SPS Launches Executive-in-Residence Program, Names Philip Rathle Its First Executive
Northwestern alumnus and graph database and AI leader will advise and mentor students in SPS data science programs
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies (SPS) has launched an Executive-in-Residence (EIR) program that brings accomplished industry leaders into direct, ongoing contact with graduate students. Executives-in-Residence serve as advisers, connectors, and mentors, giving students access to the perspective of professionals working at the forefront of their fields.
Philip Rathle, chief technology officer of Neo4j and a 1994 Northwestern graduate, has been selected as the program's first Executive-in-Residence. He will work with students in SPS's accelerated and part-time data science programs, drawing on more than 30 years of experience in data and databases.
As Executive-in-Residence, Rathle will take part in two SPS events each year, meet informally with the Data and Technology Student Leadership Council, and serve as a sounding board on curricular and career topics. He will also deliver the keynote address at the 2026 SPS Symposium, the school's annual in-person conference that brings students, alumni, and faculty together on the Chicago and Evanston campuses over Homecoming weekend.
“We understand how quickly things are changing across most industries in the age of AI, and it’s important for our students to get to hear directly from a diverse range of professionals and industry leaders about those changes,” said Soo La Kim, associate dean of academics at SPS. “We’re fortunate at SPS that most of our faculty are also working professionals, and their professional networks enable these connections. We’re so excited that someone as accomplished as Philip Rathle is our inaugural Executive-in-Residence!”
Learning Beyond the Classroom
The EIR program is part of a broader SPS effort to expand learning opportunities beyond the classroom and connect graduate students with professionals in the industries where they work or aspire to work.
The program's success depends on the relationships SPS faculty build within their own professional networks. The connection with Rathle grew out of data science faculty member Abid Ali's work cultivating industry partners for capstone projects, field trips, and other engagements with data science students.
In selecting Executives-in-Residence, SPS looks beyond career success and deep, relevant industry knowledge. Candidates must also show a genuine interest in developing the next generation of practitioners and leaders, along with a commitment to engage with students regularly and meaningfully.
“I graduated from Northwestern with a strong academic foundation. However was only after a few years in the professional world that I began to puzzle out how the business and technology worlds actually worked and how to carve the best path forward.” said Rathle. “AI is rewriting the rules of business, technology, and the very nature of work at an unprecedented pace. This creates both extraordinary opportunities and significant uncertainty for today’s students. As EIR, I look forward to helping students make sense of emerging trends, understand their options, challenge their own assumptions, and contribute to charting their own paths. I’m honored to return to Northwestern and help the next generation navigate this rapidly changing world.”
About Philip Rathle
Rathle is CTO of Neo4j, the graph database and AI company trusted by more than 84 of the Fortune 100. A pioneer in knowledge systems, he is the author of The GraphRAG Manifesto and a leading voice on using graphs to make AI more accurate, explainable, and trustworthy.
Since joining Neo4j in 2012, Rathle has helped establish the graph database category, scale the company from under $1 million to more than $250 million in revenue, and position graph technology at the center of the modern AI stack. His work has helped shape the ISO GQL standard and has powered applications ranging from the Panama Papers investigation to NASA's mission to Mars.
A native Chicagoan, Rathle has lived in Silicon Valley for the past 20 years.