Considered to be one of sport's most powerful people, David D'Alesandro, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of John Hancock Financial Services, was instrumental in the promotion and stabilization of the Boston Marathon and the Olympic Games among other notable accomplishments.

Prior to his position with John Hancock, however, David began his affection with sports by lettering in Cross Country racing at Thomas R. Proctor High School. His record of performance as a runner was such that the second oldest Cross Country Invitational, the E. J. Herrmann Cross Country Invitational, named its Girl's Varsity HB" Race in his honor.

David carried his love of sports with him to John Hancock, and changed forever how corporations would practice reaching their customer base. When David introduced John Hancock to sports marketing 20 years ago, he began a relationship for that company that has consistently been referred to as one that developed innovative ways of using sporting events to win the attention and goodwill to of consumers. It has been a model that has been emulated time and again throughout the corporate world, and much of the credit belongs to David's ingenuity.

Under David's direction, John Hancock Financial Services became the first major American corporation to sponsor a college bowl game, the Sun Bowl, and the first to purchase the naming rights to a bowl game. This precedence has been followed in numerous ways by numerous companies, and sports marketing has not been the same since.

Among David's greatest accomplishments was when he convinced John Hancock to sponsor the famed Boston Marathon. The Marathon, which was hurtling into oblivion prior to John Hancock's involvement, was revived. More importantly, however, was the fact that David persuaded John Hancock to not change the name of the race and thereby place John Hancock's name on it. This provided the pureness of one of the nation's oldest and most well-known marathons, and provided John Hancock a plethora of publicity for their decision to not taint the first-class race.

David was not finished. He convinced John Hancock to branch out and get involved in the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). As a well-respected voice in sports, and a nine-time member of The Sporting News' most powerful people in sports list, David was a tempering force amid the turmoil the surrounded the corruption of the leaders of the USOC. Despite all of the politics and problems that have surrounded the USOC, David has emerged as a fighter for the least influential players in the Games - the athletes themselves.

After David's passionate testimony before the United States Senate Commerce Committee, as a result of the insistence of Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Senate passed a USOC reform bill which led the acting CEO of the USOC to vow to return the Committee's focus back to "athletic performance." The USOC performed well in the Summer 2004 and Winter 2006 Olympic Games, and those Games were virtually without controversy as a result.

An accomplished author, benefactor and speaker, David is recognized throughout the sports and marketing industries as an innovator, brand-builder and a pioneer when it comes to corporate sponsorship. His opinion continues to be sought out and his voice continues to make an impact, and this was evidenced when he played a pivotal role in the sale of Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox to its current ownership. He has earned the respect of his peers, and as a result is truly regarded as one of the most powerful people in all of sports.