James R. Utaski
Partner, Whitestone Capital, LLC
Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions Officer, Retired, Johnson & Johnson

James R. Utaski is a Founding Partner of the venture capital firm of Whitestone Capital, LLC located in Princeton, NJ. Whitestone Capital is engaged in funding seed and early stage companies who will benefit from senior level advice in their development stage. Prior to founding Whitestone Capital, Utaski held various positions for more than 26 years with Johnson & Johnson in both domestic and international general management assignments.
 
In May 1990, he assumed the post of Vice President Corporate Development, Johnson & Johnson, which included mergers and acquisitions as well as heading Johnson & Johnson’s venture capital group. During his tenure as a Corporate M&A Officer, Johnson & Johnson’s corporate acquisitions included Neutrogena, Cordis, DePuy Orthopaedics, Centocor Biotech, among others.
 
Utaski received a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1963. He and his wife, Nancy, live in Skillman, NJ, and are the parents of three married children and have four grandchildren. He has served as Chairman of the Board of FIRST and later as Vice Chairman for over a decade, having been a supporter since 1994. He is currently a FIRST Honorary Director.