John Klein

Corporate

John was born and raised in the New York City suburbs. He received his BS in Engineering from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. After graduating he travelled the world on merchant ships for three years before returning to New York University to get his MBA. In 1967 he married Charlotte DeWilde who he had met in The Netherlands, and he simultaneously started a 25-year career with IBM. In 1992 he joined Digital Equipment Corporation as a Corporate Officer managing a $2B worldwide business. He stayed in the Software/Services industry and moved to London, England to become CEO of MDIS, a publicly listed global firm. Since returning to the US John has served on several boards and recently retired in March of 2020 as Chairman of Cognizant Technology Corporation, a $16B global firm with 290,000 employees. From a charitable point of view, he has served on the local boards of United Way, YMCA, Preservation Trust, Morikami Museum, Opera New England, Urban League and others. For recreation he enjoys racquet sports, sailing and other events with his wife, three children and four grandchildren.

“I’ve been impressed with UP since my first exposure in 2017. The whole approach of a Hand Up and not a Hand Out resonates with my philosophy. I’ve also been impressed with the STEP program and their approach to partnering with other groups rather than trying to be all things to all people. Thanks for the value you bring to our community.”