When John Glade (MBA 1985) is in front of a crowd of children dressed up as a millipede and playing his guitar, it is hard to believe that he is a banker. During the week he is a Senior Vice President at BankUnited in Florida. On weekends he is a composer and accompanist, along with his 16-year-old daughter and his wife who recently published a children’s book and CD http://www.lillybadilly.com.

After John earned his MBA, he moved to Denver where he managed a customer service department for Citicorp Diner’s Club. He eventually was transferred to Florida where he gained experience as a financial analyst, project manager, and marketer. In 1992, during the savings and loan crisis, John was recruited to join a local bank that was in trouble, and he helped execute a successful turnaround.

In 1998, he decided he wanted to be his own boss and started a business brokerage company where he helped individuals sell their business. He was successful and happy doing this for seven years, and it provided him the flexibility to be an involved parent while his daughter was growing up. In 2006, he was approached by BankUnited to head their retail consumer lending division. He missed the camaraderie of working with many talented colleagues. He found that BankUnited is a special organization where ongoing relationships are important, so he joined the company and didn't look back.

John continues to nurture his creative inclinations through music. He learned to play the guitar when he was nine years old and enjoys collaborating with his daughter, who is an accomplished pianist. One of his favorite memories is performing one of his compositions that good-naturedly spoofed his professors at an Illinois MBA banquet where he received the “Outstanding MBA of the Year” award.

As a business professional, he has seen many economic ups and down, and his advice to current students is to be flexible. John stated, “There are many opportunities if you keep an open mind, expand your comfort zone, and never stop learning. And most importantly, have a sense of humor and don’t take yourself too seriously; it can relieve the stress and help keep life in perspective.”