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More 2008 Young Trainers Award Winners
May 08, 2008
Congratulations to this year's winners! Read the full profiles of the Top 10 winners or view shorter profiles of the other 30 Top Young Trainers below.
More Winners
 Sheila Alishouse, 38 Director of Business Services (6 direct reports)
Titanium Metals Corporation, Morgantown,
PA A.A., Northeastern Junior College; B.A., University of Northern Colorado; M.B.A., University of Denver (pending)
Sheila Alishouse designed, co-developed, and delivered large portions of a management development program in partnership with the University of Denver. The program, which established a forum for collaborative learning among geographically dispersed managers across the U.S., provided "fantastic opportunities to break down barriers among locations, functions, and experience levels," says Katherine Holland, a regional director at the American Management Association who nominated Alishouse. "The cohorts all had their own personalities, but they all shared a common experience and realized they can get much more done when they have relationships outside of their silos. The realization of how interconnected their businesses are seems to be a big win for the company and for these groups." In fact, says Holland, many of those involved in the program continue to meet (even after graduating) to discuss various issues and concerns, and to help one another solve problems.
"While working with Sheila to train a global audience," says Holland, "I noted that she is able to effectively organize, assemble, and arrange resources to meet organizational goals." Alishouse also "weighs the strategic ramifications of her decisions and has the ability to influence key decision-makers," according to Holland.
 Jana Anders, 28
Mentoring Process Owner (leads 40-person "maxtrixed" team)
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, China Lake, CA
B.A. and M.S., Texas A&M University
In 2007, Jana Anders led a cross-discipline team in establishing a three-year plan for enterprise-wide training, process improvements, and mentoring. She spearheaded a talent development initiative that matches all Lockheed Martin Space Systems executives with high-potential employees. She also is leading Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company's executive learning and development council through a strategic goal-setting activity to establish clear priorities and direction.
"Jana's ability to think strategically sets her apart from her peers," says Marilyn Figlar, VP of leadership and organizational development at Lockheed Martin Corporation. "From that strategic perspective, she is able to construct effective implementation strategies and project plans to bring top-level 'dreams' to reality."
 Cynthia Boon, 35
Manager of Training Operations (6 direct reports)
Santander Consumer USA Inc., Dallas, TX
A.A., Tarrant County Junior College; B.A., University of Texas; M.A, University of Texas (pending)
What's a trainer to do when her company's reorganization due to acquisition results in an overall staff increase of nearly 50 percent while training department headcount simultaneously contracts by one-fourth? Dig in and go to work, of course, which is precisely what Cynthia Boon did…big time.
Since the friendly takeover of her former employer by Grupo Santander to form Santander Consumer USA Inc., Boon has presided over a 100 percent year-over-year increase in organizational training activity, which reflects a corresponding 47 percent increase in training hours per employee. She assumed new responsibilities encompassing all new-hire training for her company's loan originations division; she now supports the loan servicing division's training needs; and she is tasked with the ongoing development of role-specific training for several departments within the collections division. Boon also has designed and implemented customer data system training for call center personnel, which was successfully launched last year to Santander Consumer USA Inc.'s entire loan servicing division.
While juggling multiple balls presents its fair share of challenges, Boon says the frenetic pace has drawn her staff together and made them a better-functioning team. "We've become closer, maintained our sense of fun, and laughed together every day."
 Diane Bowen, 35
Manager, Systems Performance Training (15 direct reports)
Choice Hotels International Inc., Draper, UT
In 2007, Diane Bowen designed, tested, and implemented a new training curriculum supporting the rollout of a property management system to more than 3,000 Choice-branded hotels. As part of this initiative, she provided training on the new materials and process to systems trainers at 40 field offices across the country.
"Diane consistently achieves high engagement scores for the trainers on her team," says John Thompson, Choice's director of systems performance training. "She leads by example and is the first to volunteer for new projects and opportunities to further enhance the department's training offerings."
 Melanie Brittle, 29
Global Learning Group Leader (7 direct reports) DPR Construction Inc., Redwood City, CA B.A., University of California
In her capacity as global learning group leader at DPR Construction, Melanie Brittle oversees corporate training for 10 offices. In 2007, she managed the implementation of the company's new intranet and the launch of DPR's learning center, which provides online training solutions to more than 1,000 personnel companywide. Brittle also worked with various DPR teams to create the company's "Project Engineering Training" module, and she is the lead trainer for a new DPR course entitled "Focus: Achieving Your Highest Priorities."
