John Smith

John Smith began his career in the oil and gas industry in 1975 as a diving tender with Oceaneering International, where he remained for 22 years advancing his way up through the ranks to Diving Superintendent of Navy Operations. In 1997 John, Mike Kutzleb, and five other partners established Phoenix Marine (which eventually became employee-owned Phoenix International Holdings, Inc.), where he served as Vice President until retirement in 2019. A native of Fall River, Massachusetts, John graduated from the Coastal School of Deep-Sea Diving and obtained his welding certification from Laney College. He is also a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Certified Diving Instructor.