Presidential Transition
On July 3, 2024, President John Fry sent a message to the Drexel community announcing that he will be stepping down as president. He agreed to provide transitional leadership to the University until the Board of Trustees named a new leader. At the conclusion of this period, he will assume responsibilities as the 15th president of Temple University.
Denis O'Brien, Interim President
Interim President
On July 16, 2024, Richard Greenawalt, chair of Drexel’s Board of Trustees, announced Denis O’Brien, a trustee and a deeply engaged, collaborative, and visionary leader in the Philadelphia region, as Drexel’s interim president. He will serve as Drexel’s interim president until a new president is appointed.
Denis O’Brien, a 1987 MBA graduate of Drexel’s Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, has been a member of Drexel’s Board of Trustees for two decades. He has headed high-performing institutions in the Philadelphia region for more than 30 years. Most recently he 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. He guided transformation of the company from two, independently managed utilities to an integrated, six-utility enterprise. Prior to that he was the president and CEO of PECO Energy, one of the nation’s most profitable and highest-performing utility companies.
O’Brien 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.
In recognition of his many accomplishments, he has received honors and awards including being 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.
Presidential Search
Drexel Trustee and LeBow College of Business alumnus Mike Lawrie, a globally recognized business and technology leader, and founder and CEO of The Lawrie Group, is chairing the presidential search committee, which will recruit Drexel’s 15th president in its 132-year history. More information on the presidential search process will be forthcoming, including the names of the search committee members, which will include a group of trustees, faculty members, students, alumni, and administrators.
University Messages and Updates
Announcing Visionary Philadelphia Leader Denis O’Brien as Drexel’s Interim President
July 16, 2024
Richard Greenawalt shares that Drexel’s Board of Trustees has named Denis O’Brien, a trustee and a deeply engaged, collaborative, and visionary leader in the Philadelphia region, as Drexel’s interim president.
Embracing The Future
July 11, 2024
A message from Provost Paul Jensen and Executive Vice President Helen Bowman affirms Drexel’s commitment during the presidential transition to the University Advisory Committee’s bold new vision for academic transformation.
A Message from the Chair of Drexel’s Board of Trustees
July 3, 2024
In a message to the Drexel community, Board of Trustees Chair Richard Greenawalt addressed President Fry's stepping down as president of Drexel.
A Message from Drexel President John Fry on Concluding His Tenure at Drexel
July 3, 2024
President John Fry sent a message to the Drexel community about his decision to conclude his tenure as Drexel's president.