"Melanie is an outstanding trainer, and her courses consistently receive marks of 90 or above [on a 0 to 100 scale]," says Cari Williams, people practices leader at DPR. "Melanie has made an amazing difference here…People inside and outside of DPR who are fortunate enough to work with Melanie… always remark on what a pleasure it is to have her as one of our leaders and a part of the DPR team."
 Joel Cataldo, 34
Director, Global Sales Excellence - Learning and Development (6 direct reports)
Arrow Electronics Inc., Melville, NY
B.A., St. Joseph's College; M.B.A., Dowling College
During his tenure at Arrow, Joel Cataldo has spearheaded significant changes to the company's worldwide sales development practices. He created and launched technical training in local languages across Arrow's European and Asian units. He overhauled the company's learning management system (LMS), and he is leading the expansion of the system globally. Cataldo's instructional design team has more than tripled enrollment and company use of the LMS by creating online core curricula for major job families, linking those curricula to competency and performance management criteria, and making the system more user-friendly. He also created multimedia marketing campaigns to launch the improvements, which significantly increased usage of the system.
"Because of his deep understanding of the company's business and his passion for measurement and performance improvement, Arrow managers seek out Joel's counsel," says Barbara Yoli, a principal at Change Results Consulting who previously worked with Cataldo at Arrow. "He has established himself as an important talent management resource for Arrow managers around the world."
Cataldo also serves as president of the Professional Society for Sales & Marketing Training, an organization dedicated to the development of sales and marketing training professionals nationwide.
 John Chen, 40
Founder, CEO, and "The Big Kid" (6 direct reports)
Geoteaming and Playtime Inc., Seattle, WA
B.S., University of California
John Chen's Geoteaming is an experiential learning company built around GPS-powered teambuilding exercises that are competitive and collaborative...and popular, too.
Since its inception, Geoteaming events have reached more than 10,000 participants. In 2007 alone, Geoteaming ran 150-plus events worldwide, generating revenues in excess of $1 million. These events are essentially high-tech treasure hunts, according to Chen, during which teams compete with one another while collaborating with others as all strive to achieve hypothetical company goals.
Based in part on his experiences working at Microsoft, the Geoteaming idea came to Chen when he discovered there was tremendous value to be realized by organizations that develop internal cultures that inspire trust and substantive communication among teams.
"What sets us apart is our ability to strike the proper balance between vision and implementation," says Chen. "While some can dream and some can implement, we've worked hard to balance both to create results."
 Thomas Clune, 34
Customer Response Center (CRC) Learning and Development - Contractor
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, West Warwick, RI
B.S., Johnson and Wales University
Thomas Clune uses his deep knowledge of information technology and Web-based applications to direct the design and implementation of training for the division of learning and development at MetLife in the company's customer response center. This includes curriculum development for an innovative reporting dashboard that company managers now use to monitor key performance indicators across the MetLife enterprise.
While at Textron, where he previously worked, Clune was a senior trainer for the company's corporate university, which served more than 37,000 global employees during his tenure. He managed multiple enterprise-scale learning and development initiatives—including the rollout of a new learning management system (LMS)—in support of talent development objectives and related business needs while at Textron.
"His natural aptitude for grasping complex technological concepts and envisioning their effective application to e-learning and blended programs of study has put him in high demand," says Carl Fischer, an assistant VP at Putnam Investments who worked with Clune while both were at Putnam.
 John Congemi, 33
Senior Manager, Retail Learning and Development (4 direct reports)
Best Buy Co. Inc., Richfield, MN
B.A., University of Wisconsin; M.A., Minnesota State University
John Congemi established a formalized Best Buy retail certification program for the company's retail associates. "Because our industry often deals with high turnover rates and frequently changing and complex technology, sustaining a thorough educational program that ensures associates are up to speed with the latest and greatest information is always a challenge," says Best Buy's Dan Sweeney, a senior manager in the company's mobile division. "John has worked with our business teams, vendors, and third-party experts to overcome these obstacles by developing an ongoing certification program that ensures our associates can…meet customers' needs."
Congemi also created something called the Twin Cities Retail Training & Development Network. "John pulled together numerous representatives from local training organizations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to identify best practices and take advantage of collaboration and partnership opportunities," says Sweeney. Thanks to his efforts, trainers from both small organizations and Fortune 500 behemoths alike now are working together to spark creativity and innovation in the training arena.
