Ken Marlin

Ken Marlin is an American investment banker and international strategist, best known as the author of "The Marine Corps Way to Win on Wall Street: 11 Key Principles from Battlefield to Boardroom" (St. Martin's Press, 2016). He founded Marlin & Associates, a specialized boutique investment bank and strategy consulting firm, which has established a reputation for its expertise in technology and financial services.
Currently, he serves as the Vice Chairman of Technology Investment Banking at D.A. Davidson, following the firm's merger with Marlin & Associates in September 2021. Marlin's contributions to the financial technology sector have been recognized through his induction into the "Market Data Hall of Fame" and multiple accolades from "Institutional Investor" (II). Specifically, he was named one of II's "Tech 50" in 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, an honor that singles out the 50 most disruptive figures in fintech. Notably, Marlin was the sole investment banker to be included on this prestigious list during that period.
Personal life and education
Marlin holds a BA from the University of California (Irvine), an MBA from UCLA, and a post-MBA Advanced Professional Certificate in Corporate Strategy from New York University. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, Jacqueline Barnathan, an Emmy Award-winning senior producer for CBS News, and their daughter. From 2009 to 2017, Marlin raced sportscars with Challenge Club Racing, where he was season champion in the Ferrari F360 class in 2012, 2015, and 2016.
Early career
From 1970 to 1981, Marlin served as a captain and infantry company commander in the United States Marine Corps. Following his military service, he held a senior executive position at The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation from 1981 to 1991, where he was instrumental as Senior Vice President overseeing global strategy. At that time, Dun & Bradstreet was a major conglomerate with a diverse portfolio that included Moody's Investors Service, Interactive Data Corporation, Datastream International, Reuben H. Donnelley, IMS Health, ACNielsen, Nielsen Media Research, D&B Software, D&B Plan Services, D&B Credit Services, and a significant stake in Gartner Group.
In his role, Marlin was pivotal in leading numerous transactions involving both U.S. and international firms, facilitating deals across 13 countries. During the Apartheid era, he spearheaded the strategic divestiture of three South Africa<nowiki/>n companies under D&B’s control, aligning corporate actions with ethical considerations. Additionally, Marlin was proactive in establishing D&B's direct operations in key markets, including Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, while simultaneously expanding its footprint in Europe, specifically in Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, and Switzerland.
Before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Marlin was a key player in developing business information collection networks in several Soviet Bloc nations, reflecting his commitment to expanding market intelligence capabilities in emerging economies. His tenure culminated in a role as a group executive, where he continued to influence corporate strategy at a macro level.
In 1991, Marlin became president and CEO of Telekurs (NA), a global financial information technology firm owned by a consortium of Swiss banks. In 1995, Marlin and others acquired a large portion of Telekurs (NA) and formed Telesphere Corporation, where Marlin was president and CEO. In 1997, Telesphere was sold to Bridge Information Systems (now part of Thomson Reuters), where Marlin became Executive Vice President. In 1999, Marlin left Bridge to join the media merchant bank and private equity fund Veronis Suhler Stevenson.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu