Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

August 22, 2020

CHARLOTTE- John Edward Mack of Charlotte died peacefully on Saturday, August 22, 2020. He was born on July 16, 1947 to the late Edward J. Mack and Lorraine Loriaux Mack. John spent his childhood in Greensboro NC. As a teenager, he earned his Eagle Scout rank, the highest achievement in Boy Scouts. John graduated from Davidson College with a bachelor’s degree in economics. As a student, John co-founded the college’s inaugural campus radio station which steadily grew and ultimately became WDAV, the college’s classical FM public radio station. He was a member of the swim and sailing teams, and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Letting his free spirit show, he spent a year crewing on sailing yachts in the Caribbean. John earned an MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He married Janne Himes on May 24, 1975.

John’s career in domestic and international finance spanned over forty-five years. He worked in domestic and international banking, financial business management, mergers and acquisitions, and investment banking. He also worked with external advisors in the sale of international import-finance products to domestic customers.

Following graduate school, he was employed by what was then North Carolina National Bank. As he developed his financial and leadership skills, strengthened his “workaholic” habit, John was promoted to higher levels of responsibility and participated in taking Bank of America to national prominence. He worked in the NCNB London office for two years. Back in Charlotte, he served in senior management positions at Bank of America and its predecessor companies NCNB Corporation and NationsBank, from 1974 to 2001. He served as Corporate Treasurer for twelve years.
When John retired from Bank of America, he and Janne moved to Tokyo, Japan where he served as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Managing Executive Officer of Shinsei Bank, Limited in Tokyo from 2002 through 2005. He also managed the Global IPO. John continued as a consultant to Shinsei until 2006.

From Japan, John and Janne moved to Breckenridge, CO, and he did not slow down. In 2007, he became the first non-Brit invited to join the Board of HBOS plc, the holding company for the Bank of Scotland. He was a Non- Executive Director through January 2009 and he served as a Director for the Bank of Scotland plc during this same time period.
In 2010, John became Vice Chairman and Director of Islandsbanki hf in Iceland, and he held this position through 2015. During his years in Breckenridge, he also served as Non-Executive Chairman of New Generation Biofuels Holdings, Inc., after first being its Independent Director. Until it was sold, John served as a Director of Flowers National Bank. He was a member of the Board of Directors of GlobalMin Ventures Inc., 2014-2018, of Medley Capital Corporation, 2011-2019, of Residential Capital LLC, 2011-2013 and of Wilson Solarpower Corp, 2006-2015.

John’s service on corporate boards continued after his mobility became limited and was serving on several boards at the time of his death. In 2015, he was co-founder of Mojave Gold Corporation and was serving as its Chief Financial Officer. John had been a member of the Tiptree Inc. board since 2015 and was serving as Chairman of the Audit Committee. He was one of the original Board members of Incapital LLC and was holding the title of Director, Audit Committee. John was also a current member of the Board of Directors for Searchlight Minerals Corp.
When notifying companies, colleagues, and friends of John’s death, the responses were filled with statements about his ethics, character, loyalty, work ethic, positive attitude, expertise, friendship, interest in helping, and concern for others. At home, if John was not in work mode, he was usually down to earth with a casual style. He enjoyed interesting conversations, honing his cooking and baking talents, sharing wine from his prized wine collection hobby, serving in volunteer capacities, reading, or making an occasional cross-country ski outing.

Before moving to Breckenridge CO, he was an elder and treasurer at Charlotte First Presbyterian Church. Whether living in Charlotte or Breckenridge, John was an active alumnus of Davidson College. He was a member of the Advisory Board of WDA, and an early supporter of the construction of its Samuel W. Newell, Jr Building. John was named a life member of Davidson’s Board of Visitors, serving on its Executive committee; he served on several reunion committees and the Charlotte regional campaign committee during the Campaign for Davidson. John established the need-based Edward J. Mack ’37 Scholarship in honor of his father who served as a Davidson Trustee, Board of Visitors member, and Alumni Association volunteer. At least annually John met with the recipients of the scholarships. He loved knowing and mentoring them and sharing stories about his father for whom the scholarship is named. John wanted to keep himself in the background and let the focus be on his father and the student recipients.

John is survived by his wife, Janne Himes Mack; siblings Eric Geoffrey Mack of Sun City, Arizona, Robin Mack Davis and husband, John of Greensboro NC and Janice “Smack” Mack of Greensboro, NC. He is also survived by nephew, Tyler Mack Davis, numerous Himes nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and many cousins in a large Mack extended family.

The family wishes to thank the staff of the Health Center at Southminster and the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Harris Hospice Unit for the care given to John.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a private memorial service for the family will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Charlotte at 11:00 AM on Friday, September 4, 2020. The service will be live streamed and can be viewed through the church website at https://www.firstpres-charlotte.org/funerals/. For those unable to view the service at that time a recording will be available at the church website for approximately one week afterwards.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to:
Edward J. Mack ’37 Scholarship
Davidson College Development Office,
PO Box 7170
Davidson, NC 28035-7170

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences can be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.