John A. Allison IV facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Allison
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Allison in 2016
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| Born | August 14, 1948 |
| Education | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA) Duke University (MBA) |
| Employer | BB&T (1971–2010) Cato Institute (2012–2015) |
John A. Allison IV, born on August 14, 1948, is an American businessman. He used to be the CEO and president of the Cato Institute, a special group in Washington, D.C. that studies ideas. Before that, he worked at BB&T Corp. for many years, holding important leadership roles until he retired in 2010. Today, he is a director at Moelis & Company.
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John Allison's Early Life and School
John Allison grew up near Charlotte, North Carolina. He went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1971, he earned a degree in business administration. He was a very good student and was part of a special honor society called Phi Beta Kappa. Later, in 1974, he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Fuqua School of Business.
John Allison's Career Journey
John Allison started his career at BB&T in 1971. BB&T is a large bank. He became the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of BB&T. This means he was the top leader of the company. He retired as CEO of BB&T at the end of 2008. Another person, Kelly King, took over his role. In 2008, a company called Morningstar recognized him as one of the best CEOs of that year.
Allison's Ideas and Activism
John Allison is very interested in the ideas of a writer named Ayn Rand. He believes in her ideas about capitalism, which is an economic system where businesses are mostly owned by private people, not the government. He even asked the senior leaders at BB&T to read Rand's book called Atlas Shrugged. He thought it was the best book explaining capitalism.
Because of his interest, the BB&T Charitable Foundation gave money to many colleges and universities. This money helped them start programs to study Ayn Rand's books and her economic ideas.
In 2012, John Allison became the CEO and president of the Cato Institute. This is a libertarian think tank. A think tank is a group that does research and gives advice on public policy. Libertarianism is a set of ideas that supports a lot of freedom for individuals and less government control. He left his role at Cato in 2015, but he still serves on their board of directors.
Allison also strongly disagrees with the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States. He believes it plays a big part in how the economy goes up and down.
John Allison has also written books. In 2011, he wrote the introduction for a book called Why Businessmen Need Philosophy. In 2012, he released his own book, The Financial Crisis and the Free Market Cure. This book talks about how he believes pure capitalism can help the world economy. In 2014, his second book, The Leadership Crisis and the Free Market Cure, was published.
Awards John Allison Received
John Allison has received special honors from several universities. He was given an honorary doctorate degree from East Carolina University and Mercer University. He also received an honorary doctorate from Universidad Francisco Marroquín in Guatemala City, Guatemala. An honorary doctorate is a special degree given to someone for their achievements, even if they didn't study there.
Boards John Allison Has Served On
John Allison has been a member of several important boards. He serves on the board of visitors for the Fuqua School of Business. He also serves on the boards of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Korkkuss-Neggins Business School, and the Kenan-Flagler Business School. Being on a board means he helps guide these organizations.
