From The Gridiron To The NYSE, Acrisure President John Tuttle Was Built To Compete

John Tuttle, a former high school and college football standout who played wide receiver at Eastern Michigan University, grew up wired to compete. But his most valuable lessons in winning came not on the field, but during his 17 years at the New York Stock Exchange. There, he observed what separated top-performing leaders from those who faltered under pressure.

John Tuttle, a former high school and college football standout who played wide receiver at Eastern Michigan University, grew up wired to compete. But when it comes to winning, he learned his most important lessons while working for 17 years at the New York Stock Exchange. That’s where he observed the traits of those who succeeded in business and leadership at the highest level—and where he saw others succumb to failure.

Now, as president of Acrisure, one of the fastest-growing fintech firms in the world, Tuttle draws on those lessons daily as he attempts to scale further. It’s a bold mission—but Tuttle has never been one to shy away from a challenge. 

“Run to where the problem is, and not from it,” Tuttle says on this week’s episode of Corporate Competitor Podcast. “You’ll learn so much. You’ll gain people’s trust and respect, and you know you’re in the arena, you’re helping, you’re in the game—versus being on the sidelines hoping somebody else solves it.”

That mindset has helped propel Acrisure’s explosive growth: in just over a decade, the company has grown from $38 million in revenue to nearly $5 billion, with a global team of 19,000 employees across 22 countries.

Today, Acrisure’s name is emblazoned on the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers—Acrisure Stadium, a site of fierce gridiron battles. Business, like football, separates contenders from pretenders. And Tuttle knows how to spot the difference.

“After meeting thousands of people at the New York Stock Exchange,” he says, “you develop pattern recognition. I could tell within minutes which companies were real and which weren’t—same with the leaders.”

Today, its name also proudly sits on the front of the Pittsburgh Steelers home field. Acrisure Stadium is the site of many gridiron clashes. Just like those on the field, though, some teams in business are successful and some are pretenders. It takes a developed eye to see the difference. “After meeting thousands of people at the New York Stock Exchange,” Tuttle said, “you get pattern recognition. I could tell you in minutes which companies were real, which weren’t, which leaders were real, which weren’t.”

On the podcast, Tuttle shares more insights shaped by his journey from athlete to executive, including:

 • Expand your surface area. The former wideout emphasizes the power of curiosity. “The broader the aperture,” he says, “the more dots you can connect that others can’t see.”

• Don’t follow a scripted path. Tuttle warns against following someone else’s idea of success. Instead, chart your own course—guided by curiosity and the strategies you think are best. 

• Stay humble. It’s important to check your ego, even in the best of times. Tuttle underscores to importance of honest self-assessment—a critical trait of great leaders on and off the field.

For Tuttle, success isn’t static—it’s a constant pursuit. It demands hard work, dedication, humility and a willingness to tackle problems head-on. That’s how trust is built, and how progress happens. “You want to be an abundant thinker,” he says. “Identify the [path forward] that’s going to be most effective for you or your organization.”

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