vice President of Programming and the arms of the Division are: Wharton Speaker Series Committee, Social Events Committee, and Government Affairs Committee.
Wharton Speaker Series Committee - This committee identifies, invites, and introduces speakers for the interest and attention of the alumni network. The Wharton Speaker Series Committee is comprised of the following:
- Author Speaker Series
- Special Interest Speaker Series, including Real Estate
- Entrepreneurial Speaker Series
- Women’s Initiatives Speaker Series
- Social Media Speaker Series
- Entertainment Speaker Series
- Sports Speaker Series
- President’s Forum, moderated by the President of the Wharton Club of New York
Government Affairs Committee – This committee fosters events and projects in the public interest by engaging members of the public policy, public administration, business, and political communities and those affected by them.
The Business Development Committee is designed to develop, implement, and coordinate all activities that are designed, to help alumni run or grow their businesses. This division includes the affinity groups. The following groups fall under the umbrella of this division:
- Leads Group
This group is primarily concerned with non-competitive networking councils to generate business for its members. The activities of the councils will include: lead generation; joint marketing, sales intelligence sharing and joint sales calls.
- Affinity Groups
Affinity groups are a great way to network with other professionals in your industry and attend events centered around your professional interests. We are always looking for affinity group managers who might be interested in heading up the following new proposed affinity groups. Affinity group managers should currently be working in and/or have significant experience in the vertical/affinity area. This group focuses its attention around specific interest or industries like: investment banking, consulting, venture capital, retail, and young alumni. These groups meet to discuss common issues, problems and opportunities. The affinity groups are:
-Wharton Entrepreneur Affinity Group Provide a means for Wharton entrepreneurs at various stages of business evolution and varying levels of entrepreneurial experience to increase their ability to succeed by (1) pooling and sharing resources, ideas, best practices, (2) provide mentorship with other entrepreneurs and/or Wharton faculty, (3) building relationships with funding sources and (4) networking.
-Hedge Fund Affinity Group Bring together Wharton alumni who are members of the greater hedge fund community. You must be directly working in the hedge fund arena including hedge funds, allocators, lawyers, accountants, bankers, third-party administrators, third-party marketers, or real estate professionals specializing in the hedge fund space.
-Non-Profit -Social Impact Affinity Group (WNP-SIA) Brings together Wharton alumni currently working in the not-for-profit arena either as a professional or as a volunteer board member; and those working in the for-profit sector in social impact areas to network with fellow professionals and volunteers in the field; increase their business knowledge; be informed about community needs; and actively support each other's business and personal career goals.
-Wharton Association of Marketers (WhAM!) Affinity Group The association of Wharton Marketing alumni, is dedicated to the professional, personal and career success of fellow Wharton Marketing Professionals. Founded March 2009, WhAM! links all members online through a private contact and information network, and in person through regular best practice panel discussions on major new trends, keynote speaker events, a Brand Management working group, job opportunity access, and a bimonthly happy hour to build members' career networks and mutual support.
-Wharton Fine Art & Design Group Foster networking and sharing of resources among Wharton alumni who have a professional interest in the fields of fine and decorative arts, design, and décor. In addition, the group hosts events for the Wharton community so those who are interested personally in art & design can benefit from the perspective of members and member contacts.
-Media & Entertainment Affinity Group Increase networking and learning among professionals in the media & entertainment sectors for Wharton alumni. Networking can be difficult in these sectors, especially since Wharton has a relatively small alumni base in them. We hope to build relationships among participants that open doors to new business, career possibilities, and useful industry and company information.
-WIRE (Wharton Investment Resource Exchange) This entrepreneurs' affinity group filters and finds potential investment opportunities and provides joint introductory functions with the Angel affinity group. It is currently focused on established and later stage businesses.
-Real Estate Investing - Small Patterned after the real estate investment clubs that are popping up all over the country, this group will allow Wharton alumni who are involved in small real estate transactions to share information and resources.
-Real Estate Investing - Large This group will be a forum in which Wharton Alumni real estate professionals can share information, resources and experiences, benchmark best practices, discuss opportunities, build personal relationships and make deals.
-Investors Affinity Group Patterned after investment clubs that are popping up around the country, this group will allow non accredited Wharton Alumni who have an interest in investing to share information and resources.
-Private Equity Affinity Group This group will be dedicated to creating a forum in which professionals within the private equity and venture capital asset classes can share experiences, benchmark best practices, discuss opportunities, build personal relationships , and make deals. The group will cover all investment sectors and stages and seeks to accelerate the careers of members through unparalled access to a network of Wharton peers.
-Financial Advisor/Financial Planner/Private Client This group is oriented towards Wharton professionals involved in money management for individuals. The group will enable networking and sharing of salient best practices and enable discussion of issues amongst members. The educational event schedule may include topics ranging from how to acquire and retain clients, discussion of new strategies and products that professionals may wish to offer, etc.
-Boutique Consulting Affinity Group For senior level personnel or founders of boutique consulting firms with 5 to 100 consultants. The group welcomes all consulting areas including technology, strategy, vertical-focused (healthcare, HR, etc). The focus of the group will be to share best practices as it relates to running a growing consulting company, i.e. sales & marketing, hiring, operations, etc. Through the network created, it should also serve as a vehicle to help form strategic partnerships with other complementary consulting firms and/or provide a mechanism for companies to introduce one another to prospective clients.
