Head of Strategy, Talkable

UW Major: Comparative History of Ideas

Tell us a bit about your job (e.g. what kinds of things you’re working on, what types of problems you solve day to day, etc.)?

I am the Head of Strategy for the SaaS [Software-as-a-Service] company Talkable, and I work entirely remotely, so I spend half of the year in the Pacific Northwest, and half the year in France where I've lived for the past 6 years and completed an MBA in 2020. For Talkable, I work on cross-departmental initiatives to grow the company. I will talk to Sales, Product, Customer Success and Marketing on most days, and help find ways to make processes more efficient and human. Most of the problems I'm working on solving involve how to scale the company, and include making tough choices around our time and resources. Should we enter a new geographic market or build a new product? Is now the right moment to fundraise? What can we do to make our employees feel more supported in a remote environment and take into account the new challenges facing our colleagues in terms of work and home life?

 

How do you think your humanities education has influenced/advanced your career path?

I definitely use my Humanities degree in business strategy and management every single day. I think my ability to synthesize information, combine qualitative and quantitative data, and understand the psychologies of company cultures come directly from doing the Comparative History of Ideas program at UW. I've been told that these softer human skills, along with a diverse scope of frameworks and interests, give me an edge as a creative leader and problem solver. I also believe empathy is a super under-rated trait in business, and it seems like many deeply empathetic people naturally gravitate towards the Humanities. I would encourage Humanities students to understand the value and practical applications of applied empathy. You can always learn accounting or corporate finance, but I think the most holistic problem-solving in companies often comes from people with a strong sense of the Humanities, and a worldview that has been expanded through empathy, interdisciplinary studies, and a penchant for diversity of thought. Don't underestimate that skill set!

Want to read more? Check out the profiles on the Alumni Spotlights page for more information on what our humanities majors are up to.