After three formative years at Oliver Wyman, Tamara Sanderson has co–founded an organizational design and consulting firm, worked at some of the largest tech companies, and co–authored a book, Remote Works.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

This is a deceptively difficult question! Let’s see: I was previously known as a traveler. Since catching the travel bug during a college study abroad semester, I’ve been to 70 countries and seven continents and was an expat for nine years — including many adventures while working on projects in El Salvador, Switzerland, England, and Ireland. But, then, the pandemic happened, and I decided to put down roots in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While I’ve put up my suitcase for now, I’ve found new passion projects, including building a library in my 700–square–foot apartment, tending to a balcony garden, learning how to cook, making art, and getting involved in my local community.

What were you known for when you were at Oliver Wyman?

I’d say a few things: I won a leadership trip to the ends of the earth, literally. I represented the management consulting side of the business on a 2014 leadership trip to Antarctica. I became a major Kiva.org fangirl after taking an Oliver Wyman non–profit fellowship to work in their San Francisco headquarters and later as a Kiva fellow in Mongolia. Finally, after my first year at Oliver Wyman, I decided to give up my apartment and live in hotels near case projects, which were thankfully mostly in exciting international locations because I focused on aerospace and defense. (It was very Up in the Air, without George Clooney.)

What’s your fondest or funniest memory of Oliver Wyman?

I consider my stint at Oliver Wyman part of my “coming of age,” — given that brain development research suggests we don’t fully mature until the age of 25. I have many fond memories of trips and nights out with the other analyst in my class (2006–2009) as we transitioned into adulthood. Some of them are still my closest friends today. 

This page was originally published on February 15, 2023.