MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — E. Philip Wenger, who received his bachelor of science degree in finance in 1979 from Penn State and his MBA from Penn State Harrisburg in 1987, has been named an Alumni Fellow by the Penn State Alumni Association.
E. Philip Wenger, a Penn State alumnus, is the chairman and CEO of Fulton Financial Corp.
The Alumni Fellow Award is the most prestigious award given by the Penn State Alumni Association. Since 1973, the Alumni Fellow Award has been given to select alumni who, as leaders in their professional fields, are nominated by an academic college and accept an invitation from the University president to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty and administrators.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive this award,” Wenger said.
Currently the chairman and chief executive officer of Fulton Financial Corp., the holding company of Fulton Bank and five other community banks in the mid-Atlantic region, Wenger said that his Penn State education was instrumental in helping him advance his career at a quicker pace.
“I was working at Fulton Bank and looking to obtain my MBA. I took one course at a local school and was not satisfied with it,” Wenger said. “Then I discovered the Penn State Harrisburg program.”
Wenger attests to the challenges and rewards of attending graduate school while working.
“Working full time and getting a degree at night definitely was tough,” Wenger said, “but it taught me that hard work is an important element to success.”
He now has more than 30 years of experience in finance, which has provided him extensive knowledge in the many aspects of banking operations. Prior to assuming his current position as CEO of the corporation in 2013, Wenger was chairman and chief executive officer of Fulton Bank, and senior executive vice president of Fulton Financial Corp. Since joining Fulton Bank in 1979, Wenger has held a variety of positions in commercial lending, community banking, and other leadership roles.
In addition to overseeing $20.1 billion in assets and more than 3,900 team members, Wenger’s work through Fulton Financial Corp. has developed new and innovative community banking programs designed to provide economic growth in the communities they serve.
Wenger is a member of the Operation HOPE Global board of directors, a global financial dignity and economic empowerment nonprofit. He also serves on the Penn State Harrisburg Board of Advisers.
