In 1947, Othman emigrated to the United States with his family. From 1956 to 1977, Othman served as an executive in the International Banking Department at Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago, Illinois, as vice president and division administrator of the International Money Management Division, including the International Economic Research Unit. From 1978 to 1983, Othman was general manager and chief executive officer of the Saudi Arab Finance Corporation, Luxembourg, and general manager of the Saudi Investment Group, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. From 1983 to 1995, he served as chairman and chief executive officer of Dearborn Financial Inc., Arlington Heights, Illinois. In 1987, he joined the board of Harken Energy to represent the interests of Abdullah Taha Bakhsh. Served as chair of the three member Audit Committee of which George W. Bush was a member. In 1990, he was among 15 Arab-Americans invited to the White House after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait.
