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Profile: Joshua O'Mara, JD-MBA Class of 2002
On November 17, 2005 we had an opportunity to interview Joshua O'Mara. The following answers were paraphrased from the information Joshua provided during the interview.
Northwestern JD-MBA Graduation Year: 2002
Undergraduate School: University of Pennsylvania - Wharton
Current Employer: Goldman Sachs
Title: Vice President
Current Hometown: New York, NY
(AN = Alumni Newsletter, JO = Joshua O'Mara)
AN: Can you tell us a little bit about your past, where you grew up, what you did before the JD-MBA program at Northwestern and where you interned during your degree?
JO: I grew up in Wisconsin and completed my undergraduate degree in Finance at Wharton. In addition to Finance, I always had an interest in Asia and was able to get a concentration in Japanese studies to supplement my Finance degree. I also completed an intensive language program in Tokyo during my Junior year.
AN: What did you do after graduating from undergrad?
JO: I worked for AIG Trading, a division of AIG. I was a foreign exchange trader, and I concentrated mainly on Asian currencies. I spent five years trading Asian currencies in both the U.S. and Hong Kong, and two of those years were at the height of the Asian currency crisis.
AN: How did you decide to apply to the JD-MBA program at Northwestern? Were you looking for a career change?
JO: Yes and no. I knew I did not want to trade foreign currencies for the rest of my life, but I also knew that I wanted to remain in finance. My desire to pursue other opportunities in business combined with my personal interest in law led me to apply to the JD-MBA program at Northwestern. Although my career focus was business, I ultimately enjoyed NU Law classes as much if not more than some of my Kellogg classes.
AN: What did you think of your overall experience at Northwestern?
JO: I thought it was great. I had the benefit of being around for both the bubble and the market collapse and you could see the impact that these two events had on people’s perspectives on the business world and their career choices. It was a very interesting time to be in school.
AN: You currently work in investment banking at Goldman Sachs, a job that may not seem to have direct legal applications. Do you rely on your JD coursework in your current capacity?
JO: It’s difficult to say that I directly use my legal education on a daily basis, however, my law degree has helped me in a variety of ways. First, it may be a little easier for me, relative to my peers, to understand the many legal issues that come up within the context of a complex transaction. Indirectly, I also believe my legal education gives me a little more insight and confidence when I approach complex business transactions, and that may be the greatest impact. The subject matter that I studied in Law School does come up rather frequently, especially in the area of Securities Law.
AN: What do you do outside of work? Do you keep in contact with friends from your JD-MBA class?
JO: One of the key benefits of this program is having phenomenal friends and contacts in completely different industries. I keep in contact with many of the people I met at Northwestern both personally and professionally. Although my job means many late nights at work, I try and get out and enjoy all New York City has to offer. I also stay involved with Penn and Northwestern and look forward to lending all the support I can to the JD-MBA Alumni Association.
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