John G. Acker (Acct, Mgmt’83)
Managing Director at UBS
Business students are told early and often that networking and using your connections is paramount to success.
John G. Acker learned that lesson early on.
Acker chose to study at CU Boulder because of its beautiful campus, its nearby skiing—and the fact that UCLA didn’t have an undergraduate business program.
When it came to his applying for his MBA, though, his parents asked Acker if he wanted a letter of recommendation from John Anderson, a family friend whose support of UCLA got his name on its business school. Acker declined.
“I had a good grades and a good GMAT score,” he said. “I expected that would be enough.”
Acker did get in—but was waitlisted, and chose to get his MBA at the University of Southern California, which offered him a scholarship: “That was a valuable lesson, to use your contacts for everything—and it’s helped me throughout my career.”
That career has been impressive: For the last 15 years, he’s been at UBS, working with families to create wealth management strategies; Barrons and Forbes rate him among the best in the discipline. Previously, he was an investment banker at Banque Paribas, focusing on media and entertainment.
“What I’m really doing today is teaching—showing families how to manage their resources and plan for a comfortable retirement.”
John G. Acker (Acct, Mgmt’83)
“My mom was a schoolteacher, and what I’m really doing today is teaching—showing families how to manage their resources and plan for a comfortable retirement,” Acker said. “It’s very rewarding to see clients achieve their financial goals.”
It can be challenging—people are emotional, and sometimes make poor decisions based on world events. But pullbacks in the market are normal, he said: “If I go shopping for something, I want to go when it’s on sale. If the stock market is on sale, why wouldn’t you want to buy?”
Clients also take comfort in the fact that Acker puts his money where his mouth is: He only recommends securities that he’s bought for his own portfolio.
When his money isn’t working for him, it’s working for CU and Leeds. Acker is a generous supporter of scholarships, including one earmarked for incoming Leeds undergrads. Both he and his wife are heavily involved in volunteer opportunities, from the Rotary Club to the LARC Foundation, of which he is co-president.
“If you’re lucky or blessed enough to do well, you should give back,” he said. “The better I’ve done over the years, the more I try to give back, which is both fun and rewarding.”