John Olander
Chief Operating OfficerStrategic Initiatives
With a balanced focus on innovation, company growth and career opportunities, John Olander is opening doors for employee-owners and solidifying a future with no bounds for Burns & McDonnell.
John is a major player in our ongoing growth into a multinational engineering and construction firm, positioning us for development and success. Wearing many hats, he leads our largest and most diverse business unit — Transmission & Distribution (T&D) — and serves as chief operating officer and on our board of directors. He’s spent most of his career here — starting as an electrical engineer, working his way through project management, then into general management. Under his leadership, our T&D group has experienced explosive growth and supports the largest utilities in the U.S. and around the world. As the first COO in the firm’s history, John creates consistent, efficient processes and builds best practices to guide employee-owners.
In the community:
John supports organizations including:
- Mid America Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, board member
- University of Kansas Edwards Campus, board of advisors
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I was a jazz trombonist throughout high school and college and my first visit to Kansas City, where I now live, was for a jazz band competition.
What excites you most when you look at the future of infrastructure and the power industry?
We are at a pivot point — most of the infrastructure originally constructed has reached or exceeded its useful life. Rebuilding or replacing it will be an incredible challenge not because of the infrastructure itself, but because of everything that has grown around, above and below it.
How do you and your team make the world a better place?
With our strong national and growing international presence, we are actively supporting major utilities as they approach and pursue their decarbonization journeys.