Executive Director, SelectUSA
Senior Advisor to the Secretary
U.S. Department of Commerce

Steve Olson serves as the Executive Director of SelectUSA and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Commerce.  SelectUSA is the U.S. government-wide initiative to attract and retain business investment in the United States, established by Executive Order of the President and housed in the Commerce Department.  As Executive Director, Olson manages the strategy and implementation of SelectUSA as it works to create jobs, spur economic growth, and promote American competitiveness.  He also co-chairs, with the Director of the White House National Economic Council, the SelectUSA Interagency Investment Working Group to coordinate existing resources across the federal government to promote business investment and address federal regulatory barriers.   

Olson was a partner at O’Melveny & Myers, LLP in Los Angeles from 2004 to 2011, where he represented companies in domestic and international complex commercial litigation, civil and criminal government enforcement actions, and corporate compliance and governance matters.  Steve served as the firm’s Hiring Partner, member of the Partnership Admissions Committee, and firm Talent Development Partner, responsible for the hiring, training, performance reviews and compensation of the firm’s approximately 750 associates and counsel worldwide.

Olson served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Major Frauds Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California from 1999 to 2004.  He was an associate at Latham & Watkins, LLP and clerked for the Honorable Wm. Matthew Byrne, Jr., Chief Judge, Central District of California.

Olson has been active with educational and civic organizations throughout his career including serving on the board of the Stanford University Alumni Association, Kidspace Children’s Museum, Rose Bowl Legacy, Campaign Cabinet of the United Way for Greater Los Angeles, and a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy.

Olson has a B.A. with honors from Stanford University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan, where he was Contributing Editor for the Michigan Journal of International Law.