In an era marred by the excesses of corporate irresponsibility, John Breyo, a Siena graduate of 1968, stands as a constant exemplar that corporations can be managed to compete appropriately, compensate fairly, and contribute handsomely to their communities.
John, a native of Schenectady, NY, stood out quickly in his studies. He is an honor graduate of Linton High School and a member of their Hall of Fame. After graduating from high school john entered Siena College where he earned a B.B.A. in Accounting in 1968. From Siena he went on to Albany Law School where he received his Juris Doctor degree while graduating twelfth in his class. At Albany Law School he was one of four people ever honored as an Alumni in Residence.
In 1971 John participated in the creation of a new enterprise, Ayco, Inc. Ayco, founded on the belief that the tax code was becoming too complex for even the most knowledgeable of corporate executives, quickly gained a reputation for professionalism and competence. While unknown to most Americans, Ayco is the preferred provider of financial planning services to executives among many of the Fortune 500 corporations.
As the progenitor of Ayco's tax practice, the Encompass consulting practice, Ayco Asset Management, Ayco University, and many other innovations john has played a pivotal role in the growth of Ayco's business success. In 1986, John Breyo was named to the Office of the President.
In 1994, the company underwent a management buyout from American Express at which time Mr. Breyo became President of The Ayco Company, L.P. As a result of the buyout Mr. Breyo also became a major shareholder of The Ayco Company while structuring the new company to allow more direct employee ownership of the new enterprise. In 1997, Mr. John Breyo was named Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President.
In addition to guiding the Ayco companies through formation and growth, John has been an innovator in corporate philanthropy as well. The Ayco companies are recognized for their efforts in encouraging employees to give back to their communities and the schools that they attended. Under John's guidance Ayco established AycoCap, an early program aimed at encouraging employees to make planned gifts to their alma mater with a matching component provided by the company. He established a scholarship at Albany Law School, and recently, created one for Siena College with anticipated annual awards of $50,000.
John lives in Saratoga Springs with his wife Marilyn where he serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. John is a recipient of the William Golub Tikkun Olam Award for his humanitarian endeavors by the United Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York.
Today, Siena College honors John Breyo, Siena Class of 1968, as a beacon of corporate responsibility and community involvement with the degree of Doctor of Laws.