From Weatherford College
Expensive suits, plush offices and a fancy desk are the norm for a career in corporate finance, but for Jordan McGregor, it also includes casual clothes, large concert venues and great live performances.
McGregor, originally from Decatur, attended Weatherford College Wise County in 2007 and 2008, and completed his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance at the University of North Texas. He then defied the Longhorn and Aggie tradition of his family and went to the University of Oklahoma to complete his MBA.
“I wanted to go out of state for the experience and decided to be the black sheep of the family,” he said with a laugh.
He was also drawn to the Oklahoma program because of its small size and scholarship opportunities. While working on his master’s degree, McGregor was selected for the Dunham Scholarship. The scholarship sent him to London for a summer to learn corporate finance while interning with Live Nation, a live events company headquartered in Los Angeles which owns Ticketmaster and House of Blues.
“Due to this experience, I was able to land a full-time job in London and also meet a beautiful British ballerina who is now my wife,” McGregor said. “I didn’t plan on leaving the United States, but after the experience, and for what I do in music and entertainment, there isn’t a better place.”
For the past three-and-a-half years, McGregor has worked for AEG Live, also a global, live event company headquartered in California.
Whereas Americans spend more of their entertainment dollars on sports, in England they funnel that money into concerts, McGregor said.
“You have an opportunity where a band may sell the American Airlines Center in Dallas, but they have multiple sell-out dates in England (at each venue),” he said.
As the management accountant, McGregor pays the artist half of the contracted amount upfront, attends each show to make sure the talent fulfills their contract, and pays the remaining amount to the performer’s manager or agent at the conclusion of the event.
“I still have to do all of the boring stuff, I do the taxes and month’s end financial statements, but I also get to go to all the shows,” he said. “It’s a unique opportunity for someone working in finance.”
He said the best show he’s seen as part of his job was a Rolling Stones concert that sold out Hyde Park for two nights.
“It was a beautiful day, warm summer day, uncommon in England,” McGregor said. “The hype was really big for those two shows. Having the Rolling Stones on a nice summer night was special. It was the biggest show I’ve been a part of.”
As much as he enjoys attending shows, McGregor’s plans are to move into an executive role on the corporate side of the company which might bring him back the United States since most of those roles are in Los Angeles. Until then, he’s enjoying London and the ease it affords him to travel around Europe.
McGregor said his career and current lifestyle would not have been possible without Weatherford College.
“I would not have been able to afford my master’s degree without the money I saved by beginning my education at WC,” McGregor said. “And without my graduate degree, I would not have my current job or be able to live and work in London.”
McGregor said his instructors at WC Wise County were passionate and professional.
“WC made me feel like I was a part of a large family,” he said. “The instructors and administration actually knew my name and took an active interest in helping me reach my educational goals.”
One of his favorite teachers was government instructor Michael Mask.
“He seemed to have the entire US Constitution and other important government documents entirely memorized and would act out elaborate scenes, which was very entertaining and educational,” McGregor recalled. “If I could, I would take his class again just for the fun of it.”
Now his siblings are enjoying access to the same education.
“WC has been good to us,” he said.
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