Join our impressive roster of alumni leaders.
Cornell ILR graduates are recognized as the world’s top human resources executives. Alumni have risen to chief human resource officer positions in major companies including Amazon, Coca-Cola, IBM and many others. As a Cornell ILR student, you’ll receive the same caliber of education and access to industry connections that prepared these leaders for senior HR roles.
Our more than 11,000 ILR alumni contribute their talents, insights, and skill to the success of Fortune 500 companies and a wide variety of organizations. They work in diverse fields including HR, labor relations, management and finance, unions, law, government, and public service.
Below you’ll find comments from our alumni about their experiences with ILR - and about how their online Executive Master of Human Resources Management program prepared them for career advancement.
Melody Mitchell '16
Executive Director, Organizational and Talent Development, J.P. Morgan
“I didn’t have the option of leaving my work and needed a program with flexibility and balance. I’m 10 years into my career and can only learn so much on the job. In the Cornell ILR Executive Master’s program, I’m interacting with other HR professionals and we’re talking together about what’s really going on in the field.The on-campus experience helps us see how the online content can be applied to the work we do. I also hear how colleagues are interpreting what we’re learning, and that’s very helpful. There is so much diversity in this program. Diversity in thought. Diversity in industry. Diversity in roles. This was the best decision that I’ve ever made.”
Talent Management Director and Chief of Staff, American Express
"Working as Director and Chief of Staff for American Express, I was looking to deepen my HR knowledge and business skills. I would always strive to build a business case that was hard to argue, but my ILR degree work took it to a higher level by empowering my data crunching skills. The program has allowed me to have a stronger voice. It has made me more thoughtful and decisive."
Bryan Seaford ‘16
Talent Consulting, Chick-fil-A
“I had a desire to bring a business perspective to the work of HR. The Cornell ILR program reinforced the importance of leading the business from the HR seat: with strategy, compelling business cases, and strong functional knowledge. Through the Cornell ILR School I benefited from world-class faculty, accomplished colleagues, and a strong alumni network that continues the experience long after the last class is over. As a result of the program my career has advanced and taken me from financial services into a new industry - and I am well-equipped to reach my ultimate career goals.”