# John Toomey

> John M. Toomey, Jr. is the Boston-based CEO of HarbourVest Partners, a role he has held since October 1, 2024. He joined the firm in 1997, developed a career in direct and secondary investments, served as the original CFO of HarbourVest Global Private Equity, and joined the Executive Management Committee in 2012. His public commentary focuses on diversification, investor access, portfolio construction, and preserving institutional investment discipline as private markets expand.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at HarbourVest Partners
- **Organizations:** HarbourVest Partners, HarbourVest Global Private Equity, Smith Barney
- **Education:** BA, cum laude, Chemistry and Physics, Harvard University, MBA; Loeb Fellowship for outstanding achievement in finance, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Received the Loeb Fellowship for outstanding achievement in finance at Harvard Business School., Served as the original CFO for HarbourVest Global Private Equity’s 2007 IPO., Became the first sole CEO in HarbourVest’s history in October 2024.

## Career timeline

- **1995** — Graduated from Harvard University with a BA, cum laude, in Chemistry and Physics.
- **Before 1997** — Worked as an analyst in Smith Barney’s Advisory Group on mergers, acquisitions, and corporate restructurings.
- **1997** — Joined HarbourVest’s direct investment team as an analyst.
- **2001** — Earned an MBA and returned to HarbourVest after business school.
- **2003** — Began focusing on secondary investments.
- **2007-2008** — Served as original CFO of HarbourVest Global Private Equity from its 2007 Euronext Amsterdam IPO through September 2008.
- **2012** — Joined the Executive Management Committee that led HarbourVest.
- **2024-10-01** — Became HarbourVest’s sole Chief Executive Officer.

## Achievements

- Received the Loeb Fellowship for outstanding achievement in finance at Harvard Business School.
- Served as the original CFO for HarbourVest Global Private Equity’s 2007 IPO.
- Became the first sole CEO in HarbourVest’s history in October 2024.
- With Peter Wilson, helped lead the firm during growth from $36 billion to $125 billion in assets under management and from nearly 200 to more than 1,200 employees, as described in the May 2024 leadership announcement.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Discussed private markets, private equity, and secondaries with ausbiz in an interview highlighted by HarbourVest on July 29.
- **2026-07** — HarbourVest announced the $4.75 billion final close of its seventh direct co-investment program on July 10; Toomey emphasized access, diversification, and disciplined portfolio construction.
- **2026-06** — Joined CNBC from SuperReturn in Berlin on June 10 to discuss AI adoption, software, liquidity, and portfolio construction.
- **2026-05** — Published a May 6 Private Equity International essay on carrying institutional discipline into the expanding private-markets investor base.
- **2026-04** — Appeared on Alt Goes Mainstream with Michael Sidgmore in an episode highlighted April 14.

## Links

- Website: https://www.harbourvest.com/us/en/about-harbourvest/our-team/j/john-m-toomey-jr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntoomey-harbourvest

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-toomey
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09