Biography
Peter Jessel is an emeritus professor of practice with a primary interest in corporate information systems and technical management. He joined Cornell in 2002 and was appointed a professor of practice in 2016. From 2014 to 2025 he served as director of the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) program.
Before returning to academia, Jessel built an extensive career in senior technology leadership roles. From 1995-2002 he was a managing director and chief information officer at Towers Perrin, responsible for the development, implementation and management of the firm’s technology worldwide. Earlier, he served as senior vice president of information technology at EMI Music and was a leader in McKinsey & Company IT/S practice. From 1977 to 1986, he held a number of executive positions at Data General and Digital Equipment Corp. in planning, operations and development.
Jessel has been a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and BEE and M.S. degrees from Cornell University.