John Harold Kissick

January 3, 1942 - February 29, 2024 John Kissick passed away on February 29, 2024. His life is a testament to his passion, generosity, and devotion to his profession, community, and family. Over his impressive career, John was a leader in the finance world, co-founding and leading Apollo Management in 1990 and Ares Management in 1997 until his retirement in 2019. Prior to co-founding Apollo and Ares Management, John was a Senior Executive Vice President of Drexel Burnham Lambert where he began in 1975 and eventually headed its West Coast Corporate Finance Department. John graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Economics, attended the Navy Officer Candidate School to serve as a Naval Officer during the Vietnam War, and later graduated with highest honors from the Stanford Graduate School of Business with an M.B.A. in Finance.
John was known for his judgment, composure, and uncanny ability to see the big picture. He believed that to build a great business you "just do what you think is the right thing - not necessarily the most profitable, not necessarily the most creative, just what you think we'd all be proud of." This philosophy extended into his philanthropic endeavors. John was the founding president of the Kissick Family Foundation and served on numerous charitable foundation boards, including Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford School of Education, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Harvard-Westlake School, Curtis School, and a number of Los Angeles public and charter schools. His passion for helping others, taking smart risks, and betting on talent guided his philanthropy through the Kissick Family Foundation.
John's legacy continues through the Kissick Family Foundation, which is now guided by his wife Kathy, son Ryan, and daughter Kasey. John was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2018, a form of dementia that impacts behavior, language, and cognition. Although not in time for John, the family is determined to galvanize the resources and leaders needed to make headway against FTD and other dementias through its work. If John were able, he would have led the charge to confront and hopefully cure FTD once and for all. He faced the world with brilliance, compassion, determination, humility, and purpose, and created a lasting legacy for friends, family, and colleagues alike. He left this world smiling from his accomplishments and contributions. Honoring John's wishes, no memorial was held. Instead, donations to fight FTD are welcomed at www.theaftd.org.