09/08/2026
In 1871, Chicago was burning.
As the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city, several men rushed to save the land records documenting the ownership of Chicago. Those books were carried to safety and buried in the sand along Lake Michigan to protect them from the flames.
They survived. Those documents became the foundation of a new company, Chicago Title.
Today, more than 150 years later, Brian Olenik, our SVP/ County Manager, had the extraordinary privilege of standing in our home office in Chicago and was given the opportunity to hold some of those original books in his hands.
As someone who now has the privilege of leading Chicago Title, it was a humbling, full-circle moment.
Companies can talk about legacy. Very few can actually put that legacy in your hands.
Leadership is stewardship. We inherit what others built, and for a time, we are entrusted with making it stronger for those who come next.
