John Sullivan

John Sullivan joined the North Carolina Bankers Association in 2022. As Senior Director of the Future Bank Leaders Program and Senior Vice President, he connects banks seeking diverse, emerging talent with students from NC universities pursuing dynamic careers as bank leaders.

Prior to joining the NCBA, John spent 18 years in executive education at the Risk Management Association, Center for Creative Leadership, University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and Duke Corporate Education, where his responsibilities included guiding teams in designing and delivering leadership development solutions around the globe. John’s natural curiosity – which has served him well in his executive education career – was fostered during 12 years as a broadcast journalist, including seven at CNN in Atlanta, where as an anchor he was seen world-wide reporting on the top stories of the day.

John is motivated by helping individuals develop their ability to lead – empowering others and their organizations to move forward. He is a true believer in the value of education to change behavior, and knows learning is a never-ending process. He also values creating lasting, trust-based relationships and was certified by Charles H. Green, author of The Trusted Advisor and Trust Based Selling, to teach his proprietary material.

Prior to his executive education career, John was Director of Public Relations for a leading marketing agency, directing a six-person team in all elements of creating and executing strategic public relations programs for clients such as Lockheed Martin, Bombardier Learjet, BMW, Michelin, and Porsche. He is a published author with numerous articles to his credit, including Chief Learning Officer Magazine, which featured his story on how Harley-Davidson embedded its brand attributes into leadership development.

John graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in broadcasting. He and his wife reside in Raleigh, NC and have two grown sons.