Daphne Nwobike
Staff Writer
On Oct. 24, the Babson Center invited Blair Overman (C’ 07) to serve as the Bryan Viewpoints Speaker. Currently working for Andart Global, a boutique consulting firm in Dubai, Overman is the perfect example of how far a Sewanee education can take its students. Overman, who was an English major during her time at Sewanee, now advises global clients on a range of topics. The Babson Center invited Overman to give a talk titled “Sailing the Uncharted Course: Reimagining the Typical Business Career Track,” where she discussed the different trajectories students can utilize to enter the world of Business. During her visit, Overman sat down with The Purple to share memories of her time at Sewanee, details of her career journey, and more.
Hi Blair! Thank you for being here! How does it feel to be back on campus?
Overman: I was on campus last year because we had a retirement get-together for my swim coach, but I hadn’t been back for six years before that. So it’s good to be back!
I’m sure! How would you describe your time at Sewanee? What did you enjoy about being a student here?
Overman: It was a dream. I wish I could come back and do the things I didn’t get to do, like be with the outdoor program a bit more or take geology and forestry—all the things that exist here in a special way. I loved what I did; I just needed more hours in the day.
Time flies so fast here, especially when you’re busy. What were some leadership roles that you dedicated a good chunk of time to?
Overman: So I was the Vice President of Community Service for my sorority. In this role, I saw an opportunity to give back to the Sewanee community. At the time, 88 percent of the student body was involved in community service, so I thought it would be a great way to capture student interest. We have a lot of crises here on the mountain, so we focused on building houses, raising money for recovering addicts, and more. We focused on Sewanee, and it was an incredible initiative.
I’m interested in learning more about your experience with being culturally sensitive and channeling cultural competency into your work, especially in a global consulting firm like Andart Global.
Overman: I think in everything you do, a huge measure of self-awareness is necessary. Even just going from one state to another, there are many traditions and ways of doing things. In the Arabian Gulf (including cities such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai), I think the biggest differences are in deadlines. They aren’t hard and fast. Plus, everything is super relational (which I have acclimated to since I’m from the South)! However, the task-orientedness and transactional nature of Americanism differ a lot from the more transformational work in the Middle East.
I’m so curious, though, about how you took your English degree and transformed it into working in consulting.
Overman: I used to think I was terrible at finance and math. It turns out I actually like it a lot. I like the story it tells when you do it well. For instance, someone comes to us and says, “Hey, we want to help the northwest corner of Saudi Arabia really emerge in the tourist sector.” But I see that they’re spending money on something else that’s not helping them achieve their goal. We do our part in advising them to reallocate funds differently, do data studies, and hire diverse thinkers, all for this to be successful. If you aren’t able to analyze the numbers, you’re missing a big chunk of the message.
Is there a project you’ve worked on so far in your career that you’re extremely proud of? Why?
Overman: During my first big job out of college, I was somewhat haphazardly handed an executive director opportunity at a nonprofit in DC focused on community maritime education. Our director misspent funds and put the organization in jeopardy. I really wanted the program to keep going, so I did some investigating and was offered a chance to rebuild it. I call it my “lived M.B.A. experience” because I had to read up on everything! It was a kind environment to try and fail in, and it helped me realize that I could thrive in similar initiatives.
You’ve had many career transitions; what’s that sign that you’re ready to move to the next thing?
Overman: Personal values are so important. I’d say I’m a fixer. I like to come in and provide solutions, just like helping DC Sail stay afloat and keep its doors open. When I feel like I’ve gained the experience that I came to get and the skill sets that I wanted to have, it’s time to go. Or, if you do a good job putting out what your unique value is, people come and recruit you. Most people will have 12 different jobs with 12 different organizations before they’re 55. So I’m like halfway there, gotta keep turning!
That’s exciting! What would you say success looks like for you now?
Overman: Your idea of success definitely changes as you age. I’d say that success is confidence in yourself. I’ve done a lot of things, but looking back to when I did them, I was nervous; they were wrong, or I thought it could be better. Looking back, I want to tell myself that it’s okay. You killed it.
Before I let you go, I’d love to know, since you’re always giving solutions to others, who do you run to when you need a solution for yourself?Overman: I have a great group of about five female friends who were all in the sailing industry with me around the same time in our 20s. Since then, we’ve become really good friends, and now we’re spread out across the country; some have moved on to do big, international things, and some are still sailing. They’re my core group of support and mentorship. I believe that women should find other women trying to do hard things—women who will lift each other up and encourage each other to do the right thing.