Based in Spencer Stuart’s Chicago office, John Burt is a consultant in the firm’s global Consumer Practice. His lengthy experience as an adviser on leadership and diversity with a professional arc that’s included CFO of a $2 billion business unit and global import/export trade, management consultant, diversity and inclusion and entrepreneurship as a co-founder of an advisory firm. As a trusted adviser to organizations and individuals, John has a track record of problem solving and execution, talent engagement, and leadership development and recruitment.
Decades of expertise finding and guiding leaders
- Prior to joining Spencer Stuart, John was the co-founder and CEO of the JumpStart Advisory Group, a talent pipeline and diversity advisory firm that he co-founded, and shaped JumpStart’s focus on Fortune 500 and top tier academic institutional client relationships across consumer goods, professional services, financial services, private equity, technology and other industries. John’s scope responsibility from a budget and execution standpoint included engagement of diverse students and professionals with companies via in-person and virtual conferences, feature convening experiences, and other approaches in response to the marketplace.
- Earlier, he was director of diversity at the Boston Consulting Group, where he was responsible for recruiting as well as integration to onboarding, professional development and retention processes across 13 US offices. John’s scope responsibility from a budget and execution standpoint included engagement of diverse staff with strategy and execution plans. The annual retreat included under-represented minorities within the U.S. staff of all levels, alumni, recruits and guest speakers focused on professional development, commercial impact, mentorship and engagement with the firm CEO and other leaders.
- In addition, John was a management consultant at Booz Allen in New York and spent more than seven years as part of the finance organization at Eli Lilly, with increasing responsibility in each role.
John holds a B.S. in finance from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and an M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. While pursuing an M.B.A., in recognition of John’s leadership and potential, he was an ELC Scholar recipient from the Executive Leadership Council and later joined the Next Generation Network (an organization that later transitioned to Calibr). John is a member of the Dean’s Council at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He has also previously served on the board of the Oaks Academy, Duke University’s Minority Alumni Board (receiving alumni of the year twice), Fletcher Place Community Center (Treasurer) and Forest Manor Community Center (Treasurer).