Alumni Profile: Hook ’Em Makes It Big

Jacqueline O’Reilly, BBA ’05, becomes vice president of marketing at la Madeleine.

In a career that began with a college job as UT’s iconic Longhorn mascot Hook ’Em, Jacqueline O’Reilly was named vice president of marketing for the Fort Worth-headquartered national restaurant chain la Madeleine in October.

In her new position, O’Reilly says she plans to expand la Madeleine’s presence by focusing on customer experience and service.

“I wanted to be part of a la Madeleine generation that really connects with guests,” O’Reilly says. “Our brand holds a unique position in the market, and is poised for significant growth. I’m committed to improving brand relevancy and convenience, creating connections with larger audiences and younger generations.”

O’Reilly is the first to say her career got off to a quirky start: After her stint as the UT mascot, her first job out of college was as a spokesperson, or “hotdogger,” driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

“It was a natural progression from the Hook ’Em gig,” she says, with a laugh.

After that, she worked for 12 years as an account supervisor for TracyLocke Advertising, focusing on national brands such as Pizza Hut and Sonic.

O’Reilly says her business honors education at McCombs gave her a foundation of financial knowledge that has been indispensable in her advertising career.

“It’s important as a marketer that I constantly think beyond the next great campaign, and consider all sides and implications to the business: ‘How does this impact operations? How does it impact margins, the bottom line?’” O’Reilly says. “I channel all of that in my day-to-day work, how I lead my team, and how we develop our marketing strategies.”

O’Reilly says it may seem unusual for a marketer to take this big-picture kind of approach. “But it just comes naturally after the kind of education I got at McCombs. Plus, I think I’m just a little unorthodox in general.”

—London Gibson

This article appeared in the spring 2019 issue of McCombs magazine. Click on the link to see the full issue.