-Technology Affinity Group The aim of this group is to bring Wharton alumni in the NY area working at technology-centric companies, i.e. those in software, information technology, mobile technology and/or web development. The New York area is a national leader in technology development and the goal of the Technology Affinity Group is to promote and support the growth of this industry in this region amongst Wharton alumni. The group will run an educational event schedule, sponsor a wide variety of economic development programs aimed at assisting member companies as well as networking events to enable members to develop opportunities amongst each other.
-CFO/Finance Affinity Group The CFO Affinity Group will serve the needs of senior finance executives of corporations - large and small - who are alumni of Wharton. The principal focus of the group will be to identify issues, share ideas and best practices and enable networking amongst Wharton alumni. Issues/ideas that the group may cover but is not limited to include: financing and capital structure, expense management, planning & forecasting, optimizing resource allocation, leveraging technology within finance, aligning finance and strategy, compliance, etc. Through the identification and sharing of best practices and networking, the bringing in of expert speakers, etc, the CFO affinity group aims to make some modest contribution to the work of its members.
-CEO Support Groups This group is established to educate and support CEOs of similar size companies. There are four categories: (1) Companies with 100 employees and at least 50 million in sales (2) 50 employees and 10 million in sales (3) fewer than 50 employees and less than 10 million in sales, and (4) start ups (companies less than three years old). This group must sign a confidentiality agreement.
For more information on the other Affinity Groups of the Wharton Club of New York, please visit the Affinity Groups page.
The Career Development Division creates, implements and coordinates initiatives, activities and events designed to help alumni enhance their careers, develop skills, find professional network opportunities, change careers and conduct job searches. It facilitates access to resources that are available to Wharton alumni from the Wharton School and seeks to develop relationships with organizations and professionals that assist in the employment placement process.
The activities include providing practical services, programs and workshops related to career advising, executive coaching, resume preparation, marketing of services, addressing workplace issues, educational opportunities to build one’s skills or knowledge, and identifying corporate or non-profit board opportunities. Programs that are industry specific may be coordinated with Wharton Club of New York affinity groups or with other Wharton organizations.
Committees included in the Career Development Division are:
Career Speaker Series – presents topics of interest with career development professionals, industry experts, Wharton professors and alumni.
Career Networking – develops programs and events targeted to foster networking opportunities, including non-profit and corporate board placement, industry career advancement, internet/social media marketing of individuals and services, and shared interest groups.
Career Development and Special Programs – provides programs, workshops and access to practical services related to career advising, executive coaching, resume preparation, marketing of services and addressing of worksplace issues.
The Marketing and Communications Division develops, coordinates and maintains all communications with members including: sponsorship, newsletter, member directory, the website, email blasts, annual report. It ensures that all member communication vehicles are available and relevant to the needs of our members. This division is responsible for creating communications and services for the membership in order to both attract and retain club members. Since the addition and retention of members is vital not only to the survival and prosperity of the alumni network, it is perhaps the most important function of the chapter. Committees included are:
-Member Benefits Committee develops and maintains special discounts, services and programs offered exclusively for the benefit of our members. The committee is charged with identifying, evaluating, sourcing and promoting meaningful membership benefits which deliver real added value to club membership.
-Technology Office is led by the Chief Technology Officer, and is responsible for developing, coordinating and maintaining the website, vendor management, improving the quality and accuracy of information on our digital platforms through the development and implementation of technology priorities and standards, as well as the development of new technology capabilities to support club growth, in consultation with the club President.
-Sponsorship Committee develops and implements plans to increase and maintain corporate and alumni sponsorships. This committee seeks to cultivate and maintain strong sponsorship bonds with companies and individuals in order to underwrite the cost of club programs, build a capital fund and support future philanthropic programs.
-Marketing Committee is charged with the responsibility to develop, coordinate and implement plans to increase membership and welcome new members. Its mission is to improve member outreach and retention through improved interaction programs with new and lapsed members.
-Communications Committee develops, coordinates and publishes the Wharton Club of New York magazine, and is also responsible for all communications with external media and stakeholders to promote the organization and its activities. The committee's goal is to increase public awareness of the Alumni network and its activities.
The Treasury and Finance Division is responsible for the accounting and finance for the Club and handles or all related functions that provide support for the other divisions. This Treasury and Finance Division review all contracts, ensures the Club has proper insurance coverage, manages payroll, investments and cash management. In addition, the Division is involved in pricing, sponsorship, and vendor management decisions. This division is under the guidance of the treasurer, who handles the accounting affairs for the Club.
-Accounting & Budgeting Committee develops and implements plans and procedures for all accounting practices of the organization. In addition this committee supervises the external service providers that support the bookkeeping, accounting and auditing of the Clubs books and records. The Committee also develops and implements procedures for budget and planning. This committee is also responsible for developing, and implementing the Club's annual plan. This committee provides budgeting and forecasting information to the other divisions. The Treasurer and the Budget Director sit on this Committee.
-Treasury and Audit Committee develops and implements plans and procedures for handling the financing, investing and cash management of the Club. In addition this committee supervises the external service providers that support the accounting and auditing of the Clubs books and records. The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer sit on this Committee.
-Volunteer Services Committee
The mission of the Volunteer Services Committee is to provide the Club with the necessary resources to manage all aspects of the Club's business and operations. This includes an on-going and systemic review of the club's policies, processes, practices and standards. The committee is headed by the VP, Volunteer Services who develops, and implements plans and procedures for paid staff and volunteers including: recruitment, training, retention, recognition, compensation and benefits. The committee is responsible for the policies and procedures handbook.
If you want to join a committee, email your committee preference, what you would bring to the committee, what you would like to get out of the experience, and your contact information to volunteers@whartonny.com.