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A conversation between Michelle J. Anderson and Aaron K. Olson on the power of disruption to create opportunities for innovation. Discover how leadership, insightful decision-making, and a proactive mindset can turn upheaval into opportunity, while exploring the critical role academia plays in shaping resilient careers and future-ready organizations.
September 30, 2025 Aon, New York, NY
Aon Executive Vice President Aaron K. Olson engaged in conversation with Brooklyn College President Michelle J. Anderson, with a guest introduction by Christine Williams, Aon Northeast Regional Leader. Olson and Anderson discussed topics from Olson’s book Strategy and Change: Finding Opportunity in Disruption Through Insight, Choice, and Risk. Together, they explored the vital role of academic and industry partnerships, examined lessons learned from the past decade of disruptive change, and discussed strategies for organizations and individuals to adapt and thrive.
Aaron K. Olson is the executive vice president of Aon. He was the Koppelman School of Business Fall 2022 executive-in-residence, a position he inaugurated with a conversation on leadership and trends in the insurance industry. Throughout the semester, he held weekly office hours for students and faculty, serving as a mentor and consultant. Olson delivered guest lectures in Koppelman’s strategic management and leadership classes and hosted a high-level industry executive on current issues in corporate management at the end of the semester.
Olson has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of leadership, strategy, and human capital. At Aon, he is responsible for developing new client capabilities, linking solution lines and regional growth priorities to facilitate delivery to clients.
Prior to his current role, Olson was the chief operating officer of the Aon Operating Committee, where he was responsible for shaping the business agenda of the firm’s senior leadership team and ensuring the success of key strategic initiatives. From 2012 to 2019, he served as head of human resources for Aon Hewitt and as Aon’s chief talent officer. During that time, his team led the implementation of Aon’s innovative apprenticeship program and its succession planning and leadership development processes.
Beyond Aon, Olson has worked with a wide range of organizations on leadership and human capital strategy, including consulting engagements with top companies such as Apple, GE, VF Corporation, and Merck. He also lectured for more than a decade at leading universities, including Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, and wrote the book Leading with Strategic Thinking in 2015.
Olson’s engagement builds on a partnership forged with Aon in 2022 to educate students on risk management through guest lectures, internships, and an Aon/Spencer Educational Foundation Course Development Grant that supports students through their academic journey.
