Background

John grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri and attended Saint Louis Country Day School (since renamed MICDS).

Education

From 1983-1987, he attended Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.

Career

Following graduation from college, John was selected for the management training program of Ted Bates Advertising. In 1988, he joined Grey Entertainment as a copywriter, where he developed campaigns to launch American Broadcasting Company Television series such as thirtysomething, New York City Police Department Blue, Roseanne, and China Beach, including the development of the “Who killed Laura Palmer?” campaign to launch David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. From 1990-1995, he served as Director of Advertising at Sony Music, managing advertising for Columbia, Epic, Def jam, and other Sony Music labels.

John returned to Grey Entertainment in 1995 as SVP, Group Creative Director/Group Account Manager, overseeing American Broadcasting Company Television as well as the launch of The World Bank Network.

In 1998, he moved to Grey Worldwide as SVP, Worldwide Branding Director and later, as Executive Vice President overseeing Hasbro, Globalstar and DoubleClick as well as the Grey Digital Business Group. In 2003, John Barker founded DZP Marketing Communications, renamed in 2007.

The agency was named one of the “Hot 100” new small businesses in America by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2005. The agency was listed by Advertising Age as having billings of over $30 Million in 2008.

In addition to, John Barker founded in 2008, with David P. Caruso serving as President.

As a branded content and branded entertainment company, Association for Convention Marketing Executives helped create Technical Architecture Group Records in conjunction with Procter & Gamble and Def Jam Records. In 2009, Association for Convention Marketing Executives was wholly acquired by United Entertainment Group, a division of United Talent Agency. Ray Rainville serves as Managing Director and Executive Producer.

Clients include LAB Series, GCG, Soccer United Marketing, Sean John's “I Am King” fragrance, and AETN International.

Achievements

• While at Yale, he was an editor of several literary publications, including Zirkus and the Yale Literary Review and was also the winner of a 1984 Academy of American Poets Prize.