My Beyond These Towers Story

Explaining he didn’t actually know what an engineer was when he started, Jon S. Rennie ’89 says attending engineering school at WPI was one the hardest things he has done in his life. “Considering how little I knew about engineering when I began my higher education, it has always been a source of pride for me that I attended WPI and graduated with distinction.” After earning a mechanical engineering degree from the university, Rennie went on to earn a master’s in business administration from Brenau University, a master’s in manufacturing leadership from Cambridge University, and is currently working on his doctorate in strategic leadership at Liberty University.

Rennie was drawn to WPI because it was a top engineering school, but also because it gave him access to the Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program at the College of the Holy Cross. “I was a Navy ROTC midshipman which took up most of my time, but I loved WPI’s project-based curriculum, studied hard, and exceled on all my project work.”

Rennie shares, “Even though I’ve spent most of my life in leadership positions, I have always relied on my engineering skills to make the right decisions in the businesses I have run.” Today, Rennie is co-founder, president, and CEO of Peak Demand Inc., a manufacturer of critical components for electrical utilities, based in North Carolina.

Offering gratitude for the role WPI played in his professional success, Rennie says, “The mechanical engineering degree and Navy ROTC experience helped me achieve a childhood dream of serving as a Naval Officer on nuclear submarines. I made seven deployments on the USS Tennessee before leaving the Navy and going into the corporate world. In my twenty-two years in corporate, I ran eight manufacturing businesses making highly technical products. I have used the engineering skills I gained at WPI my whole life including starting my own manufacturing business seven years ago.” Rennie also writes blogs, hosts the Deep Leadership podcast, and has authored three bestselling leadership books.

Recalling his time on the Hill, Rennie offers his experiences with Dean van Alstyne were of particular value, saying, “One of the most impactful experiences for me was taking Calculus with Dean van A my freshman year. I was the first person to attend engineering school in my family, and I distinctly remember thinking I was in over my head. Dean van A challenged his students, but in a caring way to make sure we understood the fundamentals. He made me feel like I belonged at WPI, and I hold fond memories of Dean van A from my time on the Hill. He always remembered my name and would strike up a conversation whenever he saw me. I’ve always tried to be that way with my employees.”