Oceans Holdings, Co-Founder
Chicago, IL

Over his twenty year career in finance and operations, Bennett J. Johnson III has dealt with complex credit and fixed income derivatives, collateralized debt, and unique valuation models. He has shepherded transactions from concept to final capital structure to post transaction debriefing. Bennett J. Johnson III currently is Co-Founder, Chairman and President of Oceans Holdings as a venture capital, management, energy, financial, communications, and technology consulting firm. He builds and manages small teams of experts focused on energy, information, finance and technology trends shaping market dynamics through strong communication and accountability. He specializes in assessing both the qualitative and quantitative values of an entity. Around the globe, from structuring Private Placement Memorandums, to building pro-formas, to stress testing scenario analysis, to final due diligence processes & implementing post-transaction procedures, he has analyzed business plans and originated investment opportunities across industries including energy, media, telcom, public sector, manufacturing, healthcare and finance.

Previously, Bennett served as the City of Chicago’s Budget Director in the Office of Budget and Management (OBM). As Budget Director, Bennett was responsible for preparing and executing the City’s annual $6 billion operating budget and the $8 billion capital budget for over 40 departments with more than 35,000 employees. Bennett was also charged with overseeing the City’s performance management initiative which allows OBM to evaluate the efficiency and efficacy of all City operations and drives management reforms that improve the City’s fiscal condition and increase taxpayer value. Additionally, he supervised federal, state and private grants and was the spokesperson and lead communicator with City Council and the Mayor on Chicago’s finances and management issues, along with providing input on various high priority projects.

In addition for ten years, Bennett was Managing Director for A.C. Advisory, Inc. / Alta Capital Group. While at Alta, Bennett was charged with the execution, documentation, pricing and closing for over $34 billion of municipal bond issues. Bennett was responsible for researching and advising on innovative financing strategies to enable clients to reach their fiscal and corporate goals. Additionally, Bennett built databases to analyze statistical trends from collected data and provided strategic and risk management consulting for municipal and corporate clients.

Bennett speaks extensively across the country and has chaired special committees on various topics from business process improvement to the environment to information technology. He serves on the boards of I-Go (Chairman), Center for Neighborhood Technology (Treasurer), The Young People’s Project (Tresurer), and the Civic Federation of Chicago. Bennett received his bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering Sciences from Harvard University, where he played varsity men’s volleyball for four years, was president of the Winthrop House Film Society, and was treasurer of the Harvard Black Man’s Forum. Bennett received his master’s degree in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management from the London School of Economics.