John is an executive compensation consultant with over forty years of experience advising companies on incentive and retention programs. John joined AlixPartners in March 2026.
John founded JB Dempsey & Company LLC in 2022. Prior to founding his own firm, John was an executive compensation consultant with Mercer from 1985 until December 2021 where he served as Partner in the Chicago office. John has testified in depositions and court hearings in connection with incentive and retention plan design in numerous cases.
John published an article entitled "Bankruptcy Blues: Retaining Key Employees During a Financial Crisis" with Michael Siebenhaar in the February 2002 issue of Workspan, and an update of "The New Challenge of Chapter 11" with Elizabeth Stephens in August 2008. He also published an article with Kevin Beglen and Marley Sternberg “Forging a Path: HR and Rewards Strategies for Organizations in Financial Distress” in the May 2020 issue of Workspan.
John joined Mercer in 1985 following his graduation from Yale University and worked out of the firm's offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and London. He was awarded an MBA in 1992 from The Ohio State University, where he earned academic and leadership honors.