Olsberg has worked in the screen industries for 25 years. He started out in New York as an international sales agent, handling titles such as My Beautiful Launderette, before distributing specialised films in the U.S. from directors like Godard, Verhoeven, Greenaway and Paul Cox. In 1989 Jonathan returned to London as Managing Director of international distributor and sales agent Glinwood Films (The Last Emperor).

He founded SPI in 1992 and his work at the company has ranged across all areas of the its expertise. This has recently involved valuing the Handmade Films library; an assessment of the UK's film and television sales agency sector; advising a television production company in preparing for sale; advising an entrepreneur planning to set up a independent film investment fund; advising the Australian Film Commission on restructuring its producer support fund, and recommending a slate of policy initiatives to the Hong Kong government aimed at reinvigorating its film sector. Olsberg is also a producer with his UK company, Dakota Films, whose latest production was Fade to Black, written by John Sayles, directed by Oliver Parker and starring Danny Huston. Among other production credits are Fateless (2006) by Hungarian director Lajos Koltai; John Duigan’s Head in the Clouds (2004), starring Charlize Theron and Penelope Cruz; Sandra Goldbacher’s Me Without You (2002) starring Anna Friel, Michelle Williams, Kyle MacLachlan and Trudie Styler, and (in 1999) Othello, directed by Oliver Parker and starring Kenneth Branagh, Laurence Fishburne and Irene Jacob.

Olsberg’s first career was in international finance, as a qualified chartered accountant in London and then for 9 years in merchant banking (Hill Samuel) in London and New York. Olsberg's speciality was corporate finance including mergers and acquisitions, Eurobond issues and private placements. In 1973 Olsberg obtained an MBA from Columbia University in New York.

Olsberg is also non-executive chairman of Moonstone International Screen Labs, a training scheme for writers and directors affiliated with Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute.

Olsberg is 62, married with one daughter and holds dual UK and USA citizenships.