Ole Obermann ’93, global head of music at Apple, will deliver the commencement address at Colgate University’s 2026 Commencement on Sunday, May 17.
Obermann has spent more than three decades in senior leadership roles across the global music industry, championing artists through periods of profound technological change. Widely respected for his ability to anticipate the industry’s next phase of growth, he is known for balancing innovation with a deep respect for intellectual property. In his current role at Apple, Obermann is focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on music creation and fan engagement.
Prior to joining Apple, Obermann held leadership positions at ByteDance/TikTok, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music. Early in his career, he led Liquid Audio, a pioneering digital music download platform that helped lay the groundwork for today’s digital music economy.
As global head of music at ByteDance/TikTok, Obermann established the company’s foundational relationships with artists and the music industry, cementing TikTok’s role as the world’s leading engine for music discovery. While serving as chief digital officer at Warner Music Group, he spearheaded the company’s digital transformation, secured its first licensing agreement with Facebook, and established the Boost fund to invest in music-focused start-ups. At Sony Music, as executive vice president of global digital business development, he was a key architect of the company’s first partnership with Spotify.
Today, Obermann leads Apple Music’s global business, overseeing the development of the platform’s next generation of music offerings. His responsibilities also include oversight of Shazam, the world’s leading music identification service, and Platoon, Apple’s global platform for independent artists.
A graduate of Colgate University with a degree in international relations, Obermann earned an MBA in management and strategy from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in 2000. He currently resides in London with his wife and three sons.
At the May 17 commencement ceremony, Colgate will also honor Obermann with an honorary doctorate, alongside Kate Brown, Ann Curry, Peter L. Kellner ’65, P’87, GP’16,’19, Cristina Martínez, and Lyle D. Roelofs.
Kate Brown
Kate Brown is the Thomas M. Siebel Distinguished Professor in the history of science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Brown’s research explores the convergence of history, science, technology, and bio-politics in the creation of large-scale disasters. She is the author of Plutopia: Nuclear Families, Atomic Cities, and the Great Soviet and American Plutonium Disasters (2013) and A Biography of No Place: From Ethnic Borderland to Soviet Heartland (2004).
Brown’s 2019 book, Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future, has been translated into seven languages and earned the Marshall Shulman and Reginald Zelnik prizes for best book in East European history, as well as the Silver Medal for the Laura Shannon Book Prize. The work was also a finalist for the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award, the Pushkin House Award, and the Ryszard Kapuściński Award for Literary Reportage.
Brown’s latest book, Tiny Gardens Everywhere: The Past, Present, and Future of the Self-Provisioning City (Norton 2026), was published earlier this year. Supported by fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study, a segment of the work was recently featured in the New Yorker.
A former Guggenheim and Carnegie Fellow, Brown was also the winner of the American Academy in Berlin Prize in 2016.
Ann Curry
Seven-time Emmy-winning journalist Ann Curry is a cornerstone of U.S. news and journalism. She has appeared before the camera on some of America’s largest networks, including NBC News, PBS, TNT, and more. Her TED talks have been viewed around the world.
Curry joined NBC News in 1990, rising to national prominence as a reporter, anchor, and co-host for the shows Today and Dateline. After leaving NBC News in 2015, she hosted the PBS series We’ll Meet Again and TNT’s Chasing the Cure. Curry has reported extensively from global conflict zones and natural disasters, providing frontline coverage from Darfur, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as on-site reporting following the September 11 attacks in New York City and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
Curry is recognized not only as a journalist but also as a humanitarian. Her work has garnered honors such as the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Medal of Valor, the NAACP’s Excellence in Reporting Award, the Centre for Responsible Leadership’s Truth in Media Award, the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award, and more.
Peter Kellner ’65, P’87, GP’16,’19
Peter L. Kellner ’65 is a retired managing director of Morgan Stanley and an advocate for Colgate University’s Third-Century Plan. Kellner’s journey reflects a lifelong commitment to leadership, conservation, and philanthropy.
