While many Wharton graduates get their starts in on-campus interviews or on Wall Street, Philadelphia Phillies President David Montgomery got his by coaching sports part time at Germantown Academy.
Montgomery graduated from Penn in 1968 with a degree in history and went on to get his MBA from Wharton in 1970. But he spent much of his time working with high school students at Germantown.
It was there that the current president of the Philadelphia Phillies met Hall of Fame Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts, while Montgomery was coaching Roberts' sons.
Roberts introduced Montgomery to Bill Giles -- now the Phillies' chairman -- who had just been brought in to reinvigorate the Phillies' business operations.
"I met Bill with Robin on a Saturday afternoon," Montgomery said. "He asked me what I was doing Monday. Monday morning I came over ... and I started that very day."
Montgomery's first job with the Phillies was selling season tickets in the brand new, state-of-the-art Veterans Stadium, which was being readied for its first year of service in 1971.
Over the years, that modern facility became outdated and now lies as only memories and a pile of rubble. But for Montgomery, his memories are of the Vet not as a ballpark, but as a workplace.
"I do have very fond memories of Veterans Stadium, having gone there to work every day for 33 years," he said.
Over the course of those 33 years, Montgomery has held many titles with the Phillies.
He was named marketing director and then director of sales before getting his biggest promotion in 1981.
After an ownership change, Montgomery was named executive vice president. He was promoted to president in 1997, succeeding Giles as the head of the business.
As the president of the ball club, Montgomery oversees the business side of the operation, working occasionally with General Manager Ed Wade to keep the wheels turning in the Phillies organization, which includes an extensive farm system. His role in the on-field workings of the Phillies is, in his words, "more I think to set direction than anything else."
Mostly, Montgomery remains in charge of the business side, and therefore he has had a very busy spring.
The Phillies, in addition to opening Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, opened Bright House Networks Field, the club's new spring training complex, in Clearwater, Fla.
After this spring's workload, Montgomery said, "I wouldn't recommend opening two in the same year."
While the cities of Philadelphia and Clearwater own their respective facilities, the Phillies' lease agreements make the organization responsible for anything that happens at either venue.
Montgomery's role in the new ballparks started long before opening day, however.
He has been working for a few years on the projects and was especially instrumental in landing Citizens Bank as the new ballpark's naming rights partner.
"One of the things that was important to us was to feel that whoever's name went on the park had a common vision," Montgomery said. "One of the things we like about 'Citizens' is they're very into customer service and they're very into being visible in the Philadelphia community."
Citizens Bank Park prides itself on its friendliness to the fans. Part of that customer awareness may come from Montgomery's days of sitting in the General Admission sections at Connie Mack Stadium, the Phillies' home when he was young.
"That's how I attended," Montgomery said. "I can tell you exactly where I sat in Connie Mack."
At the old ballpark, Montgomery would try to be among the first in attendance in order to get a spot along the third-base line where his view would not be obstructed by the posts that held up the roof.
As a teenager, he attended Penn Charter -- interestingly, the rival high school of Germantown Academy where he eventually got his big break. He had a love for sports as a high school student, but said he did not have the talent to match it.
"My athletic career ended abruptly in high school. I got all out of a little bit of talent that I could at the high school level and it stopped after that. But I was fortunate enough to have my interest in sports manifest itself in this opportunity."
From Penn Charter, Montgomery was admitted early into Penn, where he began his undergraduate years as a commuting student and later moved on campus.
Now, despite his year-round job with the team and his attendance at 81 home games and more than a dozen away games per year, he has maintained a strong connection to Penn.
In December 2003, Montgomery finished his term as an alumni trustee. He also serves on the WXPN Policy Board and on the Board of Overseers for the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
In addition to his contribution to cultural groups on campus, Montgomery is devoted to the Red and Blue.
He is still a season ticket holder for the Penn men's basketball team and he is glad for the opportunity that his schedule provides him.
"College basketball is the one season that sort of dovetails well with baseball season," he said.
He also has a more personal reason for attending men's basketball.
"I've known [Penn coach] Fran Dunphy since he was in high school," Montgomery said of the Malvern Prep graduate.
His admiration for Penn sports does not end on the hardwood, but continues on the diamond and the gridiron.
Penn baseball coach "Bob Seddon's great. I've followed the baseball program to the degree that I can," Montgomery said, noting that his own schedule prevents him from attending as many baseball games as he would like.
"I also attend a decent number of football games whenever I can get there," he added.
Montgomery now lives in Wyndmoor, Pa., only a few miles from where he launched his career during a high school coaching job.
"I've been very fortunate to have been at literally the right place at the right time."
