Olandreia Walton Transforms Buildings to Transform Lives

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Olandreia Walton was good at her accounting job. She understood the ins and outs and had the degree. But unlike her mother and sister, who both worked at the same company in facilities roles, she lacked passion for her work.

“I would always hear them talk about things at the table, and they would laugh and joke around. They were both passionate about what they were doing,” Walton recalls. One day, her mother asked if she was happy with her job. Walton’s honest answer was no.

She and her mother discussed her interests and Walton suggested, “Hey, maybe I could walk in your shoes and see what this whole real estate and facilities thing is about.” Her mother promptly arranged for a trial session. Walton’s manager was supportive.

“I walked in their shoes,” Walton says. “I traveled behind them, learning, speaking with engineers, electricians, and carpenters, and working with them on some smaller projects. I said to myself, ‘You know what? I think I get this.’”

Another realization led her to put in a transfer to facilities. “We have the ability to transform,” she says. Facilities employees can create environments where associates feel comfortable enough to pursue their passions, she explains, which is what she sought for a long time. “It is with a great sense of pride that I continue this legacy.”

Her new path was set, and happiness followed closely behind.

Safe and Sound

Walton, now director of real estate and facilities for Cboe Global Markets, says safety is an important part of her role. She got a crash course early on while working as a facilities manager at a bank.

An incident occurred there when the wind from dually running generators came together, bringing fumes into the building and sending a number of employees to the ER. “I realized the impact that facilities, building operations, had on associates’ daily lives,” Walton recalls. “I’m sure those associates don’t know anything about a generator and how this could have possibly happened. That furthered my interest in critical equipment.”

She explored how to ensure safety within facilities as she moved through several other companies before landing at Cboe. “My direct responsibility is to our associates. I am responsible for safety,” she says. “I am responsible for making sure our lights get cut on, that it’s a comfortable situation, that our sites are upkept, that they all look the same.”

Walton also supports events teams, board meetings, senior leadership meetings, and helping Cboe expand its global presence with beautifully consistent offices worldwide.

When asked to describe the remodeled downtown Chicago office, the director lights up. “It’s updated, bright, airy, and such a comfortable area. We have soft seating where you can go and meet with your team around a couch and a couple of tables, or you can go into a formal conference room,” she says. “It provides all kinds of uniqueness for whatever you as the associates need.”

Every seat is designed to be a workspace option, from the rooftop to the executive floor and down to the café, where employees can grab their favorite coffees and smoothies.

Walton’s team is currently working on an office relocation known as the New Kansas City Project. The old site is prone to floods, burst pipes, and even a couple car crashes into the building. “The office had a bad mojo,” she says.

“I am responsible for safety. I am responsible for making sure our lights get cut on, that it’s a comfortable situation, that our sites are upkept, that they all look the same.”

Olandreia Walton

The new site in Overland Park, which opens next June, will resemble the Chicago office. In addition to similar amenities, the Kansas location will offer cozy phone booths for comfortable conversations. It’s a new opportunity to infuse Cboe’s office with the positive energy that Walton radiates.

What She’s Always Wanted

It’s no surprise that Walton, a bowler and volleyball player with a passion for educating others, describes herself as a coach.

“I allow [my team] to be expressive. I want them to share their opinions because the feedback is a gift,” she says. “When you’re open to listening to that feedback, it makes things overwhelmingly productive.”

Many of her team members are young and early in their careers, and she aims to help them find their passions just as she did.

Walton understands that everything she knows—from financial expertise to managing critical systems for safety to designing an office employees can thrive in—was necessary for her journey. “I get to do a little bit of everything, which is exactly what I was looking for some thirty years ago,” she says.

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Interview by Noah Johnson

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