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Profile: Jeffrey Olian, JD-MBA Class of 1981
Northwestern JD-MBA Graduation Year: 1981
Undergraduate School: Duke University
Current Employer: Joseph Freed and Associates
Title: Chief Administrative Officer
Current Hometown: Chicago, IL. Lives in Bucktown.
Family: He and his wife Julie just celebrated their 27th anniversary. They have 2 kids, Jared (22) and Mallory (18).
AN: Can you tell us a little bit about your past, where you grew up and what you did before the JD-MBA program at Northwestern?
JO: I grew up in Skokie, IL and attended Niles North High School. I went to Duke for undergrad with the intention of becoming a doctor and I started the pre-med program. I quickly learned that I liked neither blood nor hospitals, so I switched my major to Management Sciences/Accounting. After college, I went straight into the JD-MBA (JD/MM at that time) program at Northwestern.
AN: What are your interests or hobbies outside of work?
JO: Golf as a participant and all sports as a spectator. I am a die-hard Cubs, Bulls and Bears fan (even when I was in San Diego). It has also been great to watch Duke’s basketball success since I graduated.
AN: Tell us a little about the JD-MBA program as it was when you were here at Northwestern. What were the biggest challenges you faced being in the program?
JO: The program was 4 years long and there were about 14 people who started in the program when I did. You had the option to start at either of the two schools. I spent the first year at business school, the second year at law school and the third and fourth at both schools. The dual degree was not too hard to manage if you juggled your tougher classes at one school with a slightly easier schedule at the other. However, scheduling was a bit of a complication because the business school was in Evanston and the law school was downtown. I used the business school’s night program at the downtown campus whenever possible. Unfortunately, this meant that I took classes that weren’t necessarily my first choice. Another issue was that I never really had a “class” because the people I started with in business school graduated while I was at the law school. Being an Austin Scholar along with 5 or 6 other JD-MBAs who were on the same schedule made it a little easier and gave me some people with whom I shared similar experiences.
AN: Did you practice law after school?
JO: After graduation, I was lucky enough to go to McDonald’s Corp. and took a job with their legal department. I worked there for five years focusing on the business affairs group that combined purchasing, marketing and legal. This included sports marketing and I got to work on endorsement contracts for Michael Jordan, Jimmy Connors, Refrigerator Perry and sponsorship agreements for the World Gymnastic Championships and US Swimming and Diving. I was then recruited to be general counsel for LaSalle Partners (now Jones Lang LaSalle), a Chicago-based real estate services company. I was the first in-house attorney and started the legal department. After 10 years later the company had grown into a large institution and I felt like I was getting further away from making deals which was what I truly enjoyed, so I changed jobs to something more business-oriented.
AN: How was the transition into the business environment?
JO: I got a job in San Diego, CA at an intellectual property licensing firm. Although my title was General Counsel, I was very much involved on the business side and served as Chief of Staff to the CEO/Founder. In addition to managing the legal function, I worked on licensing sales, marketing and was the relationship manager for several key clients. I enjoyed the transition back into business. After eight years there, I was presented with the opportunity to start my own company. For two years, I did similar intellectual property licensing work with a variety of clients, including a children’s animated TV show.
AN: Tell us a little about your day-to-day routine at Joseph Freed and Associates?
JO: Joseph Freed and Associates is a real estate development company in Palatine, IL, which I joined in January, 2006 as the Chief Administrative Officer. As CAO, I’m responsible for the day to day operations of the firm, including management of the human resources, marketing, information technology, and office administration departments. I am also involved on the development side of the business. I am really enjoying the company, the work, and being back in Chicago.
AN: Can you tell us how the JD-MBA degree has benefited you in your career, and do you feel it differentiates you from your peers?
JO: The greatest benefit of the program is that it teaches you how to conceptualize solutions to a wide variety of business and legal problems from two different perspectives. Although I was in corporate legal departments for most of my career, I have always thought of myself as a businessman who happens to have legal training. That is why I’ve sought out positions that allow me to be involved in legal and business issues. I have also benefited from the credentials that the dual degree represents. The degrees have opened a lot of doors for me and I found three jobs that I have really enjoyed and this fourth opportunity that seems like it may be the best of them all. The other advantage offered by the dual degrees from Northwestern, other than the educational background, is the presumption by prospective employers that you can do what you say you can do which leads to opportunities to do what you want to do.
AN: Are you able to keep in regular contact with your classmates from the JD-MBA program?
JO: Not as much as I would like. There are about four people that I am in contact with once or twice a year. I am hoping that now that I am back in Chicago, I will be able to reconnect with some of my classmates. If any of them see this article, they can contact me at jolian@jfreed.com.
AN: Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?
JO: I hope and fully expect that my position at Joseph Freed will be the last job that I ever have.
AN: Do you have any parting advice for current students?
JO: The key is not to lock yourself into one track or another too early in your career. I recommend going the in-house legal route first because that will give you exposure to both the legal and business sides of a company. This approach offers a great opportunity to use all of the skills you’ve gained from the joint degree program. You’ll never know whether law or business is a better fit for you until you have had the chance to try both. Once you’ve gained some experience, you can better assess which path to follow or maybe you can be lucky enough to find a career that lets you continue to do both. Also, continue to hone those writing skills learned in law school and apply them to whatever position you find. Writing well is something that can really help separate you from others in the workplace. It provides a great point of entry to senior management who will always be looking for someone who can craft a clear and concise letter, memorandum, presentation or other written communication.
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