The Campaign for Sustained Leadership

They call themselves the Seven Dwarves.

No, they're not particularly small, and they don't have funny names. But on May 11, they pulled off a reunion event that was nothing short of magical.

The "WEMBA XI's" – the 11th graduating class of the MBA Program for executives – gathered on Friday, May 11, to kick off Reunion 2002. These 1987 graduates came from around the world to renew their bonds with Wharton, and with each other. More than half the class attended…and as reunions go, that's huge.

The Seven Dwarves made it happen. They are the seven reunion committee members who refused to give up, calling, e-mailing, and writing their fellow alumni until they had tracked down all but two classmates.

"We had an extraordinary group of people in our class at Wharton. Unfortunately, it's easy to lose touch with all but a few," says Scott Wieler, WG'87, one of the Dwarves. "Wharton was, and is, a very important part of our lives, and being a member of this alumni network is priceless."

How did they convince so many of their classmates to make the trip? "Peer pressure and multiple nudges are the key, as well as viral marketing and multiple points of contact." says Weiler, president and CEO of Signal Hill Capital Group LLC. The Dwarves point to the e-mail trail they left behind as they networked, pleaded, cajoled, and used old-fashioned detective work to locate classmates they'd lost touch with. Often, contacting one "missing" alumnus took days of cross-referencing, calling old employers, and, in one extreme case, driving to an alumna's former home and talking with the current resident.

"Reconnecting with classmates, their families, our professors, and the school is inspiring for all of us. It was a huge satisfaction to enjoy that first beer at the bar with the majority of the class, and to toast for continued success and happiness for all of our classmates," and that, says Wieler, made the hours of work worthwhile.

And, for those classmates who were not able to attend the reunion, many were there in spirit. That first beer that Wieler mentioned was bought by Andre Berenfeld, WG'87, a principal at Breckenridge Capital, Inc., who, though unable to be in Philadelphia, funded the first round for all '87 WEMBA alumni present.

As always, the biggest draw of the weekend was reconnecting to classmates and Wharton...and having some fun in the process. On Saturday night, playing their hearts out, were the Rolling Clones, a Stones cover band led by – you guessed it – an '87 alumnus, Arthur McQueen.

"As a dare four years ago, I formed a band to play Rolling Stones songs at a party," he says. "We were such a big hit, we decided to expand our repertoire and play clubs in Chicago." The audience in Philadelphia may have been the Clones' most appreciative ever, as the band, with McQueen's wife on keyboards, belted out "Start Me Up" and "Satisfaction."

"Reunions give folks the chance to step back and assess how far they've come over the years," says Diane Ty, a member of the Class of '87 reunion committee who lives in Washington, D.C., where she runs her own nonprofit, YouthNOISE. "We all had our dreams coming out of Wharton, and these events allow us to take stock of our lives."

For the Class of '87, they are lives filled with commitment, enthusiasm, and a lifelong connection to Wharton.