Jerry M. Jacobs Jr. of Delaware North and the Boston Bruins and Mass. Sec. of Economic Development Yvonne Hao to Deliver Commencement Addresses
Jeremy “Jerry” M. Jacobs Jr., P ’20, chief executive officer of Delaware North and an alternate governor for the Boston Bruins, will deliver the keynote address at Bentley University’s 106th undergraduate commencement ceremony in May. Yvonne Hao, secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, will deliver the keynote address at the 50th commencement ceremony for Bentley’s McCallum Graduate School of Business.
As CEO for Delaware North, a family-owned, global leader in hospitality and entertainment, Jacobs oversees the company and its seven operating subsidiaries, focusing on strategic growth and planning, corporate governance and financial management.
Jacobs has served several philanthropic, civic and business organizations, including as board chair for the University at Buffalo (UB) Council, the primary oversight and advisory body to the university’s president and senior officers. He is on the board of The Corps Network, a national organization that engages young people and veterans through service programs, and board chair for biopharmaceutical startup Mimivax. He is a founding board member for the Say Yes Buffalo educational initiative. Jacobs’ service to the United Way of Buffalo and Erie County includes chair of the board of directors and annual fundraising campaign. He is a past member of the board of regents at Georgetown University and served three terms on the board for the UB Foundation. He is past chair of the Nichols School board of trustees, where he founded the Jacobs Scholars program for high-achieving students with financial need.
Jacobs completed a term on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board in 2015 and was named to the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee in 2018. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s from Georgetown University. Jacobs and his wife, Alice, have two adult children, Melissa and Justin ’20.
Hao leverages decades of business experience to drive positive change in the community. Named a Tech Power Player by The Boston Globe in 2023, she was recognized for guiding the local tech sector through the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Hao has more than 25 years of executive business experience as a senior executive, including as co-founder, advisor and managing director at investment firm Cove Hill Partners and as an operating partner at Pillar Ventures. Previously, she was the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of PillPack, an online pharmacy that was acquired by Amazon in 2018. She is also a former operating partner at Bain Capital. In addition, Hao has been a board director at companies such as CarGurus, Flywire, Gentherm, ZipRecruiter and Bose.
Hao’s community involvement includes serving as vice chair of the board of trustees of Beth Israel Lahey Health and a trustee emerita of her alma mater, Williams College. She is a graduate of Williams College and the University of Cambridge.
About the Ceremonies
Bentley University’s graduate and PhD commencement ceremony will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025, and the undergraduate ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 17. Close to 1,500 students will graduate and will be joined by their families, friends and members of the university community to celebrate them and mark their achievement.
Undergraduate students will receive bachelor’s degrees from a variety of business and liberal arts programs that prepare them to be future business leaders who will deliver value in the marketplace and lasting positive effects for society. Graduate students will receive advanced degrees that include a Master’s in Business Administration, Master’s in Business Analytics and Master’s in Finance. At the respective ceremonies, Jacobs and Hao will receive honorary Doctor of Commercial Science degrees.