Kellner’s career in finance began at Bank of America’s NYC Edge Act in 1967, where he rose to the rank of vice president before transitioning to investment banking. Joining Morgan Stanley in 1973 as a corporate finance associate, he was elected managing director in 1982.
Kellner’s career took him across the Atlantic in 1988 to serve as chairman of Morgan Stanley’s newly established German bank in Frankfurt. In 1990, he relocated to London, which remains his primary residence. Though he initially retired in 1995, Kellner continued to serve as a senior adviser until 2007 and has remained an active private investor for more than two decades.
Kellner and his late wife, Maria, traveled from Antarctica to the Arctic Circle. Today, his focus has shifted toward philanthropy — primarily in education and conservation — and political engagement on both sides of the Atlantic.
On Nantucket, Kellner has become a prominent voice in conservation. He is currently producing a documentary, In Human Hands: Nantucket’s Fragile Environment, which highlights his work with Quidnet Meadow, an award-winning wildflower sanctuary.
Born in New York City to German immigrants, Kellner was raised in Yonkers and attended public schools before arriving at Colgate. While on campus, he was a member of Delta Upsilon and served as the manager of the 1964 football team. He earned an MBA from the Columbia Graduate School of Business and served in the U.S. Army National Guard and Reserves.
Cristina Martínez
María Cristina Martínez Guerrero is a James Beard Award–winning chef, dedicated to the preservation of Mexican ancestral culinary traditions. Born in Capulhuac, Estado de México — a town renowned for its barbacoa heritage — Martínez began her training at age 5 under the guidance of her father, known locally as “El Rey de la Barbacoa.” As a third-generation barbacoa maker, she carries forward a legacy rooted in family, heritage, and a deep respect for traditional Mexican gastronomy.
In her adopted city of Philadelphia, Martínez founded South Philly Barbacoa, a restaurant that has earned national acclaim for its traditional flavors and unwavering dedication to the craft. She later expanded her vision with Casa Mexico, a space designed to celebrate regional dishes and the warmth of family recipes, offering guests a true taste of Mexico.
Martínez has dedicated her career to elevating authentic Mexican cuisine through time-honored methods. From the daily preparation of handmade tortillas to the slow-cooked lamb barbacoa, her menus emphasize responsibly sourced, high-quality ingredients, reflecting a philosophy centered on authenticity, integrity, and cultural pride.
In recognition, Martínez received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. Her story and techniques have reached a global audience through her featured episode on Netflix’s Chef’s Table.
Lyle D. Roelofs
Lyle D. Roelofs, emeritus president of Berea College, concluded an 11-year tenure as Berea’s ninth president in June 2023.
At Berea, Roelofs oversaw a period of significant physical and social expansion. Under his leadership, the college became the first in the nation to complete a university-run hydroelectric dam project on the Kentucky River. His administration also prioritized diversity and civic engagement. Roelofs was instrumental in establishing the Association for Teaching Black History in Kentucky, a partnership with Kentucky State University and the Muhammad Ali Center aimed at integrating the contributions of Black Kentuckians into the state’s K-12 curriculum.
Before his appointment at Berea in 2012, Roelofs served as provost and dean of the faculty and as interim president (2009–2010) at Colgate starting in 2004. During his time, the Colgate faculty emphasized diversity in hiring, and he was involved in various construction projects, including the Robert H. N. Ho Science Center and the expansion and renovation of the then Case Library, now the Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology.
His career, spanning more than 35 years, also included teaching and research roles at other liberal arts institutions, including Haverford College, Brown University, and Calvin College.
A graduate of Calvin College, Roelofs earned his master’s and PhD in physics from the University of Maryland. His scholarly work in computational science earned him a distinguished chair at Haverford College and fellowships from the Humboldt Foundation and the National Science Foundation, as well as visiting scientist roles at the Fritz-Haber Institute in Berlin and universities across Germany.