<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1109988332988077&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Skip to content

Meredith O'Connor

International Director, Co-Chairman of Headquarters Practice Group, JLL

Meredith O'Connor is an International Director and member of JLL Executive Committee. Meredith provides expertise through a diverse array of experience in tenant representation, business and economic incentives, zoning and land use, acquisitions and dispositions, strategic consulting, financial analysis and developing services. Meredith also serves as the client relationship manager for Aon Corporation's global portfolio.

Currently, Meredith represents the Barack Obama Foundation for the site selection of President Obama's Presidential Library. She also represents ConAgra Foods on the relocation of their Global Headquarters from Omaha to Chicago where more than 1,000 employees will occupy approximately 175,000 sf in the Merchandise Mart. Recently, Meredith represented Toyota on the relocation of their North American headquarters from Torrance, California to Plano, Texas (7,000 jobs and 2.1M sf build-to-suit); Mercedes Benz USA on the relocation of their North American headquarters from New Jersey to Georgia (1000 jobs and $35M incentives package); and Zurich N.A. on a 700,000 sf build-to-suit, $100M incentives package, in Schaumburg, Illinois. 

Meredith served on the founding teams of 1871 and MATTER, two digital startup communities located in the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago. She also served on the founding team for the development of UI Labs on Goose Island, a center that solves large-scale industrial challenges by forming consortia of university, industry and civic partners who innovate and commercialize new technology solutions. Most recently, Meredith lead the search for Chicago's first innovation center for physical product development and manufacturing, mHUB. 

Prior to joining JLL, Meredith was the Managing Director at World Business Chicago (WBC), where she led the targeting and management of corporate relocation and expansion projects for domestic and globally based companies. Meredith led business development for the region's technology landscape, and served as a principal public/private liaison for corporate technology & entrepreneurial tech leadership. WBC is a public-private economic development corporation chaired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel and comprised of over 50 top executives from many of Chicago's leading companies. During Meredith's tenure, WBC was repeatedly recognized and awarded as one of the top international organizations in its field. Meredith led notable relocations of headquarters for major operations for Boeing, NAVTEQ/Nokia, CDW, CareerBuilder, Motorola Mobility/Google, United Airlines, Wrigley, PepsiCo, GATX and RR Donnelly.

In addition, Meredith spent more than 10 years as Deputy Commissioner with the City of Chicago where she founded a new unit in the Department of Planning and Development (DPD) to advocate for science and technology-based economic development. Meredith authored changes to the Chicago Building Code to allow for compliance of new technologies. Notable successes include the redevelopment of 600 West Chicago, Lakeside Technology Center, and the redevelopment of several areas through the use of Tax Increment Financing. She also held several other City positions, including Assistant to Mayor Richard M. Daley and was appointed as the youngest-ever Assistant Sergeant At Arms for the Chicago City Council. Meredith also serves on more than a dozen local associations and charities.