William P Lauder, Executive Chairman of The Estée Lauder Companies, has gifted $4 million to the William P. Lauder Wharton Leadership Fellows Program held at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

A member of the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees, the Lauder Institute Board of Governors, the Wharton Leadership Advisory Board, and a lecturer in the Wharton School, Lauder and his family have been long-standing benefactors of the ‘Penn’ community, with Wharton Leadership Fellows being a ‘community of second-year MBA students who mentor, coach, and support first-year students in developing their potential and strengthening their performance as learning teams.’

As part of the 15-months, the Fellows are given intensive leadership development and play a critical role in strengthening team dynamics.

Lauder says, “I have always believed that great leaders are also great teachers, coaches, and mentors. That’s what I expect of leaders at The Estée Lauder Companies, and what I hope to model for MBA students. I’ve been fortunate to have many extraordinary mentors in my career — my father Leonard A. Lauder, W’54, chief among them — and I’ve been consistently impressed by the ways in which Wharton Leadership Fellows enhance and contribute to the learning culture at Wharton. I am thrilled to support this outstanding program’s continued growth and evolution.”

Wharton Dean Geoff Garrett continued, “The Leadership Fellows Program is a jewel in the Wharton MBA crown providing life-changing experiences for countless students. With William’s partnership, the program’s reach and impact will grow exponentially.”