Meet The Disruptors: John MacKinlay Of CAARY Capital On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

You have to be willing to fail and likewise willing to learn to create new human systems that improve oneself.

John MacKinlay is Chief Executive Officer at CAARY. John has 25 years of experience in the IT and Financial Services industries as an entrepreneur, executive, investor, senior advisor and board member. He previously led the Financial Services platform for OMERS Growth Equity, PwC Canada’s Financial Services Consulting Practice, and the FS Strategy Practice for IBM Canada.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

It all started in a family business in Nova Scotia. As is often the case in family businesses, I was working in the business, a soft-drink manufacturer/distributor, at an early age. Weekends and summers were no time for sports or play. I still think of those days often, and realize it left an indelible mark on me around work ethic and entrepreneurialism.

After completing my BSc. in Biochemistry and MBA in Finance, I joined CIBC in…