As the fifth largest city in the United States with a population over 1.5 million, Philadelphia has a lot to offer MBAs. The city is an educational and economic hub that is home to seven Fortune 1000 companies and has a GDP of $388 billion a year (ranking ninth in the world).
For MBAs looking to work in Philadelphia, they have a variety of options. Philadelphia’s major economic sectors include information technology, manufacturing, oil refining, food processing, health care, biotechnology, tourism, and financial services. So graduates of The Wharton School or the Fox School of Business should have no shortage of job opportunities.
Where should MBA grads get a job in Philadelphia?
We’ve compiled a list of Philadelphia’s largest employers where MBAs can look for a career after graduation.
Largest MBA Employers in Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania Health System
The University of Pennsylvania Health System employs 33,814 people in the greater Philadelphia area. Penn Medicine started in 1751 as the nation’s first medical school. Today, it is a world-renowned academic medical center that strives to improve medicine through research, education, clinical care and community service. Being a university, MBAs can be found throughout the leadership team.
- Michael Restuccia, the CIO and Vice President, received his MBA from Villanova University.
- Brian Wells, the Associate VP of Health Technology and Academic Computing, also earned his MBA at Villanova University.
Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health
Thomas Jefferson University began in 1824 and is now a leading medical college. Along with Jefferson Health, one of the top hospitals in Philadelphia, they employ a total of 19,187 professionals. The hospital has over 937 beds and employs 1,648 medical staff. The University has awarded more than 30,000 medical degrees and boasts more than 60,000 square feet of teaching and learning space. Some of the MBAs in its leadership team include:
- Stephen K. Klasko, President and CEO, graduated with his MBA from the Wharton School.
- Peter DeAngelis, Chief Financial Officer, earned his MBA from LaSalle University.
Giant Food Stores, LLC
Giant Food Stores is an American supermarket chain that operates in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. In Philadelphia, the company employs over 16,000 people. Founded in 1936, the company has over 150 stores and was voted Retailer of the Year in 2014. There are quite a few MBAs found in the company’s leadership.
- Erik Keptner, Sr. VP of Sales, Merchandising, and Marketing, received his MBA from Fox Temple University.
- John Ponnet, Sr. VP of Operations, earned his MBA from St. Joseph’s University.
Comcast Corp
Comcast is an American multinational mass media company. It’s also the largest broadcasting and cable television company in the world. In Philadelphia, the company employs more than 12,858 individuals. With operations in 40 states, there are quite a few MBAs within the management team.
- Stephen Burke, CEO of NBC Universal and Sr. Executive VP of Comcast, earned his MBA from Harvard University.
- James Finnegan, Vice President of Intellectual Property Strategy, received his MBA from Lehigh University.
Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania
The Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest and largest children’s hospitals in the world. They employ more than 11,779 in the greater Philadelphia area and have more than 527 patient beds. U.S. News and World Report and Parents Magazine have ranked the hospital as the best Children’s Hospital in the United States. The hospital provides both inpatient and outpatient care for children. MBAs in its leadership team include:
- Doug Hock, Executive VP and COO, earned his MBA from Rice University.
- Thomas Todorow, Executive VP and CFO, earned his MBA from the Wharton School.
Vanguard
The Vanguard Group is an American management investment company employing 11,700 people in Philadelphia. The company manages approximately $3.4 trillion in assets and is the largest provider of mutual funds. It’s also the second largest provider of exchange-traded funds. MBAs within the company’s leadership team include:
- Mortimer Buckley, Managing Director and CIO, earned his MBA at Harvard Business School.
- John Marcante, Managing Director of Information Technology, holds an MBA from Saint Joseph’s University.
UPS
The United Parcel Service (UPS) is the world’s largest package delivery company. They employ more than 10,261 people in Philadelphia. The company delivers more than 15 million packages a day to more than 7.9 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the world. The company employs multiple MBAs within its executive team.
- Richard Peretz, CFO, holds an MBA from the Goizueta Business School.
- Mark Tabor, Vice President of Marketing at UPS Canada, earned his MBA at Tampa College.
Other top companies in the greater Philadelphia area include Bank of America (10,000 employees), Drexel University (9,829 employees), and Verizon Communications (9,054 employees).