John is an accomplished, versatile executive with extensive global corporate experience and deep experience in the not-for-profit sector. 

Financial Services Career

His career in the financial services industry spanned 35 years at Merrill Lynch and UBS. 

John's innovative change leadership was instrumental in the successful turnaround of UBS Wealth Management Americas, 2009-2016. As the Group Managing Director and Head of Wealth Management Solutions, he led the execution of a complex, cross-divisional strategy that returned the business to profitability. He was a member of the Executive, Operating and Risk Committees. 

John held senior executive leadership positions at Merrill Lynch, 1980-95 2000-09, most notably as CEO of Merrill Lynch Professional Clearing Corp, where he employed over 300 people and oversaw a $275 billion hedge fund client base. He also served as COO for the Operations, Technology and Corporate Services group, managing an over $1 billion annual operating budget. Additionally, John worked in risk management leadership roles in trading, capital markets, and financing, where he managed groups as large as 1,100 employees and was responsible for an average annual P/L of over $200 million—as global head of Global Convertible Securities Group, led a team of 50 trading, sales, and product development professionals responsible for committing $3 billion in firm capital, generating an annual 35% ROE. 

Since retiring from UBS, John has served as Managing Partner at Sands Point Consulting, an investment and advisory firm focussing on early-stage start-ups.

Non- Profit Expirence

Since 2015, John has proudly served as the Chairman of No Greater Sacrifice (NGS). NGS is an educational foundation providing scholarships for the children of severely wounded service members. Under John's leadership, NGS has provided scholarships to over 400 veteran families, significantly impacting their lives, and raised $15 million since its inception, demonstrating his ability to drive fundraising efforts for a worthy cause.

One of his proudest accomplishments is acting as a trustee and driving force behind the America's Response Monument ("De Oppress Liber"). This monument is a sculpture that honors the members of the US Army Special Operations teams who responded to the attacks on 911. John led a team of business leaders who volunteered to commission and install the sculpture. The America’s Response Monument was dedicated in September 2016 at Liberty Park on the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, symbolizing resilience and bravery.

Board Experience

John is the Chairman of Sullivan’s Brewing Company in Kilkenny, Ireland. Sullivan’s is the oldest brewery in Ireland, founded in 1702. $5 million in sales exporting its products to 18 countries and 48 U.S. states

Tingo Inc. is the former Chairman of a NASDAQ-listed African agri-fintech company focused on food security.

From 2015 -2021, he was an investor and board director of VA Loan Captain. VA Loan Captain is a veteran-owned and operated company that provides service members and veterans with competitive interest rates and world-class service in finding the home that best suits their family’s needs, helping them navigate the complex home-buying process. They exited in 2021 with a merger.

Since 2017, he has been an investor and member of the Advisory Board for Newday Impact Investing. Newday Impact is a financial services company that helps people invest in the positive change (or impact) we need to see in the world — today.