 Joshua Craver, 30
Deputy General Manager, Satyam School of Leadership (4 direct reports)
Satyam Computer Services Ltd., Hyderabad, India
B.A., University of North Carolina; M.S., American University
In his first year at Satyam Computer Services Ltd., a technology outsourcing firm in India, Joshua Craver played a key role in the development of Satyam's talent management pipeline by facilitating the launch of the Satyam School of Leadership. His efforts were recognized by his peers at Satyam with the award of the company's highest commendation for professional excellence.
Craver also established a real-time learning program supporting Satyam consultants in the field. Using client satisfaction instruments and other measures, he created a robust feedback mechanism to provide Satyam consultants with real-time insight into client needs. The initiative boosted consultant billability while enhancing client productivity.
 Jan Fiske, 39
Manager of Training, Blended Learning (4 direct reports)
Dunkin' Brands Inc., Canton, MA
B.S., University of New Hampshire; M.Ed., Boston University
Jan Fiske created the instructional design strategy for all blended learning curricula at Dunkin' Brands Inc. She developed KnowledgeCenters to support core competency training for Dunkin' Donuts franchisees. And she played a key role in "stocking the 'shelves' of the Dunkin' Brands Online University with brand-specific training curricula totaling more than 135 courses serving all restaurant positions," says Frank Servidio, director of field training at Dunkin'.
Simply put, "she is revolutionizing e-learning at Dunkin' Brands," raves Servidio. The company has taken notice, too, awarding Fiske a Dunkin' Star Award in 2007 for outstanding performance as a member of the brand operations services team.
For his part, Servidio credits Fiske with no less a feat than changing the culture at Dunkin' Brands "from training completion for compliance to training completion for performance improvement and business impact."
 William Gauthier, 34
Director of Training (5 direct reports)
CCA Global Partners University, CCA Global Partners Inc., Manchester, NH
B.S. and M.Ed., University of New Hampshire; M.B.A., Franklin Pierce University
In his capacity as director of training technology for CCA Global Partners University, William (Bill) Gauthier supervised the implementation of a new, companywide learning management system (LMS) providing service to more than 5,000 users in 10 company divisions. He launched an innovative learning program that encouraged rapid acclimation to e-learning courseware among company personnel—who, in response, logged more than 100,000 hours of online training in 2007.
According to Brian Metcalf, a senior VP at CCA Global Partners, "Bill leads a talented group of graphic designers, instructional designers, and Flash developers who create approximately 90 percent of all our courses in-house. This includes an online university with more than 300 courses featuring simulations, streaming video, testing components, and certification processes." Metcalf notes that it is Gauthier's "incredibly collaborative leadership style" that sets him apart as a training executive who inspires his team "to far surpass productivity expectations set by the organization."
 Jim Gillece, 41 (40 at time of nomination)
Senior VP of Human Capital and Chief People Officer (4 direct reports)
AlliedBarton Security Services, King of Prussia, PA
B.S., LaSalle University; M.B.A., St. Joseph's University
The explosive growth experienced by AlliedBarton—the company has doubled four times in the last 10 years to more than 50,000 employees in 2007—calls for a strong leadership pipeline. Jim Gillece delivered just that when he introduced an enterprise-wide leadership development strategy in 2007. The program, which includes coaching components, 360-style evaluative processes, and related programs, already has saved AlliedBarton more than $5 million, while simultaneously increasing client retention rates.
"He involves people as much as possible in work decisions and planning," says Libi del Villar of AlliedBarton. "This involvement has increased ownership and commitment and fosters an environment in which people choose to contribute and be motivated."
Under Gillece's leadership, AlliedBarton consistently has climbed the ranks of the Training Top 125 list and recently was recognized by Corporate University Xchange (CorpU) as having one of the world's top corporate universities. Gillece also received the 2007 Executive Leadership Award from the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph's University and is the author of numerous articles on the subject of executive coaching and team leadership.
