Early Life and Education
John Fish was raised in Hingham, Massachusetts. He attended Tabor Academy where he played football and was captain of the team his senior year. Fish graduated from Bowdoin College in 1982 with a political science degree. He grew up with dyslexia.
Rise to Success
After college, Fish worked for Peabody Construction, his father's company. In 1982, at the age of 23, Fish and his father established Suffolk Construction Company. Fish built the company into a national construction company responsible for high-profile projects such as Boston's Millennium Tower, a new facility at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Encore Boston Harbor. He bought out his father's stake in the company in 2006. As of 2024, the company had $6 billion in revenue.
Key Business Strategies
Fish has expanded Suffolk's U.S. footprint through the 1990s and 2000s, building high-rises, hotels and healthcare facilities. Since 2019 Suffolk has invested over $50 million across more than 50 construction tech startups, including robotics and AI ventures. He created a “No Fault Culture” at his company to encourage employees to take risks.
Philanthropy
Fish has been involved in significant philanthropic efforts. He founded the Boston Scholar Athletes, an organization aimed at helping student athletes improve their academic performance, donating $6 million to the program between 2009 and 2021. He and his wife, Cynthia, have pledged $10 million to Tabor Academy, his alma mater, following a $25 million donation to Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
