Welcome to the Office of the President

Denis O'Brien

Interim President
3141 Chestnut Street
Suite 103
Main Building
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Meet Drexel’s Interim President Denis O’Brien

Interim President Denis O’Brien leads Drexel during a time of transition, as the institution undergoes a leadership change and academic transformation, while ensuring student, faculty, and professional staff success in an ever-evolving era.

O’Brien, a 1987 MBA graduate of Drexel’s LeBow College of Business, and a member of Drexel’s Board of Trustees for more than two decades, previously served as senior executive vice president of Exelon and CEO of Exelon Utilities, where he led the nation’s largest family of electric and natural gas distribution companies. Prior, he was the president and CEO of PECO Energy, one of the nation’s most profitable and highest-performing utility companies, where he began his career as a field engineer.

O’Brien, a lifelong Philadelphian, has served on numerous boards, including tenures as the chair of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, the Electric Power Research Institute, and the Pennsylvania Business Roundtable. He also served as a director at the Franklin Institute. He currently serves on the board of Independence Health Group.

He has been named Drexel’s 2009 Business Leader of the Year and elected to the Drexel 100, which recognizes the University’s top graduates. In 2019, he was the recipient of the William Penn Award, the highest honor presented to a business or civic leader in Greater Philadelphia.

Read Denis O’Brien's Biography
Quote-gradient My job as your interim president is to keep Drexel moving along the critical path of continuous improvement toward becoming ever safer and ever more successful in our core endeavors.
-Interim President Denis O’Brien

Celebrating the myriad collaborations that help to power the University’s accomplishments.
A vivid illustration of groundbreaking research at an R1 level research institution.
In 2024, Drexel launched an external review focused on institutional response to issues related to discrimination and harassment under Title VI.
Drexel’s Strategic Plan 2030 positions the University for long-term success.

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