David D'Alessandro

David D’Alessandro was born January 6, 1951, in East Utica, New York.[1][4] D’Alessandro graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1972 with a degree in journalism and public relations.[5]

D'Alessandro worked for John Hancock from 1984 to 2004, hired initially as a marketing executive and later PR chief.[2] He was named president and COO in 1998 and chairman and CEO in 2000.[6] He oversaw the transition of the firm to a public company traded on the New York Stock Exchange.[7] Under his leadership, John Hancock became a sponsor of the Boston Marathon, the New York City Marathon, and the Olympic Games.[8][2] He led a merger between John Hancock and Manulife of Canada in 2004, after which he would become president and COO of Manulife.[7] He retired shortly thereafter.[6]

He is a former partner in the Boston Red Sox ownership group[9][10] and was appointed by Major League Baseball to the Commissioner's Special Task Force on Baseball in the 21st Century.[11]

D'Alessandro served as chairman and CEO of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment.[12] He has commented publicly about ethics in business practices[13][14] and is the author of three best-selling books about business: Brand Warfare, Career Warfare, and Executive Warfare.[4]

He owns the restaurant Toscano,[15] in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood and Harvard Square in Cambridge.[16]

• Named by Sporting News as one of the 100 "Most Powerful People in Sports"[17]
• Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2009)[18] from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizers