John McGonagle
1944-2024
One cannot think of John without also thinking of his beloved wife Carolyn. They were a loving couple both in their work and in their love for cats. While they are known for founding the Helicon Group and their many books on competitive intelligence, they also had numerous books on breeding and nurturing cats. John loved to talk about the intricacies of breeding cats and his enjoyment of their cats. For example, one of their books was Burmese Cats: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual.
John was one of the most passionate advocates of establishing the competitive intelligence field for practitioners and academics. He often commented on and inquired as to what areas the field should be enhancing and what emerging trends would be central to the competitive intelligence field. John enjoyed constructively debating about the roles of competitive intelligence. Two areas that were central to his interests were the role of information technology and the management of competitive intelligence. He was also a champion of establishing high standards for the governance practices of competitive intelligence both within firms and for the profession. We learned a lot from these informative conversations.
John and Carolyn co-authored 10 competitive intelligence books which John always claimed was Carolyn’s idea.
John received the prestigious Fellows Award in 1998 from the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (rebranded as Strategic Consortium of Intelligence Professionals) and the Meritorious Award, SCIP's highest award, in 2007. John wrote numerous articles for SCIP’s Competitive Intelligence magazine over a 20-year period. He reviewed almost every book published on competitive intelligence for the magazine as well!
John was an adjunct professor at Kutztown University and adjunct lecturer at Lehigh University and Allentown College teaching competitive intelligence (a program which he developed) and business policy. He served as a member and chair of the Association for Strategic Planning’s Goodman Awards Committee for innovation in strategic planning.
A lifetime leaning perspective was central to how John embraced Competitive Intelligence as evidenced through his numerous writings that helped evolve the field. Further, John loved to train future competitive intelligence professionals and noted how much he learned from them.
Memories from Other Fellows
He and I ran a workshop at SCIP one time, and had lots of fun, even though the workshop itself was half real half a bollocks…(it was a “personality test” who should be a CI professional based on a combo of John and my personalities, so you can imagine it was crappy science but lots of fun). At the time I was tired of delivering the same “shtick” at those conferences, and John wanted to do something with me, so I conceded. Unlike me, John didn’t have a cynical bone in his body, so he actually liked the workshop.
John was a serious and dedicated man, and his devotion to Carolyn who was sick for a long time was all-consuming. It moved me. They wrote together, worked together, she was the drive behind him. His death was just a matter of time after she passed. I think this is more of a testament to the person he was than all the CI legacy, but that’s just me. - Ben Gilad
“John’s influence in getting the whole CI field started cannot be overstated – he was a prime mover. John was as generous with his time and insights as just about anyone I’ve ever worked with.”
“John was an extraordinary man. So generous with his time, very helpful.”
“John (as was his beloved Carolyn) was a true treasure to our field. He made contributions over decades that helped establish the field's foundations, and was always willing to contribute and pay it forward whenever anybody asked him to. I had the good fortune of having sat with him throughout the last Fellows annual meeting. He was so energized about contributing to Mercyhurst's students through his donations, and talking about how he planned to not only honor Carolyn's memory but to keep adding to his already rich contributions to our body of knowledge.”
“John is a legend and a true pioneer of our industry.”
“That is a tragic loss, he was so filled with enthusiasm with his Mercyhurst Library project. He will be missed by many.”
“Very sad to hear of his passing. His lasting legacy in the field will never be forgotten.”
“He was a great leader in CI and a great friend and mentor to many of us.”
“Such sad news. I will miss John and his warm smile”
“I only met him once, but his passion for CI was inspiring!”
“John was an institution. Always there with wisdom and guidance.”
“John was always cordial, approachable, knowledge, willing to help, and slightly larger than life. He worked with so many people! We will all miss him.”
“You will be missed…I am fortunate to have served with you at SCIP”
“I have fond memories of John. Always willing to give advice, guidance, and a kind word. A significant loss for our community.”
“John was a pillar of the CI community. His contributions to the CI Body of Knowledge will live on and cement his legacy.”
“He was a humble and pioneering giant in our field, and he enriched our practices and our community more than he knew. I'm grateful for his support and contributions to the end, and that we could enjoy his company, graciousness, and wisdom at our last Annual Meeting. I'm glad that his and Carolyn's works and contributions will continue at Mercyhurst and through our Council.”
“His contributions to field of CI from the very beginning as a SCIP founder and every day up to the end of last year were remarkable. John was among the smartest people I've ever met and he told me that his wife, Carolyn Vella, was the smartest person he ever met. He was kind, wise, humble, a gentleman and a superb mentor to many of us. I was blessed to be working with him most recently on a major project for the Mercyhurst library, which I can assure you all will be completed.”
“Very fond memories of John. We'll miss him.”
“A gentleman and a scholar, John tempered his formidable intellect with kindness and a ready wit. He was an inspiring force and it was a privilege to have known him.”
“It is hard to believe that he has left us. He was full of energy in our last Arlington meeting.”
“John was a true scholar indeed. He will be sadly missed. A tree has fallen in our CI community.”
“I have met John mainly through his vast literature and knowledge sharing. In fact, I had the opportunity to work with, thank him for that, and pay respect to his knowledge and contribution to CI during one of my latest papers”
“While I didn't know John personally, his books, thinking, and insights, have all accompanied me through many years of studying, practising, and teaching CI, and are still among the core of essential CI works on my bookshelves.”