Exec at Natixis John Hailer Appointed to Boston Public Library Position
John Hailer, a former executive at the multinational bank Natixis, was recently appointed to the position of interim leader of the Boston Public Library System. John Hailer is set to officially start his job on June 18th with a salary of $335,000.
In 2008, Hailer left his banking career behind to focus on his passion for library design which led him to found MASS Design Group and become a board member of ArtPlace America. One day while visiting a city library in Detroit, he had an epiphany: libraries are where communities come together, and they should be designed with modern technology in mind- this helped instill in him the idea that libraries are important institutions for social change and education.
John Hailer led the library’s design process, which began with a concept and development phase that included a team of architects, interior designers, landscape architects, and city officials. In 2008, the Boston Public Library opened a branch in Boston that MASS Design Group designed to promote inclusion and community engagement. The library has received praise from all corners of the city community for its inviting design, which keeps community members engaged and has been used as an example for other libraries around the country. John Hailer’s interest in libraries began when he studied architecture at MIT in Cambridge.
Natixis, the French bank that John Hailer worked for, is a global banking institution. The company’s headquarters are located in Paris, and its subsidiaries are spread throughout the world. Natixis offers retail banking, investment banking, asset management, and insurance services for private and corporate clients in more than 100 countries.
Hailer grew up in South Boston but attended elementary school at a private school in Brookline, followed by high school at St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, MA. He then studied architecture at MIT, where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree before receiving his Master of Architecture Degree from Harvard Graduate School of Design.