John Rakolta III is President and Chief Administrative Officer of Walbridge and serves on the company’s Board of Directors. He is the first family member to serve as president of Walbridge in over three decades and takes immense pride in leading and expanding his family’s legacy.
A forward-thinker with a disciplined approach to business, John has been instrumental in driving Walbridge’s market diversification, exponential growth, and solid financial performance. He led the company’s entry into the hyperscale data center market, built its thriving Real Estate Services group and expanded the organization to West Michigan.
John is a transparent leader who fosters a workplace culture of collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity. He’s passionate about his role as the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion champion and the opportunity to advance his father’s lifelong commitment to promoting these values. He is proud of the empowering environment at Walbridge and the energy it creates that resonates with team members, suppliers, and customers alike.
His path to executive leadership at Walbridge began 17 years ago on the Business Development team and, years later, he moved to Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Walbridge, John worked for Athena Group, a New York-based real estate development firm.
Dedicated to serving his community, he is on the Board of Directors of Michigan Community Bancorp. According to Michigan Community Bancorp President and CEO Jenny Meier, John is valued for his strategic approach to new initiatives and dedication to building strong teams that generate results, He is also on the Advisory Board of Weatherford Capital, a prominent Florida-based private equity firm.
John holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Building Construction Management from Purdue University, a Master of Science degree in Real Estate Finance and Investment from New York University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Executive Leadership Development program.