Career, College & Organizational Consultant

Summary

Solutions-oriented change agent with high EQ & proven excellence in designing & implementing innovative human-centric strategies focused on DE&I to enhance organizational effectiveness by streamlining processes & people to maximize outcomes. Expertise in creating high-functioning collaborative teams, influencing key stakeholders & leaders through effective communication & rapport building. Excels at inspiring & developing employees to improve performance & achieve competencies. Specializes in engagement design, executing strategic recruitment marketing plans yielding increased results to the bottom line by identifying the best leadership approach.

Professional Experience

Career, College & Organizational Consultant 2/2012 - Present GinaFurano.com Stamford, CT

Services include: Organizational Management effectiveness analysis, Training & Development workshops, Talent Acquisition & Management process implementation & maximization, Executive Leadership Coaching

Provide leadership and guidance through the full life cycle of the job/college search from the initial identification of industry/university and position/student to offer/acceptance

Offer one on one consultation to professionals interested in changing positions/industries on how to accurately market their personal brand by highlighting their distinctive qualities both digitally (via their web presence LinkedIn, social media, and various job boards) and in-person

Services include: Resume review, interviewing techniques, identification of what their true passion is, and how to incorporate this into their full-time job/college career

Executive Leadership Coach 3/2021 - Present The Wellspring Group Holbrook, MA

Maintain a safe space to guide executive leaders to confront controversial topics they face while inspiring them to challenge themselves and continue to grow by playing the role of their behavioral conscience

Provide appropriate encouragement, reinforcement, and support while empowering clients to stay accountable for outcomes while delegating authority. Strong focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion integration

Recruiter (Internal Mobility) Prof. Recruitment (contract) 4/2022 – 6/2022 The Walt Disney Company Orlando, FL

Identified areas for efficiency and process improvements for talent assignments and shared resources. Implemented a directory showcasing talent inventory

Worked with internal talent through full cycle of career search guiding to identify and align ideal positions company-wide

Sr. Organizational & Talent Development Manager 5/2020 – 4/2022 ThriveDX (formally HackerU) Coral Gables, FL

Aligned and strengthened multi-disciplinary change initiatives managing multiple projects working with HR, TA, IT, Operations, Compliance, Admissions, Client Services & Education through stakeholders analysis to enhance collaboration to strengthen both the employee, university partner & the student experience to increase engagement & retention through communications planning, training strategy & staff development from current to the desired state

Led the definition of function, segment, & role clarity; designed, developed, & delivered an effective new hire onboarding & training program for National Admissions. Facilitated comprehensive high-level experience virtually focused on strong learner comprehension leading to immediate assimilation into the work environment resulting in the white-glove client experience

Collaborated with the Director of National Admissions on leadership alignment, continuous process improvement initiatives across multiple stakeholder groups & training development initiatives by implementing transformation strategies

Worked 1:1 with junior team members to coach in the management development program to promote more leaders

Created & streamlined multiple information & communication sources to a centralized access point for team efficiency through conducting skills inventory evaluations, using data analytics & insights, delivering high impact work

Implemented & created multiple SOPs, created training scripts, developed branded materials in support of learning solutions

Aligned purpose-driven talent acquisition process focusing on DE&I, onboarding, new hire, and continuous training process to mirror the student experience. On committee that established mission, vision & values, and its implementation to impact the transformation of culture in all aspects of the business

Director of Talent Acquisition 10/2018 –12/2019 Charter Oak Financial (MassMutual) Norwalk, CT

Streamlined 5 siloed locations into a unified recruitment strategy & rebrand, delivering a best in class candidate experience

Partnered with the functional management team to plan/drive change, enhance organizational effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and develop/implement related strategies that support the business goals and objectives

Designed & executed an efficient sourcing & recruitment strategy for all areas of the business, including executive, business, and technical, including an early campus recruitment/internship program to recruit high-quality Financial Advisors

Educational Consultant 10/2017 – 3/2019 IvyGate International Education Group Bejing, China/Boston, MA

Integral team member of the original group of US counselors who helped define the organization and set processes & policies to enhance the student experience. Assisted in designing various organizational & management enhancements.

