Andrew Polland

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

You are responsible for your own career. Lean on your managers and mentors for guidance and help along the way, but ultimately, remember that you are always going to be the person most interested in your own professional development. And that is not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that you should not be passive, but rather, need to take ownership of your own career trajectory if you want to meet your goals. 

On that point, I would add that a career is not often a straight line. In my case, I could never have gone from a litigation attorney at a law firm to chief operating officer of Blue Owl from one day to the next. My roles, along with my responsibilities, have evolved over time – and, of course, life happens along the way that can shape and inform your path.

What qualities do you look for in a new joiner on your team?

The only way my team is effective is through partnering with colleagues across the firm. With that in mind, partnership and collaboration are the most important traits. If a person is team-oriented, low-ego, and ambitious, they will thrive.

You’ve been on the Blue Owl journey for a while now. How has the role of Chief Operating Officer evolved as the firm continues to grow?

As the firm continues to grow, the COO role has both expanded and narrowed. I know that may sound contradictory but let me explain. On the expansion – we are doing things today that were not even on our radar day one. Looking ahead, I would expect that expansion to new functions, teams, and initiatives to continue. On the other hand, as we have matured and scaled, there are a host of items that our team stood up that are now owned by colleagues in other parts of the organization. Subject matter experts and dedicated resources are now onboard, helping to bring their focused expertise to a number of disciplines.

Where are we going next in terms of office locations?

We are excited to be expanding in a few cities – we just opened a new office in San Francisco and are establishing our presence locally in each of Milan, Miami, and Zurich. Opening a new office takes collaboration from many across the organization – thanks in advance to all involved in enabling us to become Blue Owl in more places.  

Throughout your time at Blue Owl, tell us about one project that was transformative or stands out to you?

In 2022, we officially became one Blue Owl, shedding the nomenclature from our legacy businesses. This was a really exciting moment for the firm and the culmination of work from so many across the organization. It was also important for our clients and other stakeholders to truly understand who we are and where we are going as a unified firm and brand. It was a lot of work, but extremely energizing and absolutely the right decision for our business overall.

What’s one thing about you that would surprise people?

I’m a pretty good cook! My signature dish is BBQ ribs, closely followed by my white turkey chili.