John is Vice Chairman of MacKay Shields and oversees the firm’s investment teams. He is also the Co-Head of MacKay Municipal Managers and focuses on High Yield and Special Situations municipal bonds.  He joined MacKay Shields in July 2009 as Co-Head of MacKay Municipal Managers when the firm acquired the assets of Mariner Municipal Managers LLC. In addition, John was named Vice Chairman in September 2022 and oversees the firm’s investment teams. Before joining MacKay, he was the Chairman and co-founder of Mariner Municipal Managers from 2007 to 2009. He has been a municipal portfolio manager and/or municipal analyst since 1990, with a broad range of portfolio management and analytic experience in the municipal markets. John was a Managing Director and Co-Head of BlackRock’s Municipal Portfolio Management Group (from 2006 to 2007). Prior to BlackRock’s merger with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers (MLIM), he served as Chief Investment Officer of the Municipal Products Group. He was employed by Merrill Lynch from 1990 to 2006. Before Merrill Lynch, he worked for the City of Boston Treasury Department. John is a member of the firm’s Senior Leadership Team. He graduated with an MBA and Certificate of Public Management from Boston University and with a Bachelors degree in Finance, cum laude, from Utah State University where he was a Harry S. Truman Scholar. He is a CFA Charterholder. He has been in the financial services industry since 1987.