Height Capital

John O’Donoghue, who since last July, heads the Capital Markets at Height Capital in Washington, D.C., grew up in Newcastle, Co. Down, and studied at Queen’s University Belfast. 

Shortly after graduation, John earned a place in EF Hutton’s highly regarded Wall Street training program in New York. This opportunity launched his career in U.S. financial markets.

After EF Hutton, John spent 17 years at Wertheim-Schroder, rising through the organization and becoming a partner in 1994. When Wertheim was sold in 2000, he transitioned to Credit Suisse First Boston, taking on leadership of U.S. Equity Trading and serving on the Global Operating Committee.

In 2005, John was hired by SG Cowen to run the Equities division and help lead the firm’s extraction from Société Générale. That effort ultimately resulted in Cowen’s successful IPO in July 2006. John served on both the Executive and Operating Committees.

Upon joining OTR Global as CEO in 2013, John led the firm through a decade of expansion, culminating in its sale to a private equity firm in 2023. 

A strong connection to Ireland and Northern Ireland has always complemented John’s career. He helped form the U.S. QUB alumni association in the late 1990s – now the nonprofit Friends of QUB – and served on the QUB Foundation Board for the past ten years. John also served on boards and committees across the Ireland Funds, the Irish Arts Center, and Integrated Education, while supporting innovative Northern Ireland-based companies, including CV6 Therapeutics and Cardinal Analytics.

John currently lives in Pinehurst, North Carolina, with his wife of 42 years, Debbie. They have two sons and five grandchildren.