Q&A with BIAOC Treasurer Megan Eltringham

As Corporate Vice President of Sales & Marketing for one of the most respected builders in the industry, Megan Eltringham has been influenced by some of the best, and is now giving back by seizing opportunities to do the same for others – including taking time from her busy schedule to talk to Southern California Builder.

Southern California Builder: How did you come to work in the homebuilding industry?

Megan Eltringham: I attended Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, double majoring in Political Science and Sociology/Pre-Law with aspirations of going into the FBI. I came back to California and worked on local political campaigns as I got my Masters. The most high-profile campaign I was involved with was for Peter Ueberroth, who was running for governor. He pulled out of the race as Arnold Schwarzenegger gained momentum, but he liked what he saw and hired me on the spot to work for his venture capital firm. So, at a very young age I was exposed to the most incredible things. The President of the United States was calling him for advisement; he’s part of the partnership that owns Pebble Beach along with some partners, including Clint Eastwood, so we travelled there often; he was appointed US Olympic Committee chairman and we traveled to Greece for the Olympic games; he is very close friends with Don Bren of the Irvine Company, so we had meetings there – so there I was, very young, being exposed to these high net worth individuals who were very influential in the world and leaders in their fields.

Peter and I talked about what might be next for me because we both realized I wasn’t going to be a personal assistant for the rest of my career. His philosophy is very much like The Nordstrom Way where you start from the ground floor and move your way up. In other words, you’re not going to climb to the level of vice president just because you know someone. He opened doors to different real estate opportunities, which brought me to a position at John Laing Homes. I worked for some incredible people there, then very quickly moved over to John Laing Luxury and worked for my first mentor, Tom Redwitz. We were purchased by Emaar, a Dubai-based company, and had a lot of interaction with my second mentor, Joan Webb, who could see the potential in me and helped me get on the path to where I am today.

SCB: Did your mentors prepare you for that day when Laing Luxury was closed down and you were out of a job?

ME: Yes, absolutely. I talked to Tom quite a bit at the time, and he said not to worry, stay in touch, we’ll work together again. This really helped to keep me anchored, and sure enough he was true to his word, because as soon as The New Home Company was formed, he called to tell me they were getting the band back together, and I was their first hire, which made me feel very honored.

As a start-up, I got to sink my teeth into every aspect of the business, and I quickly settled into a marketing role, working with Joan. I had my first baby just as we went public in 2014, and was still working even on the day I delivered, texting back and forth with Joan about changing our website URL to the new ticker symbol. Then, in 2016, I had my second child and was promoted to vice president. I feel so blessed by the people in my career who have worked with me and really taken me under their wing. I’m aware of the opportunities I’ve been exposed to, but I’m also proud of what I did with it and to know that my strong worth ethic has been proved out.