John K. Castle is chairman and chief executive officer of Castle Harlan and a member of the Executive Committee of CHAMP, an affiliate of Castle Harlan.
Mr. Castle is also chairman of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., and is chairman and chief executive officer of Branford Castle, Inc., a holding company. Immediately prior to forming Castle Harlan, Mr. Castle was president and chief executive of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc., one of the nation's leading investment banking firms. While at Donalson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc., Mr. Castle was a pioneer in the creation of private equity limited partnerships as investment vehicles for pension funds, institutional investors, and affluent investors.
Mr. Castle is a board member of the Morton’s Restaurant Group, Perkins & Marie Callender's, Inc., and numerous private equity companies. He also served as a director of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S.
Mr. Castle is a Life Member of the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previously, he had served for 22 years as a trustee of New York Medical College, including 11 of those years as chairman of the board. He has been a member of the board of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and was founding chairman of the Whitehead Board of Associates. He is also a member of The New York Presbyterian Hospital Board of Trustees and has served on various visiting committees at Harvard University, including the Harvard Business School. He is an Emeritus Director of the United Hospital fund of New York.
Mr. Castle was awarded the 2008 Advisor Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition to his contribution to the world of finance.
Mr. Castle was born in Iowa and was an Eagle Scout at age 13. He received his Bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his M.B.A. as a Baker Scholar with High Distinction from Harvard, and has two Honorary Doctorate Degrees of Humane Letters.
Additionally, Mr. Castle is a world traveler and adventurer. He has traveled to the base of Mt. Everest and has landed in a small plane on both the North and South Poles. Mr. Castle’s sailboat has sailed around the world. He also loves horses and is an accomplished rider.