Technology is reshaping the way organizations operate, and the new Vice Dean of Wharton’s MBA Program for Executives Kevin Werbach brings deep expertise in navigating those changes.
A longtime Wharton professor and chair of the Legal Studies and Business Ethics department, Werbach has spent more than three decades studying emerging technologies, from the early days of the internet to today’s rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Now, he’s focused on what comes next; not just for business, but for the executives preparing to lead it.
From the Cold War to the Digital Age
Growing up in Southern California, Werbach was an avid reader of science fiction, developing a passionate interest in computers after buying an Apple 2e in 1983. Intrigued by the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, he studied Russian literature and social sciences at the University of California, Berkeley.
But while his academic focus began in geopolitics, his intellectual curiosity quickly shifted toward his hobby of surfing computer bulletin board services, thanks to another emerging force: the internet.
After earning his law degree from Harvard Law School, Werbach joined the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the 1990s, where he became part of a small group shaping U.S. internet policy at a time when the web was still in its infancy.
“We looked at foundational questions like: How should the internet be regulated? How do we ensure access? What role should the government play?” he recalls.
That experience laid the groundwork for a career at the intersection of technology, business, and policy — one that would later include roles in the Clinton Administration, advisory work during the Obama Administration, and founding a consulting and conference firm called the Supernova Group.
Bringing Technology Policy Into the Classroom
Werbach joined Wharton in 2004, drawn by the opportunity to explore technology through a business lens while remaining grounded in legal scholarship. Over the years, he has become one of the school’s leading voices on the ethical and regulatory implications of emerging technologies.
He currently directs the Wharton Accountable AI Lab and the Blockchain and Digital Asset Project, and his research spans topics such as accountable AI, digital assets, and internet policy. Perhaps echoing his early interest in America’s geopolitical rival during the Cold War, he is also an expert on technology governance in China. His influence extends beyond campus as well through books like “The Blockchain and the New Architecture of Trust” and his podcast “The Road to Accountable AI.”
For EMBA students, however, Werbach is perhaps best known as a professor. In addition to leading Block Weeks, Global Modular Courses, and Global Business Weeks on AI around the world, and previously teaching the Legal Studies and Business Ethics core course on both coasts, he also teaches a popular elective on AI governance.
His approach to teaching is shaped by the unique profile of executive MBA students.
“These are experienced professionals who are immediately applying what they learn,” says Werbach. “That creates a different kind of classroom dynamic, one where you have to demonstrate practical as well as theoretical value. I find that incredibly energizing.”
A Classroom Built for Today’s Challenges
Werbach has long been an educational innovator, creating one of Penn’s initial massive open online courses on the Coursera platform in 2012. It remains active 14 years later, with over half a million total enrollments worldwide. And well before AI became a mainstream business priority, Werbach was advocating for its thoughtful integration into the curriculum. In 2016, he launched a course focused on the ethical and strategic implications of data and AI, now a cornerstone of Wharton’s AI for Business major.
The course goes beyond technical skills, emphasizing critical thinking and responsible decision-making. “It’s not just about how to use these tools,” Werbach explains. “It’s about understanding their broader impact economically, ethically, and societally.”
Leading the EMBA Program
As Vice Dean, Werbach sees the EMBA program as a powerful platform for innovation within Wharton.
“This program is uniquely positioned,” he says. “It brings together leaders from across industries and geographies who are actively dealing with transformation in real time. That creates a tremendous opportunity to experiment, evolve, and lead.”
Werbach is particularly excited about how the program can continue to evolve in response to emerging technologies like AI.
“We’re in a moment where lifelong learning isn’t optional — it’s essential,” he says. “This is a program where leaders come not just to keep up, but to redefine what’s possible.”
While Werbach is quick to note that EMBA’s strength lies in its established excellence, he’s equally clear that standing still is not an option.
“We’re not going to rest on past success,” he says. “There’s so much happening beneath the surface with new ideas and ways of thinking about business education. We’re not just keeping pace with change. We’re going to help lead it.”
By Meghan Laska
Posted: July 6, 2026
