Joseph C. Atkinson (’92 Finance)

2026 Distinguished Achievement Award

Joe Atkinson is a business and technology leader who aligns innovation with people, purpose, and long-term impact. As PwC’s Global Chief AI Officer, he is shaping how Artificial Intelligence is responsibly adopted and scaled – empowering more than 360,000 people across PwC’s global Network as they serve and support clients in 136 countries.

Over more than three decades with PwC, Joe has led some of the firm's most pivotal technology and transformation efforts and advised many of the firm’s premiere clients. As PwC's first Chief Digital Officer, he launched a comprehensive strategy to modernize work at PwC, introducing new tools and talent models to enable innovation at scale. He served as PwC’s US Vice Chair and Chief Products and Technology Officer, responsible for PwC’s technology products, platforms, and operations. Previously, Joe led PwC’s Technology, Media, and Telecommunications consulting practice, advising global clients on large-scale, technology-enabled transformation.

Joe is deeply committed to education and service. A member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Information Sciences and Technology, Joe chaired IST’s Campaign Cabinet in support of A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence. He serves on the Board of Trustees for Bancroft and previously served on the boards of the Community Foundation of South Jersey and the PwC Charitable Foundation.

A Certified Public Accountant, Joe earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance in 1992 from Smeal. He and his wife Laura (’92 English, Schreyer Honors) have three children and live in Haddonfield, New Jersey.