About Olivia McDonnell

Olivia is an MBA candidate at University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business where she is concentrating in the Business of Entertainment and was a 2020 Women in Toys, Licensing, and Entertainment Foundation scholarship recipient. Prior to moving to Los Angeles in 2019, she was a Media and Entertainment Commercial Banker at J.P. Morgan covering a national portfolio of clients ranging across content production and distribution, including recorded music, performance rights organizations, independent record labels, talent management, concert promotion, and live entertainment. She began her career at J.P. Morgan in 2011. From 2013 to 2016, she was the Global Co-Chair of the NextGen business resource group, a 35,000-member organization that focuses on Gen Y and Gen Z consumers and employees. In 2020, Olivia started her own music business consulting practice where she advises music companies on financing including raising investment rounds, and how to capitalize on or reduce exposure to industry trends. Her most recent project is developing the business administration curriculum for Icon Collective, a music school in Burbank, CA. A native of Philadelphia, Olivia spent six years after college living in New York City where she was active on multiple philanthropic boards. She graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration concentrating in International Business from Drexel University in 2013.

Work experience

  • Sony Music Entertainment
  • 2021
  • MBA Associate

Olivia's Skills

Business
  • Finance
  • Project Manager

Olivia's Genres

  • No Genres Entered

Olivia's Experience

As a Media and Entertainment Banker, it is Olivia’s mission to advise CEO/CFOs of music companies how to best position themselves for the future by capitalizing on or reducing exposure to industry trends. This includes keeping up to date with technology, consumer demand trends, employee retention and development, and managing their balance sheet to match their strategic priorities. She covers a national portfolio of clients ranging across content production/distribution, including recorded music, performance rights organizations, independent record labels, talent management, concert promotion, and live entertainment. As of the Global Co-Chair of NextGen, it is Olivia’s job to “bring cool to the bank” by providing strategic insights into Millennials and Gen Z consumers and employees. This includes employee recruitment/retention and product development.