John W. Rogers Jr.
Trustee

John W. Rogers, Jr. is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ariel Capital Management, LLC the country’s largest African-American owned money management firm and mutual fund company.  He founded the Chicago-based firm in 1983 and today, Ariel has over $19 billion in assets under management. Rogers became a Knight Foundation trustee in March 2000.

He currently serves as the chair of the Investment Committee.

Rogers has always been active in the community serving on a variety of corporate and civic organizations.  Ariel sponsors Ariel Community Academy, a south-side Chicago public school, which serves over 400 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.  In addition to traditional elementary school instruction, the Academy supplements the students’ education with a savings and investing curriculum and starts each first grade class with a $20,000 portfolio which they will eventually manage.

Rogers also serves on the Board of Directors of four public corporations including:  Aon Corporation; Bally Total Fitness Holding Corporation; Exelon and McDonald’s.  He is also a Director of the Chicago Urban League and a Trustee of The University of Chicago.  In addition, he is a past President of the Board of the Chicago Park District, a former director of the National Association of Securities Professionals and a past trustee of Princeton University.  Rogers is an alumnus of Leadership Greater Chicago and received its 1988 inaugural Distinguished Fellow Award.

He received an AB in Economics in 1980 from Princeton University where he was also Captain of the Varsity Basketball Team. He is a recipient of the B.F. Bunn Trophy, an award given to the basketball team member who best exemplifies leadership both on and off the court.

Rogers’ investment expertise has brought him to the forefront of media attention.  He is frequently quoted in business publications and has made guest appearances on television shows ranging from Louis Rukeyser’s Wall Street to The Oprah Winfrey Show.  He is also a regular columnist for Forbes magazine.