John Pound earned an AB in Political Economy at Harvard and a PhD in Economics at Yale. He spent two years at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and a decade on the Harvard faculty, conducting research on corporate governance and financial market regulation. His research led to changes in policy and practice that helped to spur the development of modern activist public equity investing, including deregulation of shareholder communications and nomination of independent slates of directors by large shareholders. He advocated for more engaged, expert, value-focused boards; advised Fortune 50 CEOs and boards on value creation, shareholder engagement, and leadership and board transitions; and helped investors craft strategies to engage constructively with companies. He spoke on governance reform at leading universities, US and foreign government bodies and policy organizations, including the World Economic Forum in Davos, and his research appeared in a spectrum of leading publications including The Journal of Finance, The Journal of Financial Economics, The Journal of Law and Economics, The Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal,
In 1999, Pound established Integrity Brands as a masthead for a program of focused investments in product-led, consumer-facing businesses. Its mission is expert, supportive engagement: to work closely with leaders on both the art and the science critical to value creation. Pound has since invested and engaged, as a board member, board chair, executive chair, co-chair, and formal and informal advisor, to help drive turnarounds and growth at over two dozen public companies including Gymboree, Cost Plus World Market, Vans, Guess, Christopher and Banks, United Retail Group, Kirkland's, A.T Cross, and others. He has helped build and support vision-driven leadership teams; helped leaders develop and evolve brand visions and product and operating plans; helped leaders and boards navigate governance and public market challenges; overseen and helped lead financial financings; and led strategic reviews and sale and restructuring processes. Under the Integrity masthead Pound has made early stage investments in emerging brands; partnered on private equity acquisitions; and, while living in the UK, invested in and worked with heritage English brands.
Pound maintains an advisory practice working with CEOs, founders, and boards on strategy, value creation, and governance. He works with nonprofit leaders also, particularly in education. He has been affiliated with the University of Arizona since 2021, working with multiple research and teaching units, and is currently teaching and assisting with the Immersion Learning initiative at the Eller College of Management. He resides in Tucson, Arizona with his family, his rescue dogs, and a rotating assortment of unsatisfying vintage vehicles.
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