By Sarah Mitchell
John Ellerman grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, a town known more for Mark Twain and the Mississippi River. After he graduated high school, he headed south to Florida for college at Stetson University where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. After Stetson, John gained a research appointment at MIT where he worked and studied in a computer science laboratory. “The only way I could go to grad school was to sign a ROTC contract, which I did,” John said. That led him to Washington, D.C. where he worked as a systems analyst. “I was fortunate and spent two years as a systems analyst working for all three military services as a young second lieutenant.”
That early chapter kicked off what became a five-decade-long career in management consulting, mostly focusing on executive compensation and corporate governance. John started out with what’s now KPMG, doing general strategy work, but in 1978, he joined Towers, Perrin, Forster & Crosby. His role took him to Atlanta, then Tampa for 13 years, and finally to Dallas in 1993. He stayed with the firm until 2010 when it merged with another consulting firm and went public as Towers Watson. The new public firm was facing criticism over a perceived conflict of interest with respect to its executive compensation practice and decided to divest itself of that practice following the merger. John and several of his partners purchased the executive compensation practice from Towers Watson and formed a new, free-standing firm known as Pay Governance. “We took about 40 people with us from our former firm and ended up being very successful,” he said. “I stayed there until 2022 when I retired.” These days, he enjoys a slower pace, starting his morning with the Wall Street Journal and spending time with his grandkids.
John moved to Dallas with family in mind. When he arrived in 1993, his son Robert was just two years old. “I chose the Park Cities because of the reputation for great schools,” John said. They started in University Park before settling in Highland Park. By 2014, John had built his current home, teaming up with his nephew, a Yale-educated architect based in Seattle.
Robert, now grown with a family of his own, reflects on that move. “My dad was top-tier in getting me where I wanted to be,” Robert said. A dedicated hockey player in his youth, Robert played for Highland Park but mostly focused on travel teams. “When I was about seven or eight years old, the Stars won the Stanley Cup, and I was hooked after that.”
Today, Robert works in the high-tech space as an enterprise account executive at a software company that specializes in automated testing. His focus now is on raising his own kids – three of them, including one from his wife Kim’s previous relationship.
Robert and Kim’s five-year old daughter, Remington (aka “Remi”), is full of curiosity and loves reading and painting. “She is very smart and quite gifted, and I just find her fascinating and enjoy speaking with her,” John shared. Two-year old son Brooks is car-obsessed – especially Porsches. Oldest daughter Paisley is busy with basketball, swimming, and cheerleading. “I never expected to get this kind of joy from being a grandfather,” John said. “It has been the greatest joy of my life, and I spend every minute that I can with them.”
Outside of family time, John stays involved with his alma mater, serving on the business school’s board and attending events each year. He is also active at Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, particularly with the men’s groups, and says faith has always been an anchor in his life.
Cars are another passion. “I bought my first Porsche 911 in 1987 and have had one most of the time since,” he said. His interest in cars goes way back with early memories of riding in trucks his father used for his dairy business. “That gave me the engineering to play around with cars and trucks when I was two to three years old, just as Brooks does now,” he said. He currently drives a 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S and has another on the way – a Boxster with a 911 engine and 395 horsepower. “It’s probably not the most practical thing to do, but I’m looking forward to it.”
John enjoys travel and has visited several countries in Europe including England, Germany, Belgium, and France multiple times. But his most meaningful trip was to Jerusalem about six years ago. “Being able to walk in the same footsteps as Jesus was a significant experience,” he said. “It was just incredible.” Locally, he enjoys watching tennis and plans to attend the U.S. Open in New York this year.
Robert speaks highly of his father and the values he’s passed down. “My father is an exceptional man. Everything that I’ve learned and thought to be morally right has come from him. He has been a great example in my life and his faith in God reflects on me.”
Whether he’s reading the paper, heading to New York for the U.S. Open, or simply hanging out with his grandkids, John seems content right where he is in the Park Cities!