 Mandy Holloway, 34
Senior Corporate Director, Global Learning (2 direct reports)
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Falls Church, VA
B.A., Bournemouth University, England
While at The Ritz-Carlton, Mandy Holloway has implemented organization-wide service values training, relaunched new employee orientation training, and led a variety of e-learning initiatives and sales training programs. She also developed a Balanced Scorecard approach and related metrics for the purpose of establishing standards and evaluating hotel performance across The Ritz-Carlton's 66 worldwide properties. "She consistently communicates and reinforces the standards by holding monthly teleconferences with all of the hotel's global learning professionals," says Karen Barley, president of Corporate University Enterprise Inc. "This interaction, combined with an annual learning audit, keeps all the properties performing consistently against the same standards."
Holloway also instituted a monthly "Quick Talk" Webconferencing initiative that has created a vibrant community of practice for all employees who perform in a learning and development capacity at The Ritz-Carlton. "Monthly discussions are formed around hot topics and current events in training, such as performance consulting and coaching," says Barley.
 Rebecca Jacoby, 36
Training Manager (6 direct reports) Eaton Corporation, Pittsburgh, PA B.S. and M.B.A., Duquesne University
Rebecca Jacoby and her team at Eaton develop comprehensive distributor-focused training workshops that provide instruction to the company's distributors on residential, industrial, and construction products and systems. Her industry peers recently recognized her work in this area when she was honored as a "Best Practice" panel speaker at the 2007 National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) Human Resource and Training Conference. "Her time and commitment as an active NAED member continue to provide valuable information and further improvement to training materials and programs," says Jennifer Winkelvoss, operational excellence project manager and orientation facilitator at Eaton.
"She is valued within Eaton for her creativity and understanding of the organization," notes Winkelvoss. "She is viewed as a leader with exceptional skills for designing learning, delivering training, improving human performance, measuring and evaluating training, driving change, coaching employees, and providing career development guidance to her employees."
 Michelle Jansen, 32
Manager of Learning Design and Knowledge Sharing (6 direct reports) Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Littleton, CO B.S., Florida State University; M.Ed., Pennsylvania State University
The group Michelle Jansen leads at Lockheed Martin is responsible for design and implementation of a variety of immersive training solutions, including e-learning and classroom-based courses for personnel throughout the Lockheed enterprise.
Under her leadership, Jansen's team delivered more than 55 new and revised e-learning courses in 2007 and currently is working to create a range of training curricula to support the Orion space shuttle replacement program for NASA.
"Michelle's strengths are in leading high-performance, creative work teams in the creation and delivery of robust learning programs, knowledge sharing, and management processes and strategies," says Marilyn Figlar, VP of leadership and organizational development at Lockheed Martin Corporation. "She is a highly motivated strategic thinker…who leads through vision and values."
 David Lover, 37
Chief Strategy and Technology Officer (3 direct reports)
Cross Telecom Corporation, Bloomington, MN
B.S., Northern Michigan University; M.S., Illinois State University
In 2006, David Lover established a learning and development organization within Cross Telecom to deliver technical training to customers of the organization. The same effective training model he'd developed internally to teach employees technical skills and prep them for industry certification and other credentialing he now applied to customer training.
His efforts paid off…literally. In its first year of operation, Lover's fledgling customer training unit generated nearly $1 million in revenue—money that was used to fund the development of additional customer training courses, add additional training staff, and expand internal employee training offerings.
"The development of [our university] helped differentiate Cross Telecom from its competitors, better train our telecom employees, and help attract top talent [to the company]," says Lori Louderback, director of training operations for Cross Telecom Corp. She attributes much of this success to Lover. "His passion for his work is contagious. With a dose of David's endless enthusiasm, we're all inspired to do amazing work here."
 Kimberly Martin, 31
Manager, IT Learning Management; and Business Unit IT Manager (11 direct reports)
Eaton Corporation, Moon Township, PA
B.A., University of Pittsburgh
Kimberly Martin leads the IT learning and management team at Eaton Corporation, a job that makes her responsible for the design, development, and delivery of IT training and documentation for all electrical group employees and Eaton distributors around the world. In 2007, she directed training projects delivered in China, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Finland, and the U.S. She was the project team leader for the successful implementation of a new learning management system (LMS) at Eaton. And she is only one of two electrical group representatives for all of Eaton University's learning-related projects.
"Her professional skills and business acumen build strategic relationships with other groups that promote the visibility and credibility of her teams while enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the teams' solutions," says Cindi Raffaele, senior IT learning specialist at Eaton Corporation.
