I have enjoyed life as a single professional and continue to try to live an unconventional life despite having worked in several very conventional places. Most of my life has been devoted to work, client service, and the study of pop culture.
My last gig was with the Federal Reserve System in San Francisco, CA. I loved living on the West Coast. I was vice president of communication and public affairs until it was time for my return to my Southern roots here in Atlanta.
I’ve had an interesting and restless career that took me in many directions. From Switzerland, I returned to Atlanta and joined Mercer Management Consulting, serving clients in the areas of organization transformation, change enablement, and marketing and communications. I did the same type of work at EY and Accenture, two global consultancies, before joining The Coca-Cola Company where I led a staff in corporate communications and public affairs. These roles enabled me to work across many organizations and countries (Coke is in all but two countries) and I called upon my IMD lessons and experiences liberally.
When I left Coke, I joined the Federal Reserve in Atlanta, a small, but significant, academically oriented organization. As a private organization (yes it is), leaders had quite a focus on creating greater diversity of staff. It was clear to me, though not to them, that they knew little about the type of diversity I learned and lived while in Geneva. Diversity of thinking and insights were at the center of my definition of diversity. Well, you could say that I’ve remained an unconventional rebel my entire life. But it’s been an adventure.
I left San Francisco and returned to Atlanta in 2017. Loved the social, aesthetic, and political aspects of California but the cost of living was insane. San Francisco and the California coast are stunningly beautiful, and I totally recommend visiting. Living there? It can be difficult, but I sure miss it.
I have become reacquainted with Atlanta and my old friends and family here, and actually continue to conduct a half-hearted job search. Retirement is not a thing I have ever contemplated. That may have to change. I downsized my living situation in 2023 and am having fun, mostly, renovating my ‘60s modern place.
Interests
I want to return to my interest in drawing and painting, and museum-going. Also, I have discovered a talent and a passion for coaching people who are making life changes such as with careers or school admissions.
Reflections and memories of IMI
If a person has traveled, and worked and learned with people from many cultures, a single place or employer never will be enough. This is a sorrow and a joy. It is sometimes difficult for American colleagues to understand what happens to a person’s perspectives when that person has had immersive experiences in other cultures. We are viewed with suspicion, at times. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Coordinates
7090 Glenridge Drive, Atlanta, Georgia (GA), 30328, USA
Here is my LinkedIn account.
Should I seem to disappear, my sister likely is the person who’ll know what has become of me: Anita Orr aorr@mindspring.com.
Updated 2023-12-11