Lisa Dalik

The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Age: 37

“Curious, grounded, with a healthy sense of humor – drawn to new places, ideas, and meaningful conversations.”

Hometown: Originally from Vienna, Austria and currently based in Zurich, Switzerland

Undergraduate School and Degree: MSc in Human Resource Development and Consultancy, Birkbeck College, University of London (United Kingdom); BA in Business Administration, University of Applied Sciences Salzburg (Austria)

Where are you currently working?

Company: Sportradar; Role: Global Lead for HR M&A.

Sportradar is the global leader in sports technology. Partnering with major leagues, such as the NBA, NHL, MLB, and UEFA, it operates at the intersection of sports, media, and betting, delivering data-driven solutions that power real-time insights, integrity services, and fan engagement to its clients.

I was hired into this newly created role aiming to establish and drive Sportradar’s HR M&A strategy. As a trusted advisor to the C-suite and senior leaders, I lead all people aspects of the transaction lifecycle globally (from origination to post-acquisition Integration).

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? The extracurricular achievement I am most proud of during business school is becoming a mum. I also deeply admire the many other classmates who became parents during the program; witnessing their strength and commitment has been incredibly inspiring.

Personally, balancing this highly demanding MBA degree, finding my footing as a new mother, continuing to be a supportive partner, and returning to work full-time after maternity leave was one of the greatest challenges I have faced to date. Professionally, it helped me to become more focused. It taught me how to devote my time wisely, communicate with clarity, and lead with empathy without compromising on performance. It has influenced how I think about leadership, priorities, and what it really takes to get things done.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Getting a merger, acquisition, or divestment right is hard. As a popular saying goes, “people make or break a deal.” The professional achievement I am most proud of is helping transform HR from a reactive, post-deal support function into a strategic, end-to-end capability central to both M&A and divestiture success.

Early in my career, HR was often brought in after key decisions were already made. I set out to change that, demonstrating the value of addressing people risks early, from talent retention and leadership alignment to culture integration and organizational design. Over time, I earned a seat at the deal table, contributing from diligence through execution and post-close integration.

Today, I guide senior stakeholders through complex people transitions while maintaining business continuity and engagement. My work spans risk assessments, change strategies, leadership planning, and integration delivery.

What drives me is not just seeing deals close, but seeing people land well, teams finding their rhythm, and organizations moving forward stronger. Knowing I have helped influence those outcomes through my expertise and leadership is what I am most proud of professionally.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? I had the pleasure of learning from many excellent professors over the past two years, of which three stood out in particular.

Professor Stephan Dieckmann for Corporate Finance and Professor Luzi Hail for Financial Accounting both brought deep expertise and contagious energy to their subjects. They skillfully created learning environments where both newcomers and seasoned professionals to the subject matter remained engaged, ensuring we walked away with not only practical tools but fresh perspectives on complex financial concepts.

Another exceptional experience was the weeklong Global Modular Course in Rwanda, titled Conflict, Leadership & Change: Lessons Learned from Rwanda, taught by Professor Katherine Klein. I deeply admired her thoughtful and deliberate curation of this course, which created space for honest dialogue and debate around difficult, complex, and deeply human topics. It pushed me to question my assumptions, review my values, and confront my biases regarding important topics of leadership. For me, this course represented the very essence of higher education, challenging boundaries, and encouraging independent critical thinking.

Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? There are two distinct reasons I chose Wharton’s Executive MBA program.

First, Wharton is one of the most respected and research-driven business schools in the world. Its academic rigor, globally influential faculty, and thought leadership, reflected in both scholarly publications and public discourse, set it apart. The strength of its alumni network, across industries and regions, further signals the quality and reach of a Wharton education.

Second, Wharton’s inaugural Global cohort, launched in May 2023, was a unique fit for my life and career. It’s the only Ivy League Executive MBA that provided the flexibility to attend the program while working full-time in Europe. The program’s hybrid design and international format made it possible for me to balance professional, personal, and academic commitments without compromising on quality. I work for a U.S.-listed company and interact daily with colleagues in the U.S., so Wharton’s combination of global and American business perspectives is exactly what I was looking for. In hindsight, I was deeply inspired by the full range of worldviews my cohort represented across the cultural and political spectrum. It has been a learning environment that truly reflects the world we work in.

What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? One impactful aspect of my Executive MBA was the permission and encouragement from faculty to thoughtfully engage with AI tools as part of our academic experience. Rather than compromising on rigor, this approach deepened it. We were challenged to critically assess the capabilities and limitations of AI, integrate it ethically into our coursework, and use it to sharpen our strategic thinking.

