2013 Distinguished Service Citation

In its mission statement, Beloit College calls upon its graduates to lead lives “marked by high achievement, personal responsibility, and public contribution.” John Hailer has risen to that call, both in the level of his professional success and the degree to which he dedicates himself to community causes.

While attending Beloit, John served his fellow students as a resident assistant, and earned his bachelor’s degree in government.

He began his career at Fidelity Investments and continued his work in the financial services industry with a role as senior vice president and director of retail business development at Putnam Investments, a privately owned investment management firm. In 1994, he returned to Fidelity, and helped launch a new type of closed-end mutual funds.

Currently, he is president and chief executive officer for Natixis Global Asset Management, responsible for overseeing the business of the firm’s affiliates in Asia and the Americas. His reputation as a leader in the financial sector has made him a much-sought-after source on nationally recognized cable news networks and print media.

John has put his business acumen to good use in the philanthropic world, where he’s known for greatly expanding NGAM’s charitable partnerships. Under his management, the company has developed a thriving culture of philanthropy—at one point, it was estimated that approximately three-quarters of the company’s employees were making philanthropic contributions. The firm’s leading executives have partnered with nonprofit organizations in order to provide professional services and guidance.

It is clear that this alumnus leads by example. As a former trustee and longtime donor, John has generously given his time, expertise, and resources to Beloit College, including hosting events in Chicago and Boston on the college’s behalf, and serving as a panelist for an event during the Asian Century Conference held on campus in 2006. He is on the board of numerous organizations, including the Boston Public Library and the children’s charity The Home for Little Wanderers, among many others.

In 2012, John received the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus Good Guys Award for his work on behalf of victims of domestic violence and his efforts to promote the hiring of women in the financial services industry. In 2010, John was honored by the homeless shelter St. Francis House with its All the Way Home Award. In receiving that award, he said that “A society only works when we take care of our neighbors, when their care and well-being is our responsibility, and when we show empathy to them when times are tough.”

John’s passion for giving back to his community and his alma mater is as evident in his action as it is in those words. On the occasion of his 30th reunion, the Beloit College Alumni Association is proud to award John T. Hailer its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Citation.