Lessons from Cameron Tyer’s Journey in Global Business Affairs

Daphne Nwobike, Staff Writer

On Jan. 30, the Babson Center invited Cameron Tyer (C ‘93, P ‘25) to serve as the Graham Executive-in-Residence. As the former Global Head of Business Affairs at Google and the former Group Director of Business Affairs at The Coca-Cola Company, Tyer has gained extensive knowledge and experience navigating—and thriving in—the world of business. At Sewanee, Tyer studied psychology and English, was heavily involved in tennis, and served on the Honor Council. These experiences were both formative and essential in preparing her to work under pressure and build crucial relationships. The Babson Center invited Tyer to give a talk titled ​​“Global Marketing Partnerships: Who You Associate with Matters,” where she discussed the skills she gained while creating strategic partnerships and how Sewanee students can utilize those skills to set them on the path to success. During her visit, Tyer sat down with The Sewanee Purple to share memories of her time at Sewanee, highlights of her career journey, and more. 

Hi Cameron! Thank you for being here! I’m really excited to learn about your Sewanee experience. I’m sure tennis was a crucial part of your time here, but what else did you enjoy about being at Sewanee?

Tyer: Well, it was the most important decision I ever made to come to Sewanee and the most formative because it totally changed the trajectory of my life, both personally and career-wise. Classes were great—I mean, I took a class with Dr. Rob Pearigen! I was on the Honor Council and was involved in Greek life as well. Undeniably, playing tennis was a big part of my time at Sewanee. Yes, I practiced every day, and I got burnt out sometimes, but tennis was incredibly important to me. I came to Sewanee because of the individual attention, the beautiful campus, and the sense of place and community that is hard to find elsewhere. I could learn who I was because there was nowhere to hide. Since graduating, I’ve been on the Babson Board, I came back to speak for the 50 Years of Women event, and more, just to stay as involved as possible with Sewanee—I even got my two girls to attend Sewanee!  

It sounds like you had an amazing time at Sewanee, and I’m glad you’re still able to cherish the memories you made here. How did you translate what you learned in psychology and English into a career you loved? 

Tyer: Our stories make so much sense in retrospect. I can look back now and say in English, I learned to read, comprehend, draw conclusions, look for other people’s points of view, and form a recommendation. In Psychology, I learned about believing what people do and not what they say, how to influence people, what makes people tick, and how to earn someone’s trust by being trustworthy. My interest in influencing people led me to negotiation, which is foundational to business affairs: negotiating what we give and what we get. 

Hindsight really is 20/20! Did you experience a steep learning curve when entering this field, or did you hit the ground running? 

Tyer: I don’t think I hit the ground running. I panicked right out of Sewanee because I didn’t know what I was going to do. I moved to Atlanta with some friends, where I worked at a temp agency and taught tennis. I even thought about going to graduate school to study psychology. After talking to people and hearing that I have a mind suited to business and logic, I decided to attend business school at William & Mary. It was difficult at first, and it was definitely a steep learning curve because I didn’t have the foundational knowledge I needed. Even when I gained this knowledge, I wasn’t sure how to apply it. I just wanted to be in a space where I could work hard and have fun. I started in compensation consulting, a job I got through business school connections with a friend. I worked there for six months and became good friends with a coworker who transitioned to Coke, and she pulled me to work in Human Resources at Coke. I eventually learned about the field of business affairs, which involves deal negotiations, sports, entertainment, and talent, and I interviewed to work in this role. After not getting it the first time around, I got the job. I graduated in ‘93 and didn’t start till ‘97. So, I didn’t hit the ground running, but I started from the bottom and built my way up to running the group. 

Wow, that was an intense but rewarding journey! I’m curious, though, about how you balanced motherhood and your growing career.

Tyer: I always put my girls first. I made sure I left work at 5 p.m. every day to be with them, even when it seemed like I should’ve put my work first. While they were in elementary school, I’d have lunch with them individually once a month. I remember going out of a really bad negotiation with AMC, and one of the execs was like, ‘We’re debriefing in my office,’ and I remember telling him, ‘I have to go pick up my girls.’ Yes, my career could’ve been better, but I had to make those decisions for my girls. Even now, I do my best to let my girls chart their own paths. I hope they can see that they don’t have to do it all, but they should focus on their priorities. 

So, reflecting on your career, what were some memorable aspects of the work you did?

Tyer: I mean, I had dinner with Keith Urban, my girls met Jennifer Lopez, and I’ve been to the White House. Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and more know my kids. But it’s because of what I did—because I was working on their deals. From working with Idris Elba to Simone Biles to Taylor Swift to Jennifer Anniston, there were a lot of things that made my career fun, even when having to negotiate with agents and lawyers. I had the chance to start My Coke Rewards and the “Share a Coke” campaign, and I even worked on the “American Idol” deal of putting cups on the judges’ tables. Looking back, there were a lot of things that made it worth it. 

I can’t imagine all the dinner table stories you have to share about these experiences! So what’s next for you? Are you taking things slow or making more career plans?

Tyer: It’s both weird and fabulous to not be working right now. Like what do you mean I have unlimited time to play tennis or pickleball? Can I truly drive up to Sewanee to visit my daughter without thinking twice? It’s nice but still a bit uncomfortable. So there could definitely be a next stage. Even though I’ve closed my chapter with corporate America, I get to do what I want and see what’s next.