Page 136 - The Way to the Top

John J. MACK

Co-CEO of Credit Suisse Group and CEO of Credit Suisse First Boston

We usually think of “advice” as something that someone tells us, but I
learned my most valuable lessons in life by example, by watching people
around me both when I was growing up and when I was trying to stay true,

in my business career, to the values they taught me. Yet, if there is one
piece of advice that has been important to me, it is “Always remember
where you came from.”

I was raised in a small town in North Carolina where everybody knew
one another and treated one another fairly and with respect, no matter who

you were. When people gave their word, you knew you could count on it.
In business, I’ve worked hard to be straight with people and to do what I
say I’ll do. Whether you are doing business on Wall Street or in a small

town in North Carolina, nothing is more important than your integrity.

When I was growing up, my father worked long hours to run his small
business, but, like my mother, he always found time for other people. They
gave back a lot to the community, and while we had a big family, there was
always room at our dinner table for friends and neighbors. My family was

a great source of support and compassion, but they also taught me to be
resilient and to keep things in perspective. Nothing teaches you to have a
thick skin better than growing up as the youngest of six brothers.

I have lived in New York for a long time now, and have been very

fortunate to have some success in the business world. But I try to get back
to North Carolina whenever I can, because no matter what the
opportunities or challenges I face, it always helps me to remember where I
came from and the values I learned there.