At his retirement celebration, John Leary (right) said that he had too many fond memories – coupled with his inability to be brief – to say thank you as well as he would have liked.In JMP’s rich 37-year history, there have been growth spurts and pivotal moments. And while many staff members have made their marks on the company, only a few visionaries have truly impacted JMP’s trajectory. John Leary, former VP of Sales and Marketing, was one of them.
“John Leary was a very talented, engaging, and colorful individual who brought a spark to JMP when it needed it,” JMP founder and chair John Sall (@John_Sall) said. “We have huge respect and gratitude for all he did to help make JMP a success. He will be long remembered by the hundreds of current and former professionals who worked with him.”
When Leary joined JMP in 2004, he was well prepared for the challenge. Leary had previously led sales at BBN Software, which was an early pioneer of DOE software. From the beginning, he set his sights on making JMP one of SAS’ most successful entities. At the time, Sall said, our brand and business unit were becoming more independent of SAS. Leary brought his expertise to JMP as we were moving from order-taking to true selling. “John accelerated that transition,” Sall said.
JMP CEO Jon Weisz (@Jon_Weisz) concurred, “John created our sales culture and fostered a vision of JMP being a larger software company than the 30-odd people we were when he joined. Our current trajectory is really one for which John was the catalyst.”
“John started the era of having three-person teams of AE, SE, and IS, with great technical expertise in sales,” Sall said. “This is also when we aggressively expanded into Europe and China and completed the transition to the annual license renewal process.”
Leary suited up for a teambuilding exercise at a go-cart racetrack.Bonnie Rigo (@bonster), one of JMP’s original Account Executives, said, “The ‘three-legged stool’ was his guiding concept for bringing our sales organization into a unified framework of teamwork, growth, collaboration, and direction. When John arrived, our territories, resources, and market positioning were somewhat haphazard. Through his leadership, he aligned the organization and moved the entire sales force forward, creating real structure and meaningful opportunities for growth.”
"John led the organization with a sharp mind, a huge heart, and a wicked sense of humor,” Vice President of JMP EMEA Sales & Marketing Todd Hoffman (@ToddHoffman) said. "John made a tremendous positive impact on the JMP culture, which can still be felt today. He emphasized the importance of teamwork while ensuring personal accountability. He expanded the concept of the sales team to include key support organizations and made it a priority to recognize their value to sales. In short, he inspired us to deliver revenue with grace.”
Kyoko Takenaka (@KyokoTakenaka), Director of Pre-Sales Support for JMP Japan, remembers Leary telling her to have a sales rep and an SE visit customers together. “He said that they could see with four eyes and hear with four ears, and that leads to a better understanding of the customer than two eyes and two ears alone. We still remember this very well and passed it to sales teams in Japan.”
“Although we only spent a short amount of time with him in person, we liked and respected him so much, and we miss him,” Noriki Inoue (@noriki_inoue), Country Manager for JMP Japan, said. Inoue remembers asking Leary about the sales target for one year. Leary told him that he knows the market better and should set targets as he saw fit. “I was a little surprised, but I was happy that he entrusted me with that,” Inoue said.
Weisz also remembers Leary’s management style fondly. “John was my manager, but we worked like great partners," Weisz said. “I knew the product and the market. John knew about sales and people. I got so much energy from working with John. I learned how hard a salesperson’s job is and a lot about compensation plans and how to motivate a sales organization.”
“New sales had hovered around $2 million per year, and renewals were about $4 million per year before John joined JMP,” Weisz said. “In John’s approximately six-year tenure, new sales rose to $10 million and, with the slow extinction of our perpetual license, renewals rose to $40 million.”
“John was a natural at sales because he was a natural with people,” Senior Manager in Americas Sales Ashley Prince (@ashley_prince) said. “John understood human behavior deeply—how to listen, when to ask questions, and how to build trust in an authentic way. John was a great judge of character; he knew how to recognize potential, integrity, and authenticity. And he trusted people in ways that helped them rise.”
Prince continued: “John was a gentle soul with extreme wit. He was very kind, but if he did choose to insult you, it was guaranteed to be a clever one, and you undoubtedly deserved it. He spoke with great intention and had an instinctive ability to read the room—knowing when levity would bring people together and when it was time to lean in with seriousness and focus. His words carried weight because they were purposeful, wise, and grounded in a deep understanding of people.”
Leary empowered the sales organization to reach for the stars. “No idea was too small or too big for him to consider, and he consistently offered a clear path forward to help us achieve our goals,” Rigo said.
One of John Leary’s favorite pastimes: storytelling.In addition to sales leadership, many of his JMP colleagues remember Leary for his long-winded stories, his clever coaching, and the way he celebrated success.
"John had a significant impact on my professional and personal life, and I am very grateful for the time I was able to spend with him at JMP,” Hoffman said.
“He told a lot of stories,” Weisz said, “many of which could never be printed but made people laugh.”
Rigo says some stories were ‘salty.’
“We remember that he loved parables, and sometimes we lost track of the original story, but it was always fun,” Takenaka said.
Senior Manager of Global Events Holly Connors (@holly_connors) shared a story of her own about Leary. When offering her a permanent position with JMP about 20 years ago, he asked her how much her salary should be. When she suggested an amount that was too low, Leary said, “You're worth more than that." To this day, Connors remembers those words and the impact Leary made on her life.
“John demonstrated the kind of leadership that connected, encouraged, and inspired people,” Connors said. “I remember him not only being a great storyteller, but also a great listener. He was clever, witty, and authentic. People saw him as a coach and a mentor. He was fun, too.”
When asked what people should know about Leary, Connors said: “Absolutely everyone loved him, and that says everything.”
On Dec. 24, 2025, John Leary passed away peacefully at home. He is survived by his wife, MaryLou Leary, and many family members, including his son, Brendan Joseph Leary, currently a JMP Sales Manager. You can read more about Leary's life outside of work in his obituary.
In addition to his son Brendan, Leary’s JMP legacy lives on through those of us he brought on and nurtured. In fact, Leary hired the next generation of leaders, including Weisz, Dave Richardson, Ian Cox, Malcolm Moore (@malcolm_moore1), and many others. I am among those hired and mentored by Leary, and I regularly reflect on his wise words.
Janet Stone, JMP’s former HR Partner, who worked very closely with Leary, said he was a savvy sales executive and a caring leader who always prioritized God and his family. “He was always 100% dedicated to his wife and children,” Stone said. “My deepest condolences to John’s family and those who worked closely with him on his passing."
If you would like to make a donation in honor of John Leary, the family requests that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Today's leadership credit John Leary for being the catalyst for JMP’s current trajectory. This photo shows JMP in 2006.
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