John Whitman

Who is John Whitman?

John Russell Whitman is an American businessman who served as First Gentleman of New Jersey for seven years. Whitman has had a long career in banking and financial services, including working at Citigroup. Whitman is the grandson of Charles S. Whitman, 41st Governor of New York. He is the husband of former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.

Whitman is a graduate of Yale University and received an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He began his banking career with Citicorp in 1972 eventually rising to Vice President in charge of the Corporate Finance Department of Citicorp International Bank Ltd. in London. Whitman served as Chairman and CEO of Prudential-Bache Interfunding from 1987 to 1990. He is currently the managing partner of Sycamore Ventures, an international venture capital fund incorporated in the Cayman Islands.

During his wife's term as Governor of New Jersey, Whitman held no official role in her administration. He was appointed by his wife as co-chairman of the New Jersey World Cup Host Committee in 1994. He also mediated the 1995 negotiations between the New Jersey Devils and the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority that kept the Devils from moving to Nashville. In 1997, Whitman was appointed by his wife to head the fund raising committee to restore the dome of the New Jersey State Capitol.