John Rogers

John W. Rogers, Jr. is the Founder, Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Ariel Investments, based in Chicago. He established the firm in 1983 to specialize in patient, value-oriented investing, with a primary focus on undervalued small- and medium-sized companies. Today, under his leadership, Ariel is the largest minority-run mutual fund firm in the U.S.

Rogers leads investment strategy and portfolio management, particularly managing products such as the Ariel Small Cap Value, Small Cap Value Concentrated, and Small/Mid Cap Value strategies, targeting domestic equities in the small and mid-cap sectors. His expertise centers around U.S. value equities, with an emphasis on companies that have strong growth potential but are temporarily out of favor.

Rogers holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Princeton University and began his career at William Blair & Company before launching Ariel at age 24. He has been recognized as a pioneering African American investor and has earned numerous accolades, including Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson Award. Rogers also holds significant corporate board roles, such as with Nike, The New York Times Company, and Ryan Specialty, and is known for his civic leadership in financial literacy and diversity initiatives.