Hosted by NNOA Transition Assistance Team
Speaker Introduction
- Stephen Evans: Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral with a 34-year career.
- Graduate of The Citadel, Naval War College, and further executive education from UVA Darden, MIT, UNC, and Harvard.
- Held command of a Carrier Strike Group and Naval Service Training Command.
- Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy.
Founder and CEO of Flag Bridge Global Solutions, a strategic consultancy.
Key Themes and Insights
1. Transition Mindset: “Who Do You Want to Be?”
- Start with identity, not just job titles: “Who do you want to be?” should guide your post-service decisions.
- For Evans, that meant being close to family in Beaufort, SC, and giving back to his community.
- Choose where you want to live first, then explore career options that support that decision.
2. Leverage Your Military Experience
- Everything learned in the Navy prepared him for civilian success—strategic thinking, decision-making, problem-solving.
- No need for extensive retraining—just a new vocabulary and understanding of civilian culture.
3. Build and Use Your Network
- Begin building a civilian network before transition.
- Use LinkedIn to your advantage (especially for board opportunities).
- Let your network know your interests. People will support you if you’re authentic.
4. Corporate Board Participation
- Corporate boards value strategic thinkers with leadership and oversight experience.
- Organizations like National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) offer board education (e.g., Battlefield to Boardroom).
- He secured two board seats within a year post-retirement. Uncommon for a one-star but made possible through networking and preparation.
- Typical compensation: $180K–$250K/year, in both cash and stock.
5. Balance Passion and Practicality
- Started a logistics company post-retirement—generated over $2M in revenue—but left to refocus on passions.
- Also does consulting, volunteerism, and nonprofit board work, but is learning to say “no” to preserve bandwidth for high-impact efforts.
6. Advice to Junior Officers and Early Transitions
- Even for O-3/O-4s, assess your transferable skills and develop a path forward.
- You may need to go where the opportunities are to build your experience and network.
- Consider entrepreneurship or joining a growth organization, depending on your risk tolerance and skill set.
7. Work-Life Balance – Lessons Learned
- Admitted to poor balance during active duty, which had personal costs.
- Post-retirement: prioritizes health, quarterly travel, meditation, and personal growth.
- Take care of your mental and physical health. Being present and healthy matters more as you age.
8. Practical Takeaways
- Start planning early. Build relationships before you need them.
- Be selective. Don’t say “yes” to everything; value your time and expertise.
- Be authentic. Focus on what fulfills you, not just what pays.
- Have a 10-year plan. Evans is grinding now, but with the goal of slowing down and maintaining quality of life by age 67.
Contact Info (Shared with Attendees)
- Email: sevans342@yahoo.com
- Phone: (757) 504-7600 (Voicemail preferred if calling)