Alumnus and Executive Leader Lenny Comma Will Be Keynote Speaker for LeBow’s 2026 Commencement
As students in the LeBow Class of 2026 celebrate the completion of their degrees at Commencement, they will hear from a former CEO with decades of executive experience since earning his business degree from Drexel.
Leonard “Lenny” Comma, BSBA finance ‘92, will be the keynote speaker at LeBow’s Commencement ceremony on June 11. Since graduating from Drexel, he has held leadership roles across industries, most notably as CEO and chairman of California-based restaurant chain Jack in the Box from 2014 to 2020.
Comma has carved out a career as an executive without seeking the spotlight, calling himself “a reluctant leader, at times.”
Presented with the opportunity to address the LeBow Class of 2026, Comma gave it serious consideration and consulted with family and friends before accepting.
“I have an opportunity here, so I thought, let me step into it and do something positive with it,” he says.
His desire to make an impact in the world and at Drexel has led to a deep connection with LeBow BRIDGE (Build Relationships in Diverse Group Experiences). In addition to ongoing support for the program, Comma hosted BRIDGE students on a site visit to Jack in the Box headquarters and at a networking reception at his home during the program’s spring break trip in 2016.
It’s fitting that a BRIDGE student, Arianna Cabrera, will serve as LeBow’s student speaker for Commencement; Cabrera credits her involvement with BRIDGE, starting in her first year Drexel, with providing a foundation that has enabled her success.
Since leaving Jack in the Box, Comma has served as a mentor with The ExCo Group, where he advises senior executives on leadership and transition strategies.
“I’m a teacher, an advisor, a coach and counsel for how people should move forward,” he says.
In this new phase of his career — no longer a public-facing executive with an ear toward how his comments affect markets — Comma feels free to speak his mind: “I’d say my tone is direct, and I’m way less filtered than I used to be.”
He’s approaching his Commencement address somewhat differently: having experienced loss and gone through transitions in his life and career in recent years, Comma finds himself in a reflective place. In his business commitments and his time outside of work, he says he aims to “cherish the day,” and he hopes the Class of 2026 will do the same, both on their graduation day and throughout the lives and careers.
“Every generation tends to say, no one has felt this way, or dealt with what we’re dealing with,” he says. “It’s true that you’ve had a set of experiences that have been unique to you and to your generation. They’ve prepared you for this moment.”
