Oliver had been senior vice president – Human Resources for Ameritech Corporation, a $17 billion telecommunications company based in Chicago, Illinois, since 1994. Oliver began his career in 1973 at Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corp. in Oakland, California. In 1980, he went to Hoover Universal, Inc., in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was vice president – Human Resources. In 1985, Hoover was acquired by Johnson Controls, Inc., a $6.3 billion manufacturer of industrial products. Oliver served in a series of increasingly responsible positions at Johnson, including vice president – Organizational Development in 1986; vice president - Administration from 1986 until 1989; and corporate vice president – Human Resources from 1989 until 1994.