Jack O'Riley

THE ENGINEER & EXECUTIVE

Jack O’Riley is an industrial engineer by training and a business builder by experience. His career began on the manufacturing floor in central Illinois, where he worked in the valve, industrial products, and automotive industries. Over the next several decades, Jack held nearly every level of an organization, including plant manager, VP of manufacturing, VP of engineering and design, president, and eventually Chairman of the Board at both Fortune 100 and privately held companies.

Through these roles, Jack learned how businesses operate under extreme pressure—managing growth spurts, leadership transitions, and high-stakes decisions.

THE SCALE-UP SUCCESS

Jack’s perspective took a defining turn during the Internet boom, when he became president of an IT consulting firm serving the Fortune 500. Faced with the challenge of scaling a people-centric business, Jack and his partners refused to settle for symbolic ownership; they sought employees who genuinely thought and acted like owners.

Long before “open-book management” became a buzzword, Jack began sharing the unvarnished truth about the business—its financials, valuations, and performance. The results were transformative: the company grew from $6 million to more than $60 million in revenue over five years and expanded to 600 employee-owners nationwide. When Jack eventually encountered the Great Game of Business®, it wasn't a new discovery but a recognition of the instincts he and his partners had already put into practice.

THE COACH

After selling their company, Jack planned to retire. However, a single coaching request in 2008 sparked a second career. Today, he helps leaders translate theory into practice, turning financials into a shared language and culture into a competitive advantage.

What sets Jack apart is that he has sat on every side of the table: as an engineer, executive, owner, and board member. He understands skepticism because he has felt it, and he understands downturns because he has led through them. He operates on the belief that the Great Game is often most powerful when times are hardest, helping leaders build organizations where people understand why their actions matter.

OFF THE CLOCK

Jack and his wife, Sue, live in Indianapolis, where they are proud parents and grandparents. An avid reader and lifelong learner, Jack believes the ultimate goal of business is to build companies people want to commit to, grow within, and pass on.