Primary Job Title General Counsel | M&A Primary Organization General Counsel
Location Greenville, South Carolina, United States Regions East Coast, Southern US Gender Male
Website johnellsworth.net/ LinkedIn View on LinkedIn X (Twitter) View on X
Based in Greenville, SC, John Ellsworth is a senior business executive with a global reach and extensive experience in complex transactions, investment banking, general counsel, and mergers & acquisitions. Before moving into independent consulting, John dedicated 14 years of his career to ScanSource, a global technology solutions provider.
During his tenure, John moved up the ranks from General Counsel, to Corporate Secretary, to Vice President, and finally to Executive Vice President. He utilized this time to help the company go through massive stages of growth and sharpen his skills in executing M&A. Today, John Ellsworth is Principal at Monolith Global Partners.
As a young adult, John found himself intrigued by crisis management, internal investigations, and other legal functions. As such, he pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Shortly thereafter, John attended the University of Minnesota Law School, from which he received his Juris Doctor in Corporate Law in 1999. He was admitted to the Minnesota State Bar that same year.
At the onset of his career, John Ellsworth served as the Assistant General Counsel for One Price Clothing Stores, Inc. and its 5,000+ employees in 33 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was responsible for managing litigation matters for the company, including the creation of litigation strategies, as well as providing legal review for all new contractual agreements.
After working in the above capacity for three years, John was sought out by ScanSource, a $3.7-billion technology solutions provider based in South Carolina. He accepted the opportunity and was soon aiding the company in evolving its niche technologies, moving into uncharted markets, and growing over 400 percent in revenue and 250 percent in market capitalization. In 2006, upon achieving such great success with ScanSource, John Ellsworth was given the opportunity to assume responsibilities as Corporate Secretary.
As he gained more exposure to and experience in securing various business development opportunities for the flourishing company, John was again promoted to Vice President in 2008 and was dubbed the Executive Vice President in 2012. In these senior leadership roles, John successfully closed 15 domestic and foreign transactions to further improve margins, spearheaded the company’s global insurance and real estate initiatives, and provided support for operations and local management spread across 15 countries, 42 offices, and six distribution centers.
In 2017, John Ellsworth stepped away from ScanSource to pursue a career in independent consulting, through which he has achieved affiliations with private equity firms and investment bank firms. Furthermore, he has advised business owners and buyers on investment and acquisition alternatives, thus showcasing his deep understanding of private equity deal sourcing and the like.
Now, John is seeking his next venture, whether that entails continuing down the path of independence or returning to a corporate setting. In the meantime, John has plenty of opportunities to occupy his time, such as researching disruptive and innovative solutions to propel startups in the realms of operations, technology, and even solar farming toward further success.
Outside of his career, John Ellsworth is a dedicated family man who loves bonding with his three sons and volunteering his time to improve his community. To learn more about John and his current ventures, be sure to visit his website: http://johnellsworth.net/.
