Wharton School

Christopher Morris Named Director of MBA Career Management at the Wharton School

February 4, 2005, Philadelphia — Christopher Morris has been named director of MBA Career Management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His appointment was effective January 26. Morris succeeds Peter Degnan, who was recently named executive director in Wharton’s Executive Education Division.

Morris has served as senior associate director of Wharton MBA Career Management since August 2003. Morris came to Wharton from Campbell Soup Co., where he served for two-and-a-half years as marketing manager. Prior to that he was brand manager at Procter & Gamble’s Cincinnati, Ohio headquarters, where he was also very involved with MBA recruiting.

“We believe that Christopher has the vision, commitment, and leadership ability to guide the MBA Career Management Office in the pursuit of its mission — to enable our students to gain access to the broadest range of high-potential MBA career opportunities — while continuing to improve the quality of our services to both students and employers,” said Anjani Jain, vice dean and director of the Wharton Graduate Division. “We are very confident that Christopher will continue the tremendous progress that the team has made under Peter Degnan’s leadership in the last few years.”

Morris has handled numerous responsibilities at Wharton, including consumer products and retail industries, and an advising role for the various student clubs associated with these industries. He has been instrumental in attracting several new companies to recruit on campus, and has helped to expand opportunities with many other current recruiters.

The selection of Morris followed a rigorous search process headed by Peggy Bishop Lane, deputy vice dean of the Wharton Graduate Division. In addition to other senior administrators, several current MBA students served on the committee and were involved throughout the interview process.

Morris earned his MBA at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management while working full-time at the University, serving first as assistant director, then director of MBA Admissions. Earlier, he worked as assistant coach of the men's crew at Cornell, and also coached the United States Junior men's crew in the World Junior Rowing Championships. He holds a B.S. degree in management from Rutgers University, where he was also co-captain of the varsity crew.

The appointment of Morris builds on the transformation of Wharton’s MBA Career Management Office initiated by Peter Degnan, who came to Wharton in the spring of 2002. Degnan’s move to Wharton Executive Education will complement the ongoing transformation. “Peter’s new role in Executive Education will expand his considerable experience working with the top global companies as part of a comprehensive effort to strengthen our relationships with companies — as executive education clients, research sponsors, and employers,” said Patrick Harker, dean of the Wharton School. “We expect that Peter’s work in Executive Education, especially with respect to client development and corporate engagement, will help create new pathways and networks for students to seek a diverse range of career opportunities.”