This experience has translated directly into my professional life. I now use AI regularly, not as a shortcut, but as a complement to deepen my analysis and decision-making and I feel well equipped to stay mindful of potential blind spots.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? One of the clearest reflections of how I balanced work, family, and education during the Executive MBA program is reflected by my experience in attending multiple in-person block weeks in South Korea, Spain, and the U.S. while traveling with my husband and our baby. At each location, we stayed together as a family during these intense learning periods. My days were filled with lectures, group discussions, company visits, and networking events, while breaks were often spent catching up on work from a quiet corner of the lecture room or hotel lobby. Evenings were for socializing with my classmates and nights were for feeding the baby. This routine quickly became my norm, and it was far from easy. The constant role shifting, the fatigue, and the trade-offs were real.

From the beginning, my partner and I set clear expectations and built shared systems like calendars, coordinated travel, and protected study time to help us manage our responsibilities. But these trips were not just about managing logistics. What made them meaningful was the inclusive culture fostered by the program’s administration and my classmates. Partners and families were genuinely welcomed into the experience, whether through informal events or the warmth and support of the cohort itself. That sense of community made it possible for me to fully show up as both a parent and a professional.

What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? First, there is no such thing as the perfect time. If you are waiting for the ideal moment to begin, it may never come. The important thing is to make a decision, commit to it, and trust that you will find a way to make it work by being solution-oriented, flexible, and open to adjusting along the way.

Second, recognize that everyone involved wants to see you succeed, especially the program administration team. This team plays a crucial role behind the scenes. Treat them with respect and view them as partners rather than service providers. Entitlement will not serve you, but collaboration and mature problem-solving will. You are not simply being handed a degree, you are earning it within a shared environment. The relationships you build, including with the program team, are a meaningful part of the journey.

What was your biggest regret in business school? A fantastic concept that Wharton offers to its Executive MBA students is the option to pursue an Independent Study, which is a self-directed research project guided one-on-one by a professor. It is a special chance to explore a topic of personal or professional interest, with the support of world-class faculty. In hindsight, not making time for this is my biggest regret.

With so many valuable experiences available, such as Global Business Weeks, optional Block Weeks, electives offered in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and a Global format, and various other travel opportunities, it is simply not possible to do everything. Still, I wish I had carved out time for an Independent Study. I would have loved to explore the future of furniture design, particularly how it may evolve using emerging technologies such as AI. Furniture design has long been a personal interest of mine, and I am fascinated to understand more about how this traditionally craft-oriented field will respond to powerful new design tools and capabilities. An Independent Study would have allowed me to explore market trends, business models, and production and design innovation trajectories in greater depth. Ideally, I would have done this alongside one of Wharton’s many faculty members who specialize in strategy, innovation, or entrepreneurship.

Although I did not pursue this project during the program, the furniture industry remains an area I am excited to explore in the future, and one that I hope to revisit with the same curiosity and drive that drew me to the Executive MBA in the first place.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? It is difficult to single out one person because so many classmates have contributed meaningfully to my learning and experience throughout the program. Everyone brought something unique, whether through professional achievements, personal resilience, or their willingness to support others.

What I admire most is the diversity of backgrounds and life journeys represented in the cohort. Some classmates built companies, others served in the military, became parents and raised children, changed careers, or relocated across countries and continents, all while engaging fully in the program. Being part of a group that is driven yet humble and competitive yet collaborative, has deepened my empathy and expanded my appreciation for how many different ways success can look. Behind every impressive resume is a personal story shaped by effort, values, and perseverance.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I have always been drawn to working internationally and envision continuing to pursue opportunities in new cultural and geographic contexts. I like working in businesses that are scaling, entering new markets, or rethinking how they operate.

When I started the program, I had a fairly defined idea of where I was headed. But exposure to different industries, world regions, and ways of thinking helped me broaden my view. Career goals can and should shift over time and being open to that has been a valuable mindset to carry throughout my time at Wharton.

What has stayed consistent is my interest in helping businesses through complexity, especially in the context of growth, M&A, and transformation. I have spent much of my career focused on the people side of deals: due diligence, planning and implementing integrations, aligning stakeholders, and making sure organizations are set up to deliver on their strategy. More recently, I have taken on a bigger role that includes shaping and driving integration strategy and execution across the business, which has deepened my interest in the full lifecycle of M&A and transformation work. Continuing to build a career on this trajectory and strengthening my capabilities to operate in broader strategic roles remains a priority.