 Amy McGinnis, 37
Director, Strategy and Organizational Development, HR (2 direct reports)
Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI
B.A., Alma College; M.A., Michigan State University
Amy McGinnis' leadership role in two division-wide strategic planning initiatives at Central Michigan University (CMU) entailed the development and presentation of more than 30 training workshops, as well as responsibility for guiding several academic departments through their own internal strategic planning efforts. Through it all, McGinnis "significantly contributed to the culture of strategic thinking that is emerging at [the university]," says Maxine Kent, associate VP of HR at CMU.
In her role at CMU, McGinnis also led diversity training initiatives including development of new staff orientation programs and associated marketing and awareness campaigns that later were identified as representing campus best practices by the university's administration.
Impressive though this record of achievement may be, McGinnis' personality and leadership style are what truly distinguish her. "Amy leads with her heart [and] believes in making a difference," Kent says. She is known for fostering fun, participatory learning environments, and staff and students alike consistently indicate that her programs are among the university's best at inspiring meaningful, lasting change. McGinnis is an active advisor to various campus organizations and also volunteers her time to mentor students interested in the human resources and training fields.
 Femi Olawoyin, 35
Executive VP, Training and Development (12 direct reports)
Cybaxis Inc., New York, NY
M.B., B.S. (M.D.), College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria
Femi Olawoyin developed curriculum and associated training materials for a global platform change covering seven departments. He supplied critical training to support the successful deployment of new financial processes by implementing a comprehensive change management program that he custom designed for Cybaxis. Known for his teamwork skills and dynamic classroom style, Olawoyin seems to effortlessly win over co-workers and course participants alike, according to Joe Hollaw, senior HR director at Cybaxis.
"He believes people only give their best when they feel they are part of something as opposed to merely working for someone," says Hollaw. "I have come to know him as a highly dedicated professional with great attention to detail and an indomitable drive to excel. He epitomizes my ideal of a training professional."
 Andrea Roselli, 29
VP, Design and Development (25 direct reports)
Richardson, Philadelphia, PA
B.A., Widener University
Since joining Richardson, a global sales training consultancy, in 2002, Andrea Roselli has been promoted repeatedly to roles of increasing responsibility. In her current position as VP of design and development, she leads a department of 25 associates, including custom training designers, design associates, and support personnel.
In 2005, Roselli was honored with Richardson's inaugural Spotlight Award, a colleague- nominated award created to acknowledge Richardson employees who best exemplify the key characteristics of teamwork, effort, and dedication—which the company lauds as the three indispensable ingredients required to create organizational excellence.
"Andrea is always willing to do whatever is needed to help improve employee morale, business profitability, and corporate image," says Lori Hubbs, a marketing communications manager at Richardson. "In everything she does for our company, we all have come to rely on the fact that Andrea will provide honest and direct feedback…and always exhibit [the highest degree] of professionalism."
 Katica Roy, 34
Learning and Development Representative III (2 direct reports)
Kaiser Permanente, Denver, CO
B.A., University of San Francisco; M.A., University of Colorado
Katica Roy created a product training and performance improvement infrastructure for Kaiser Permanente Colorado (KPCO) to provide accurate product knowledge to staff who interact with the organization's members, prospective members, and buyers. Her efforts were publicly recognized in 2006 when Training magazine awarded her its Editors' Picks Award for best self-directed learning program. She also won honorable mention in Bersin and Associates' 2006 Learning Leader Award competition.
Roy mentors other KPCO training professionals through brown-bag sessions, reviewing others' training programs, and sharing instructional design and human performance technology expertise.
"Katica's goal from the start has been to use her performance improvement skills to drive favorable business outcomes for Kaiser Permanente Colorado," says Patti Shank, president of Learning Peaks LLC. "She accomplished this goal by making a difference from the start, fixing problems, and educating others in her company on the importance of fixing problems rather than simply building training classes."
 Gabriella Salvatore, 37
Managing Director (37 direct reports)
Vantage Partners LLC, Boston, MA
B.A., Cornell University; M.A., Lesley University
Gabriella Salvatore is the originator of a corporate learning model widely used by her firm's clients as a training approach for skills adoption and sustained behavioral change. She also designed a four-module curriculum on leadership "foundations" that addresses the basics of managing people and workflow. And she won plaudits within her firm for converting the consultancy's corporate education practice into a profit center for the first time since its inception in 1998.
