John J. Haley

John Haley was born in 1949 in Philadelphia, where his family lived in a row-house in a lower middle-class neighborhood. His father commuted to the RCA building in New Jersey, where he worked as a clerk in the accounting department. John describes his father as quiet. "I got along with him," he says, "but my dad was not a demonstrative person. It wasn't until much later in life that he told me he was proud of me. I never heard that when I was young."

John's mother was openly loving and emphasized the importance of education to her children. "I think I got my competitive streak from my mother," says John. "When I brought home a good grade, she always asked me to try and do even better."

One thing John loved about his neighborhood was his easy access to playmates. He enjoyed sports, and most days he and his siblings were outside playing baseball or touch football in the street. But as he got older, he felt it was important to earn his own way as much as possible. As a boy, he had a paper route and delivered the Philadelphia Bulletin after school. Later, he worked on the assembly line for Ford Motor Company and did janitorial work for the Boy Scouts headquarters.

John's parents were devout Catholics, and he attended Catholic schools, where he was usually the top student in his classes. Math especially came easily to him. But his future seemed far away, and he didn't give much thought to what he wanted to be when he grew up. His parents suggested he try working before continuing his education, but John felt it was important to go to college, and he became the first member of his family to do so. "I only applied to one school: Rutgers," he says. "It was nearby, and since it is a state university it was the least expensive option."

John loved his time at Rutgers. He majored in math, but he also thoroughly enjoyed his exposure to liberal arts. He had a grant from the National Science Foundation to study math in the summer. Upon graduation in 1971, he was named a Henry Rutgers Scholar, one of only two chosen per major. John then received a fellowship to continue his math studies at Yale University. He briefly considered becoming a math professor but in the end decided that an academic career was not for him. After two years, he left Yale and joined Prudential in their group insurance program. Shortly thereafter, he embarked on the rigorous exam process to become an actuary.

For the next few years, John found the projects he was working on for Prudential to be interesting and educational. But when he talked with friends who had gone into consulting work, he decided that should be his next step. In 1977, he joined The Wyatt Company, a risk management firm based in Washington, D.C.

John spent the next several years as consulting actuary to several of Wyatt's largest clients, including General Motors, General Electric, and IBM. His office manager, Paul Jackson, became his mentor. "Paul was a warm, generous human being," he says. "He was absolutely brilliant and a fantastic consultant. One thing I noticed right away was that he treated everyone alike, whether it was the most junior associate or the most senior. He was an impressive leader."

When his mentor retired, John had an expectation that he would be named the D.C. office manager. It was a big blow when the firm uncharacteristically named an associate in the San Francisco office to take over. "I soaked in my disappointment for about 24 hours, and then I called my new boss to congratulate him," says John, who had decided it was important to do all he could to make his new manager successful. "I knew that what was best for the firm was best for all of us," he adds. "Actually, when Pete came in and made some changes, I realized that I probably wasn't ready for the position. Pete and I became good friends, and I learned a lot from him about management."

Within two years, Pete was promoted to CEO of the firm and John was named manager of the Washington office. The two forged a good working partnership. When Pete retired in 1998, John was named CEO.

When John became CEO, the firm was teetering on failure. Under his leadership, however, the company went public in 2000. Since then, John has led the company through three historic mergers, in 2005, 2010, and most recently in 2016, that formed present-day Willis Towers Watson. Since doubling and tripling in size, the company's 40,000 employees now serve in 140 countries, and it has gone from a company in 1998 worth $120 million to its current value at $20 billion.

Looking back at where he spent his childhood, John believes that his success is largely due to being raised in America and the opportunities that are available to anyone willing to put in the effort to achieve. "I love everything about the story of America," he says, "but I think equality of opportunity is probably most important to me. I think that is the source of our strength."

John received mentorship throughout his career, and he finds that one of the things he likes best about heading his firm is finding the right people for key positions. "If you find the right person for a job, then you don't have to micromanage them," he says. "Often, they go in a direction I would not have considered. As long as they go about doing things that are consistent with our values, and as long as they don't try to cut corners, then I am happy. There is never an appropriate time to compromise your values."

When talking with young people, John emphasizes the importance of developing good working relationships. "It isn't necessary to be the smartest person in the room. Once you have a certain amount of intelligence, then I look for people who are good to work with, someone who has integrity and who treats everyone with respect. I also look for people who are innately optimistic. When challenges come, and they always do, you want to work with people who are confident they can find a way through it; someone who focuses on the work and getting the right result."

One additional caveat for young professionals is to be curious. John says, "It's good to be curious. Every day should be a learning experience."

There are many things in the world John Haley would like to improve. His philanthropic activities focus on charitable projects where he is more personally involved than simply giving money. He serves as a mentor to young musicians in the New World Symphony, serves on the board of the Miami Cancer Institute, and his firm has partnered with Specialisterne, a foundation that helps create jobs for high-functioning people with autism. "It is part of my moral code to help others," he says.

Humbled and honored by his Horatio Alger Award, John says, "I am very much looking forward to becoming a member of the Association. It is a distinguished group, and I am thrilled to be joining their ranks. The Scholars are working hard to change the trajectory of their lives. I'm reminded of a quote by Mary Pickford, an actress from the early days of Hollywood. She said, '˜Failure is not falling down, it's staying down.' The human spirit can achieve so much if given a little encouragement and support. It is my honor to help Horatio Alger Scholars on their journey."