Roger Blissett & John Rogers: Investing in Black Males

John W. Rogers Jr.

John’s passion for investing started when he was 12 years old when his father bought him stocks, instead of toys, for every birthday and Christmas. His interest grew while majoring in economics at Princeton University. After graduation, he worked as a stockbroker for 2½ years at William Blair & Company, LLC—a regional investment banking firm. In 1983, John founded Ariel Investments to focus on undervalued small and medium-sized companies. Patience served as the cornerstone of a disciplined approach that still drives the firm today. Early in his career, John’s investment expertise brought him to the forefront of media attention, including being selected as Co-Mutual Fund Manager of the Year by Sylvia Porter’s Personal Finance magazine as well as an All-Star Mutual Fund Manager by USA TODAY. Today, he is regularly featured and quoted in a wide variety of broadcast and print publications and is a contributing columnist to Forbes. Beyond Ariel, John serves as a board member of Exelon Corporation and McDonald’s Corporation. He is a trustee of the University of Chicago, where he also chairs the board of the University of Chicago Laboratory School and a director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. In 2008, he was awarded Princeton University’s highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented each year to the alumnus whose career embodies a commitment to national service. Following the election of President Barack Obama, John served as co-chair for the Presidential Inaugural Committee 2009. John received an AB in economics from Princeton University where he was also captain of the varsity basketball team.