Today on the blog we catch up with True Overholt (GEMBA 2018). This is part of an ongoing series of interviews with members of our Class of 2018 about how the executive formats of the Darden MBA have impacted their careers. Be sure to check out our earlier interviews with Corbin Norman (GEMBA 2018), Jess Ching (GEMBA 2018), Chris Barchet (GEMBA 2018), Erin Breitzka (EMBA 2018) and Sagar Joshi (EMBA 2018).
What have you been up to since graduation?
Life in a new city! I moved to Paris in October and have been getting to know the place. I also took on a new job as Marketing Director for a company my employer acquired. I’ve been traveling a lot to get up to speed with the business – Brazil, Turkey, Rwanda, China, Taiwan, Japan, Kathmandu, all since October.
How do you feel like your Darden experience prepared you for what you are currently doing?
I can give two examples off the top of my head: Our operations team is now implementing a reorder point system with our supplier to manage inventory – this was straight out of Operations II. I even drew the chart that Tim Laseter gave us. Second, I wrote about the acquisition that brought me to Paris as my final for my Negotiations elective. The application of real-life skills from Darden are all over the place when you look for them.
More than “classroom topics”, Darden taught me to be a better listener and to ask better questions. Working in international development means working with people from all around the world – communicating well can be a challenge in the best of circumstances. Darden helped me understand the meaning beneath the words and know how to get answers by formulating the right questions.
For you, what was the biggest takeaway from the program?
The importance of leading with emotion. As part of our LR1 activities, we were divvied up into “color groups,” and I am extremely blue – meaning I value rational decision making and adherence to logic despite the risk of seeming aloof. Darden taught me that injecting emotion into my leadership style and fostering the close relationships that ensue is how I can lead high-performing teams. In short, Darden taught me to embrace emotion as part of being a well-rounded leader.
Now that you are out of school, what do you miss the most about the program?
Two-part answer, but it’s the academical village and the people in it. There are few places in society that enable thought-provoking conversations like Darden does, and we need those conversations to continue our growth as leaders in business, government and society in general. Of course, the conversations wouldn’t be what they are without the interesting perspectives and thoughts from the classmates and faculty who led them.
What is your best advice for prospective students?
Don’t be afraid to dive into what Darden has to offer! Balancing work, family and school is challenging, but you can get so much out of the program if you want it.
