Spotlight On: The O’Brien Family Fellows

The O’Brien Family Fellowship is awarded to a Full-Time MBA Chicago Booth student each year. Applications are due and reviewed each year in April.

Jerry O’Brien, ’94, cofounder and CEO of O’Brien-Staley Partners, established the fellowship in 2008 because he wanted to ensure that financial pressures would not prevent students from choosing Booth. O’Brien makes a point to connect personally with each fellow and support them on their academic and professional journey.

“When I was considering where to pursue my MBA, I was blessed to have three good choices with three very different price tags, Chicago being the most expensive,” O’Brien says. “Fortunately, I saw past short-term economics for the more important long-term advantages—but I almost didn’t. I know that not everybody can do that. So, when we established the O’Brien Fellowship, we wanted to make Booth more affordable for truly talented people who might not qualify for more common need-based grants. In the process, we hoped to strengthen ties between Booth and the Minnesota region and, of course, to give back to the institution that played a significant role in my professional success. Fifteen years later, I am pleased with the success of the Fellowship, the Fellows, and the school.”

To learn more about the Fellowship and the impact it has, we asked former and current Fellows to share more about their Booth experience.

The Fellowship requires applicants to have personal, professional, or educational ties to Minnesota—what are yours?

Brad Johnson, ’10
Strategy Consultant, Kid A
I spent six years at General Mills after graduating from the University of Minnesota. Though I was born and raised near Milwaukee, Minnesota has felt like home since I was an undergraduate student.

Morgan Williams, ’15
CFO, Missouri Star
Many of my family members live in Minnesota, and I spent summers with them when I was younger. I really enjoyed canoeing in the boundary waters with my grandfather and look forward to continuing the tradition with my family.

Nick Balay, AB ’12, MBA ’19
Private Equity Investor, SAI Group
I’ve spent most of my personal and professional life in Minnesota, having finished both elementary and high school in the suburbs of Minneapolis and starting my early career at UnitedHealth Group after attending the University of Chicago for college. My wife is a born-and-bred Minnesotan, and virtually all of her immediate and extended family live within an hour of the Twin Cities. We currently live in the south suburbs of Minneapolis and became homeowners last year. My wife and I are very happy being based in Minnesota as we’re able to live in a beautiful place we love without sacrificing our career aspirations.

Eshaan Rao, PhD ’21 (Neurology and Neuroscience)
Full-Time MBA Student; Summer Associate, McKinsey & Company
I grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis called Golden Valley and attended the University of Minnesota for my undergraduate studies. Following undergrad, I also worked for a year as a chemist at a local contract manufacturing firm. Even after leaving Minnesota to begin my graduate studies here at University of Chicago, I always remained deeply attached to the state, and gave Delta a lot of business those first few years flying back nearly every other weekend. Minnesota will remain present in my future, as I plan to move back to begin my career following my time at Booth.

What impact did receiving the Fellowship have on your experience at Booth?

Anna Versen, ’22
Consultant, McKinsey & Company
Receiving this Fellowship had a significant impact on my Booth experience, and I was so grateful to have received it. After touring many different schools during the application process, I was certain that Booth was my top choice. However, I received several very competitive offers from other schools and almost ended up taking them because of financial reasons. Once I received the O’Brien Family Fellowship, I knew it would be possible for me to attend my dream school, and I was absolutely thrilled.

Nick Balay: Being an O’Brien Fellow meant that I had access to a wonderful mentorship network to help me as I navigated through my time at Booth. Jerry was a great source of wisdom and guidance as I faced difficult choices about my path forward, and he put me in contact with other resources in his wider professional network to help me understand what was going to be the right path for me personally. That advice and connections provided invaluable data points—Jerry goes the extra mile to “pay-it-forward” to the next generation of Boothies.  

Brad Johnson: It was an incredible honor to be selected for the O’Brien Family Fellowship. I arrived on campus near the height of the 2008 financial crisis and felt so fortunate to be able to focus on meeting and learning from an incredible class of peers and not immediately worry about my postgraduate employment.

Morgan Williams: It not only helped financially, but it allowed me more flexibility in career and class choices. It also motivated me to give back to our Booth community and broader Chicago community through various leadership roles and volunteer service.

What were some of your greatest experiences as a Booth student?

Hayley Opperman, ’21
Associate Brand Manager, Beam Suntory
I went into business school thinking I wanted to do consulting—I had no idea I wanted to go into marketing until orientation at Booth. While attending Booth, I realized a lot of CPG companies are based in Minnesota, so I joined the Marketing Club and led the first Marketing Trek to Minnesota, where we visited 3M, Ecolab, and Land O’Lakes.

Nick Balay: I served as a co-chair of the Management Consulting Group where I focused on preparing and helping my classmates secure jobs in the consulting industry. While it was a really challenging and time-intensive role, it was really important for me to “pay-it-forward” to the next class given all of the help and coaching I had received when I was a first year.

From a less professional perspective, I was the lead guitarist and arranger for our MBA rock band, Ida Noise. During my second year, we were the first ever Booth band to beat Kellogg at the MBA Battle of the Bands. I’ll never forget stepping out onto the stage of the Vic Theater and rocking out in front of a cheering and moshing group of 1,500 Booth and Kellogg students.  

Brad Johnson: All these years later, the LEAD experience is what stands out. Being challenged to better understand myself while building relationships within my cohort and squad was a great way to start, and serving as a LEAD facilitator to make that happen for the next year’s class was life-changing. I was able to make an impact on the school community that would not have been possible without the O’Brien Family Fellowship.

Anna Versen: The best of my Booth experience was getting to know my amazing classmates. Some of the best ways to do this was through group travel. This past year, I led a Random Walk to Iceland, went on the annual Booth ski trip to Telluride, and did the 2Y spring break trip to Israel. Other top experiences for me include taking some of my favorite classes (Negotiations, Commercializing Innovation, and Business, Politics, and Ethics to name a few!), leading an MCG recruiting family, and being a part of the many amazing Booth clubs such as Chicago Women in Business, Epicurean Club, Wine Club, and Yoga Club.

What has your career path been like post-graduation/what are you planning to pursue?

Hayley Opperman: I currently work as an associate brand manager on a tequila brand at Beam Suntory. Before coming to Booth, I was working in corporate strategy for financial services. You never know if you’ll like something until you try it. I recommend current students to keep an open mind to other industries and to learn as much as you can from networking and classes.

Eshaan Rao: Following graduation, I hope to move back to Minneapolis to begin my career as a management consultant. Long term, I hope to eventually start or run an early-stage biotechnology company, where I would be able to utilize both my technical science training and my Booth knowledge to successfully develop and commercialize novel therapeutics in the areas of neuroscience, neurodegeneration, and mental health.

Morgan Williams: After graduating from Booth in 2015, I joined Fidelity Investments in an internal strategy/consulting role and then transitioned to be CFO of Missouri Star, a late-stage startup based in the Midwest. These roles have taken me to unexpected places, but I've appreciated the opportunity to learn and grow with them.

Congratulations to the 2022 winners, Ben Kurschner (pictured above) and Will Hersman, who will continue the 15-year tradition of the O’Brien Family Fellowship at Booth. To learn more about the O’Brien Family Fellowship, please email admissions@chicagobooth.edu.