John Merson joined the board of Children of Vietnam in 2015. He is a member of the board’s executive committee and its committee on board development. During his first career, Merson worked as a consultant to not-for-profit organizations on their management, organization, and strategy. Next, he worked as a marketing executive for technology start-ups. He also worked at IBM, where he helped start a new software publishing venture. He currently works in real estate development, restoring historic properties on Nantucket Island and providing consulting to Vietnamese companies. He serves as a member of the board of advisors of the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Merson was a foot soldier in Quang Tri, Quang Nam, and Quang Ngai Provinces during the American War in Vietnam. For the past twenty years, he has been working with Vietnamese government agencies, private companies, and nonprofit organizations. He spends several weeks each year in Vietnam. He was thrilled to discover in COV an additional opportunity to work with a Vietnamese charity.

He is engaged in the development of luxury real estate and has also been a consultant to Vietnamese real estate developers. He is also a veteran of the American war in Vietnam. John was educated at Amherst College, the University of North Carolina, and Harvard Business School.