James O'Connor Jr., J.D. — Managing Director and Global Head of Venture Capital Coverage at William Blair

Mr. James J. O'Connor, Jr., J.D., also known as Jim, has been Managing Director and Global Head of Venture Capital Coverage at William Blair & Company, L.L.C. since March 2015. Mr. O'Connor focuses on extending William Blair 's advisory services among venture capital firms, corporate venture groups and entrepreneurial hubs in domestic and international markets. He serves as Member of Advisory Board, and was previously the Managing Director and Member of Investment, Portfolio Support and Operations Management at The Tokarz Group Advisers LLC. He served as an Interim Chief Executive Officer of Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC) since June 2013. He served as an Interim Chief Executive Officer at 1871 from June 2013 to November 23, 2013. He served as a Managing Director and Managing Director of Chicago and Member of Investment Team, Portfolio Support and Operations Management at MVC Capital, Inc. He is a Senior Investment Professional with over a decade of private equity and venture capital experience. Mr. O'Connor held senior management positions within Motorola, Inc. He served as Corporate Vice President of Intellectual Property Incubation and Commercialization at Motorola Solutions, Inc. (alternative name Motorola Inc.). He was a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Motorola Ventures, where he led numerous global transactions. In his most recent role, he led Motorola's Technology Acceleration Program, where he worked closely with a global team of technologists, to prioritize technology programs, create value from intellectual property and guide creative research from innovation through early-stage commercialization. In his most recent role, he also led Motorola's Innovation Program, where he built several high growth businesses for the corporation. Before Motorola, he worked for A.T. Kearney as a Management Consultant and the United States Treasury Department in the areas of Domestic and International Finance as a White House Fellow. Additionally, he held roles at Ariel Capital Management and Sidley & Austin. He served as a Co-Chairman of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC). He serves as a Board Member of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Chicago Urban League and serves as a Trustee on the Board of the Field Museum of National History. He serves as a Director of Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center. Mr. O'Connor is a Henry Crown Leadership Fellow of the Aspen Institute. In 2006, he was named to the American Ventures Magazine (AVM) 40 UNDER 40list. He is a Senior Investment Professional with over a decade of private equity and venture capital experience. Mr. O'Connor holds J.D. and a B.A. in Government from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from the Northwestern University J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.