Marty Ozinga is CEO of Ozinga, a 96-year-old family enterprise located in the Chicagoland area that provides bulk materials and diverse concrete solutions. Ozinga talked with Chicago Booth about his experience in the school's Private Wealth Management Program, why he decided to enroll, and what lessons he’s applying at work.
What led you to enroll in the Chicago Booth Private Wealth Management Program?
The business school’s reputation precedes itself—the high quality education. It was my first experience with a Booth program. I've seen many programs advertised over the years and have always thought to attend one, because I like continuing education for myself.
The attraction at that stage was that we were forming a family office at our enterprise, and the program seemed very relevant to where we were at as an organization. I also live in the little Italy area, close to the school’s Gleacher Center downtown, so it was quite convenient for me logistically. I could go home every night.
What were your expectations before joining the program?
I was looking for a collegial atmosphere with peer learning and good, professional teaching and
curriculum. I was looking to be enriched and to be able to contribute. All of these objectives were met at the sessions I attended.
What were some highlights of your experience?
Instructor Stuart Lucas did a great job. He created a wonderful atmosphere and a good culture in the classroom. He was very genuine, with relevant life experience of his own. Steven Kaplan’s insights on venture capital were also very interesting.
The most impactful thing I learned was the holistic frame of a family enterprise and family wealth. It was helpful for me to see how you could look at an enterprise holistically. The virtuous cycle versus vicious cycle concept also really stood out. I left with a full binder of great education tools that I will be able to reference. I've already shared helpful materials and frameworks with some key people in the family enterprise.
How did the program help you build professional relationships and expand your network?
Based on the structure of the program, I was able to connect meaningfully with both the professors and my fellow participants. I even ran into one of my classmates at a conference, and it was nice to have that connection. I am confident that the relationships I built are healthy enough that if I needed to reach out to someone from the Booth community, I know I would hear back from them.