John F. Barrett
John F. Barrett | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 16, 1949 United States |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | Chairman, president, and CEO of Western & Southern Financial Group |
John F. Barrett (born March 16, 1949) serves as the American chairman, president, and CEO of Western & Southern Financial Group. Having assumed the CEO position in 1994 and the presidency in 1989, Barrett has guided Western & Southern from a modest Midwestern life insurance firm into a nationwide financial services powerhouse, achieving a doubling in scale approximately every five years over the last decade and a half. By 2021, the organization oversaw assets surpassing $100 billion and was recognized as one of the top eight highest-rated life insurance groups worldwide according to Standard & Poor's.
Throughout the Great Recession, Western & Southern maintained robust financial health under Barrett’s direction. Its subsidiary, Eagle Realty Group, was responsible for developing southern Ohio’s largest office tower, the Great American Tower at Queen City Square. Barrett was instrumental in attracting tenants to this building, which opened in January 2011 as part of a complex totaling over one million square feet.
Early life
Barrett completed his secondary education at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati in 1971. During his university years, he was affiliated with the Ohio Epsilon chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Prior to joining Western & Southern in 1987, he held the roles of president and CEO at the Bank of New York (Delaware).
Business and community involvement
A leading figure in Cincinnati’s business community, Barrett has been honored with multiple accolades acknowledging his impact. These include an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Cincinnati in 2011, the "Connecting Cultures and Communities Award" presented by the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission in 2010, and recognition as Greater Cincinnati’s most influential individual by Cincy magazine’s Power 100 list in 2009. Additionally, he received the Outstanding Community Service Award from Volunteers of America in 2007.
In 2008, Barrett was awarded the Volunteer Leadership Award by the Health Improvement Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati for his leadership in tackling the regional physician shortage. This effort resulted in establishing the Cincinnati MD Resource Center and launching Cincinnati MDJobs.com back in 2004.
Barrett was invited to deliver the commencement speech at the University of Cincinnati’s graduation ceremony in 2011. He holds the presidency of the Association of Ohio Life Insurance Companies and participates as a member of both the Business Roundtable and Financial Services Roundtable based in Washington, D.C. As chairman of the Ohio Business Roundtable in 2006, he played a significant role in advancing statewide tax reform initiatives.
His governance experience extends to cultural institutions within Cincinnati, including leadership positions with the Cincinnati Arts Association, Cincinnati Art Museum, and Taft Museum of Art. Since 1998, Barrett has served on Convergys Corporation’s board and joined Cintas’ board in 2011. His previous board memberships include Fifth Third Bancorp, The Andersons, Inc., and Touchstone Investment Trusts.
In 2013, Barrett spearheaded Western & Southern’s acquisition of the Anna Louise Inn—a historic residence providing shelter for low-income women. The $4 million transaction followed a widely publicized legal dispute and fit within Western & Southern’s comprehensive real estate development plans for that region.