Executive Master's in Technology Management Success Stories University of Pennsylvania

 

The Executive Master's in Technology Management Program (EMTM) develops leaders with strong management skills and a broad understanding of emerging technologies. Since its founding ten years ago, EMTM has attracted more than 540 participants from over 210 companies and agencies, in private and public sector industries. Typically, graduates have rapidly risen to leadership positions, and shown their entrepreneurial skills, in both Fortune-500 companies and startups. Alumni include:

Bob Maigetter, Ph.D. (EMTM '95)

Vice President, Operations
The Immune Response Corporation

"EMTM changed my life," exclaims Robert Maigetter explaining how EMTM reinvigorated his already thriving career. At age 50 when he graduated, Maigetter, the then-oldest EMTM student, has since begun to realize his entrepreneurial potential. When he enrolled, he had a Ph.D. in microbiology and was a senior manager for a large pharmaceutical firm. But now, he's on the executive management team of The Immune Response Corporation (IMNR), a smaller biopharmaceutical company that requires him to exercise his broadened scientific and business skills. As vice president of operations, he is overseeing the potential introduction of RemuneTM, a drug now in clinical trials, which can be used alone or in combination with existing antiviral drug therapies to treat HIV-infected individuals.

John Bowers (EMTM '95)

President
Teknokon L.L.C.

When John Bowers, an inventor with 23 patents, enrolled in EMTM he already had participated in the development of the Maxicode two-dimensional bar code used by UPS. While he hadn't completed his undergraduate degree, his stellar industry background--at the time he was a senior technology manager--was responsible for an exception to standard admissions requirements. Now, after graduating from EMTM, Bowers has his own consulting firm for companies developing new technologies that incorporate electronics. Two current projects include the development of electronics for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display systems that may ultimately displace back-lit liquid crystal displays (LCD's), and of micro-metering technologies that will enable the delivery of pure pharmaceuticals in smaller volumes than ever before possible.

Tina Schechter (EMTM '98)

Director of Quality, Ethics and Mission Success
Naval Electronic Surveillance Systems (NESS)--Moorestown
Lockheed Martin

Not many people get advanced three levels in one promotion, but with a boost from her EMTM degree, Tina Schechter did just that. Within three months of graduation, the former line manager was on Lockheed Martin's senior leadership team supervising approximately 150 people. Schechter stood out even as an EMTM student. She was a co-chair of EMTM's student organization, EES, and she co-founded WEELS, a group that promotes technology leadership by women. Now, as director of quality, ethics and mission success, she leads her company in ensuring product quality, planning and managing business initiatives, developing and maintaining an IT strategy, and setting and maintaining ethics.

Robert Petrie (EMTM '98)

Vice President, Operations
Cutler Systems Management

When he began EMTM, Robert Petrie was a technologist and an application developer for one of the largest information technology companies, with a desire to begin managing. Five short years later, he has surpassed his EMTM student goal--to combine business and technology in his work--and today runs the operations for an Internet startup company, of which he is a founder. Petrie is senior vice president of operations for Cutler Systems Management, a Web application management company that has created its own niche by focusing exclusively on the ongoing management, maintenance and support of "e-business" applications. Started in early 1999 with two others, Petrie's company now has 70 employees in three cities and has the backing of one of Silicon Valley's leading venture capital firms. Cutler's client roster includes Merrill Lynch, Alliance Capital, Stride Rite, Pilgrim Baxter,Thomson Financial and ADP.

Ana Pinczuk (EMTM '99)

Vice President, Internet Protocol Platform Planning
AT&T

Once you've shown you can successfully juggle the large time commitments of a master's degree program, (EMTM), with a responsible job and the birth of a baby, there's not much you can't do. Ana Pinczuk gave birth to her first child after her first EMTM semester and returned to class two weekends later. She credits her classmates and their teamwork as major factors in her ability to continue after the birth of her child. And shortly after graduating, she's been promoted from business Internet protocol (IP) development director to vice president, IP platform planning. Pinczuk manages marketing and systems engineering for IP middleware, the enabling software for e-mail, chat and instant messaging engines.

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