John Castellani’s first year as president of the Business Roundtable could be described, at best, as challenging.
“By the end of 2001, the nation was at war, corporate scandals had caused the stock market to collapse and the economy was cratering,” Castellani said. “It was one hell of a first year.”
In a post-Sept. 11, post-Enron world, Castellani had his work cut out for him. But more than five years later, the 54-year-old has repositioned the D.C.-based association, which represents CEOs of the nation’s leading companies, as a key player in public policy debates surrounding corporate America.
Known as one of the most influential lobbyists on the Hill, Castellani and the Business Roundtable have been instrumental in a range of legislation, including the approval of the Central America Free Trade Agreement and the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Castellani and the roundtable also developed the Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics, organized the Partnership for Disaster Relief, which is an initiative to pool private sector resources during major catastrophes, and foster an ongoing dialogue about the need for an improved education system in an increasingly global economy.
Castellani’s path to the Business Roundtable was a circuitous one. Far from the corporate world he lives in today, the Skaneateles, N.Y., native set out to work in the field of biochemistry.
“I literally wanted to teach college,” he said. But after leaving a biochemistry doctorate program to work as an environmental scientist for General Electric, his path quickly veered toward public policy. During his time at GE, Castellani worked for local political campaigns on the side.
“I’m a community junkie. I can’t help it,” he said. “Wherever I’ve lived, I’ve always wanted to solve problems.”
The corporation eventually offered Castellani a chance to combine his skills with a position in D.C. He walked the science and public policy line with several positions in Washington, including time at the National Association of Manufacturers and TRW Inc., a company focused on automotive safety systems. He eventually landed at Tenneco Inc., where he led the company’s turnaround and eventual split into seven different firms.
Shortly after that, Castellani joined the Business Roundtable, where, he said, his corporate experience coupled with his public policy experience has made him a good fit to open the lines of communication between the nation’s corporate and political leaders.
BUSINESS
» Current job: President, Business Roundtable
» Last job: Executive vice president, Tenneco Inc.
» Number of e-mails a day: 150
» Number of voice mails a day: 20
» Best perk: Working with 164 chief executive officers
» Gadgets: BlackBerry; GPS in car
» Education/credentials: BS in biology from Union College
» Last conference: This week? The National Association of Corporate Directors Corporate Governance Conference
» First job: Environmental research scientist at GE Research Lab
» Original aspiration: To teach biochemistry in college
» Compensation: Tied to total shareholder return of our member companies
» Career objective: To be challenged every day
PERSONAL
» Date of Birth: Feb. 4, 1951
» Hometown: Skaneateles, N.Y.
» Sports/hobbies: Boating, fly-fishing, golfing
» Favorite restaurant: The Waterfront, Camden, Maine
» Computer: HP notebook
» Vacation spot: Islesboro, Maine
» Role model: My father
» Quote: “I have seen the truth and it makes no sense” – G.K. Chesterton
» Reading: “The Pale Blue Eye” by Lewis Bayard; “The Professor and the Madman” by Simon Winchester
» Worst fear: Getting bored!