Managed a cohort of 30+ international students primarily undergraduate & some graduate specializing in STEM disciplines

Worked with a team of 60+ Chinese and American education counselors to develop individualized strategic plans for Chinese student applications through developing personalized school lists, and designing customized extracurricular & portfolio building activities to strengthen candidacy to elite US institutions

Successful cases include: Columbia University, Cornell University, Duke University, Yale University, USC, UC: Berkeley, Davis, Santa Barbara, Irvine, UIUC, Babson, U Wisconsin, New York University, Georgia Institute of Tech., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Boston University, Wake Forest University, Northeastern University, & more

Talent Acquisition Manager 5/2016 – 10/2018 Prudential Financial Shelton, CT

Partnered with the agency Managing Director to create and execute a comprehensive sourcing and recruitment marketing strategies to recruit high-quality Financial Professional Associates (FPAs) with focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

#8 Talent Acquisition Manager out of 47 nationwide (achieved in 43 weeks) in 2017

Sourced, recruited, and maintained a strong, diverse pipeline ranging from recent college graduates to executive level candidates for 4 Managers of Financial Services in two locations

Developed & implemented an effective campus recruiting process resulting in 9 hires in multiple firms

Managed the selection process, assessing candidate’s non-technical skills/knowledge and attributes, and ensuring a positive candidate experience from the first point of contact to hire

Reduced the time from application to hire date from 65 days (company average) to 45 days in less than two years by streamlining the interview process and managing the candidate experience efficiently

Built & maintained relationships with community contacts, college career centers & professors at core universities

Senior Admissions Counselor 03/2014 – 4/2016 The College of Westchester White Plains, NY

Managed a team of 5 high school admissions counselors through training and best practices in recruiting and compliance

Increased yield of first time full-time freshman from 21%-26% by streamlining applicant engagement and increasing team effectiveness by leveraging individual strengths in a very competitive market

Assisted in the planning and implementation of on-campus events. Revised & lead Student Ambassador Program

Successfully achieved and exceeded enrollment and start rate goals quarterly. Consistently started students at a high show/yield rate over 50%

Associate Director of Career Services 10/2013 - 1/2014 Ridley Lowell Bus. & Tech. Institute Danbury, CT

Provided graduates with job placement assistance including resume, job seeking, coaching, and interviewing skills

Built effective relationships with local and regional corporations, non-profit and government organizations, and community partners to identify employment opportunities

Business Solutions Manager 7/2012 - 1/2013 Ultimate Staffing Services Stamford, CT

Managed full-scale recruitment activities (including campus recruiting) to identify top talent. Actively sourced through all social media and job board venues. Screened, interviewed, prequalified, & tested candidates

Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admissions 3/2009 - 1/2012 NYU School of Engineering Brooklyn, NY

Organizational Impact: Implemented Women’s symposium in STEM to attract diverse populations. Designed and implemented an immersive scholarship overnight program which yielded conversion of most desired students

Leveraged personal recruitment goals of high-quality STEM students, including 3 highly competitive territories, successfully yielded 170 students for Fall 2009 out of a total of 560, started 135 out of 535 for Fall 2010 and 151 out of 616 for Fall 2011

Established, implemented, and monitored a comprehensive enrollment, marketing, and recruitment plan and recruiting activities calendar through identification of and outreach to selected high schools and community colleges focused on DE&I

Built and fostered relationships with all departments within the institution, colleagues from other institutions, alumni, high school counselors, prospective students & families to create a strong network to attract the most qualified applicants

Provided the day-to-day supervision, training, leadership, professional development, and guidance of 4 admissions counselors; 2 jr. level assistant deans, admissions support staff and student ambassadors as assigned

Education

MS in Organizational Leadership, Mercy College Dobbs Ferry, NY

GPA - 3.86 Delta Mu Delta, 2009 Beta Upsilon Chapter - International Honor Society in Business

BA in Psychology, Syracuse University Syracuse, NY

AA in Liberal Arts: Social Sciences, Dean College Franklin, MA

Skills

MS & Google Office Suite, PeopleSoft, WebNow, CRM, LinkedIn Recruiter, Facebook, Zoom, Slack, 8x8, Newton, Bullhorn, Staff Suite, Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, Lotus notes, Solomon IV, Salesforce, ADM, Image Now, Velocify, Avature, Miro, Greenhouse, Jira, Coassemble, Confluence, Five9, Workday, Brassring, Kenexa, Beamery, SAP

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