Jeffrey Breckenridge O’Neill (Breck)

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

“I don’t think anybody can summarize themselves in 15 words. Let’s get drinks instead.”

Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve spent the last eight years in the wine business and have never made a bottle of wine.

Undergraduate School and Major: Lehigh University, International Relations

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: O’Neill Vintners / Robert Hall Winery – Managing Director

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Two: Changing the culture at Robert Hall and defeating a unionization effort at our parent company.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full‐ time MBA and why was it so important to you? I chose this program to gain and expand my general business knowledge so I can be a greater asset to my family’s company when I return in two years.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? A need to improve my finance and accounting background so I can advance in my family’s company.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Somebody else was paying for it.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? SMU, Pepperdine, USC

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I prioritized the size of the class, the reputation of the institution overall (not just based on academics), student interviews, and discussions with my MBA counselor. ND fits my career goals because I intend to rejoin my family business in two years Mendoza is able to offer an extremely broad level of curriculum.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I don’t have a defining moment. I have a collection of experiences, some good, some not, that have contributed to who I am. Anybody that lets one event define them probably needs to go out and experience a few more moments.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Continue working in my family’s wine company in our case goods sales division, luxury wine portfolio and explore initiating a hospitality portfolio.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Advancing in my company and expanding on the responsibilities listed above.