Peter Kiernan

Marine Corps

Harvard University

M.P.P, M.B.A.

“I feel an obligation to give back to a country and society that has given me so much, by serving my community and safeguarding our democracy for future generations.”

Peter James Kiernan, a lifelong New Yorker, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps the day after his 18th birthday, driven by the impact 9/11 had on his community. Peter became the youngest Marine Raider in the history of the Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC) and deployed to Afghanistan, where he led Afghan commandos on combat missions.

After his service, he studied political science at Columbia University and was a Division I varsity rower on the heavyweight crew team. Peter earned an M.Phil in conflict resolution at Trinity College-Dublin as a Mitchell Scholar and was appointed to a position in the New York State Governor’s Office, where he managed the state’s response operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Peter went on to receive an MBA from Harvard Business School and currently works in Private Equity at TA Associates.