Emerging CPO Program
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Learn. Level up. Leap to product leadership.
In a market dominated by customer centricity, chief product officers (CPOs) play a key role in driving financial success. As technology continues to transform the consumer experience, CPOs must capture customer value and create competitive advantage in more efficient and innovative ways, requiring a unique blend of leadership, strategy, and product-development expertise.
The six-month Emerging Chief Product Officer (CPO) Program from Wharton Executive Education is designed to empower experienced product professionals to align product strategy with business objectives, gain organization-wide support for product initiatives, and make critical decisions amid dynamic market conditions. Through the curriculum, you will gain the expertise to succeed as a future CPO by mastering customer-centric product development, agile product leadership, disruptive innovation management, and data-driven decision making. At the end of the program, you will possess the strategic skills to navigate the evolving product landscape, the foresight to identify product challenges and opportunities, and the expertise to foster a powerful professional network that will help propel your career to the C-suite.
70%
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Source: PRODUCTS THAT COUNT and CAPGEMINI
Learning journey
The six-month online learning journey includes 14 weeks of core leadership knowledge and two specialized modules to help you develop the skills required for future C-level leadership. The program also offers an optional two-day on-campus 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: The last two weeks of the core executive modules will be held after the 10 weeks of specialized CPO modules.
** Note: A registration fee of US$250 is applicable.
Curriculum
The Emerging CPO Program is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to navigate the responsibilities of a future CPO. You will learn to lead with a strategic mindset while developing a powerful network of connections that will be a valuable resource on your journey to the C-suite.
Wharton Emerging C- Suite Development Series
As a participant in the Emerging Chief Product Officer (CPO) Program, you will gain valuable insights into the role of modern CPOs while also having exclusive access to the shared core curriculum of the Wharton Emerging C-Suite Development Program Series. This comprehensive series includes the Emerging Chief Product Officer (CPO) Program, Emerging Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Program, the Emerging Chief Operating Officer (COO) Program, and other emerging C-suite programs to be announced in the future. It offers a unique opportunity to dive deep into the specialized development track of a CPO while also learning alongside and connecting with aspiring executives across other emerging C-suite programs during core leadership development components of the curriculum. This opportunity will help you further expand your professional network and develop a cross-functional leadership mindset.
What you will learn
The program will enable you to:
Implement a clear product strategy, and evaluate product portfolios that align with your organization’s vision and objectives, market demands, and global business challenges
Collaborate with diverse stakeholders to build trust, manage relationships, and communicate transparently while leveraging power, persuasion, and influence to drive change
Apply evidence-based frameworks to navigate disruption, and use lateral thinking and options thinking to anticipate global trends and navigate uncertainty
Drive cross-functional adoption of ethical decision-making best practices to inspire diverse teams toward transformative goals, and recommend strategies to improve team performance using the group-performance model
Analyze organizational politics and structures to build alliances and collaborations at the executive level, and develop a purpose-driven organizational strategy aligning vision with operational strategies and culture
Create a personalized action plan to evolve your leadership competencies and map out your journey to the C-suite
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Who is this program for?
The Emerging CPO Program will help experienced product professionals enhance their leadership and management skills, enabling them to leverage product-development expertise, strategic thinking, and data-driven decision making to elevate their impact and continue on their path to becoming a CPO.
The program is ideal for:
Vice presidents, directors, and heads of product seeking to develop the skills and mindset to lead enterprise-wide product strategy and accelerate their career growth
Product managers looking to leverage innovative frameworks and data-driven decision making to stay ahead of emerging trends and take on new leadership opportunities
Participants are required to have:
A minimum of 8 years of work experience
Fluency in written and spoken English
Note: This program is tailored for product professionals on the path to C-suite roles and is not intended for individuals currently serving as CPOs.
Program highlights
Immerse yourself in a comprehensive curriculum that gives you the momentum to transition to a C-level role.
Cultivate future-ready leadership skills through personalized assessments and evidence-based exercises, webinars, and career workshops.
Create a detailed strategy to evolve your leadership abilities that propel you toward your objective of becoming a CPO.
Experience real-time learning in live sessions that give depth to key leadership concepts.
Acquire rich real-world insights into product leadership and social networking through the expertise of world-renowned Wharton faculty.
Experience the power of modern product strategies and leadership practices as they come to life with real-world examples.
Venture deeper into key leadership tenets to gain hands-on skills and confidently tackle complex challenges as you take on the CPO role.
Expand your professional network through virtual meet-ups, and an on-campus event with a global cohort of peers.
Optimize your learning journey through weekly check-ins with a success coach assigned to your cohort.
Capstone project
The capstone project presents an opportunity for you to synthesize the knowledge and insights gained throughout the program and apply them to an extended case study. Through a systematic and strategic approach, you will leverage the program's learnings to develop a portfolio of product-management tasks for the product of your choice. This hands-on experience can help you to translate theory into practice and drive change.
Meet the faculty
Academic Co-Director; CIBC Endowed Professor; Professor of Operations, Information and Decisions; Professor of Management; Dean's Office Advisor on Asia Strategy
Karl Ulrich’s research focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, and product development. He is the recipient of many teaching awards, including the Anvil Award, the Miller-She...
Academic Co-Director; 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...
Note: The faculty list is subject to change.
Certificate
Earn a Wharton Executive Education digital certificate upon successful completion of the program. 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 CPO 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 CPO 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.)
Early registrations are encouraged. Seats fill up quickly!
Flexible payment options available.
Starts On September 24, 2025