"Gabriella is driven by her passion to affect change in a meaningful way inside of organizations and to transform the way business is done," says Joel Whitman, a member of Vantage's management team and the principal member of Whitman Consulting Group. "She approaches her responsibilities as a leader in her own organization—setting strategy, developing trainers, mentoring sales associates —and as a consultant to her clients with an openness to surprise and a willingness even to falter at times and allow those moments to be her greatest opportunities for improvement. It is through this humility that she gains her greatest credibility as a young trainer."
 Rula Sater, 31
Senior Staff Performance Specialist and Coach (2 direct reports)
Miami Children's Hospital, Miami, FL
B.A., Oakland University; M.A., University of Detroit
Rula Sater led the planning and development of the Miami Children's Hospital (MCH) Leadership Institute, which develops potential leaders among hospital staff and was awarded the Gold Champion of Learning Award by a South Florida chapter of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).
Sater also leads several organizational performance improvement projects at MCH by serving as principal facilitator of group meetings and task force interventions. "Rula is a strong believer in participant-centered training," says Loubna Noureddin, a director and coach at MCH. "Her programs are highly regarded and well attended because she empowers her learners to explore and to design their learning around personal preferences."
 Mark Schneider, 39
Program Manager, Education and Training (7 direct reports)
Yale New Haven Health System - Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response New Haven, CT B.S., Ramapo State College; M.B.A., Pace University
Mark Schneider leads the education and training department of the Yale New Haven Center for Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response (YNH-CEDPR), where he is responsible for training health-care providers to respond to large-scale disasters. In 2007 alone, more than 25,000 health-care workers were trained on Schneider's systems.
Schneider is also an adjunct clinical professor in international marketing, industrial marketing, and management at several Connecticut universities. Prior to joining YNH-CEDPR, he conducted training, developed courseware, and implemented blended learning programs as a global training manager for a Fortune Global 500 learning leader. In this capacity, Schneider assembled and led an education task force for a major corporate merger with responsibilities for job role definitions and mapping, communications, change management, business process training, feedback mechanisms, simulations, and user readiness.
 Antonio Soto, 32
Training Delivery, Team Lead, and Senior Instructor (5 direct reports)
Business Objects (an SAP company), Chicago, IL
B.A., University of Phoenix
Antonio Soto combines a natural gift for leadership and finely tuned technical expertise with an indefatigable work ethic to drive the success of his instructor team at Business Objects. "Like all effective leaders, Antonio always goes the extra mile, and he does so in a way that puts his direct reports at ease," says Danielle Tomlinson, director of the company's education services for the Americas.
According to Tomlinson, not only can Soto explain the most technical of topics "in a manner that even your grandmother could understand," his high-energy classroom performances are known to rouse client participants to spontaneous cheers. In fact, says Tomlinson, "at our user conference in October 2007, all of his sessions were standing room only"—bearing testament, she says, to the emergence of an "absolute superstar."
 Rich Thompson, 37
VP, Training and Development (6 direct reports) Adecco Group North America, St. Louis, MO B.A., University of Wisconsin; Master's of Management, Northpark University
Rich Thompson leads the design and delivery of training for 6,300 full-time Adecco employees in 1,100 locations across the U.S. In 2005, he and his team developed a strategy to create e-learning modules for current and new employees. Since 2006, implementation of this modular approach has resulted in new efficiencies for Adecco, generating a 30 percent reduction in the number of annual classroom sessions required to train sales personnel and an overall reduction in training and development costs to the organization of 60 percent per year. In 2007 alone, more than 54,000 course completions were logged by Adecco's e-learning Web portal—up from a grand total of only 78 online course completions in 2006.
"As a former NFL football player, leadership comes naturally to Rich," says Jacqueline Chen Valencia, Adecco's director of public relations. "The concepts of teamwork, a coaching mentality, delivering results, and hard work are all a part of his DNA, and are now a part of Adecco's DNA because we are trained by Rich to be that way."
 Jennifer Ughetta, 37
VP, HR Performance and Development (2 direct reports)
Munich Reinsurance America Inc., Princeton, NJ
B.A., University of North Carolina; M.H.R.M., Rutgers University
Jennifer Ughetta was responsible for designing and implementing a corporate manager training curriculum for Munich Reinsurance America. She also created a leadership development program that established a formal talent pipeline for future leaders within the organization. This initiative included the development of evaluative and behavioral interviews and a formal selection process to support the identification of new talent. And she played a key role in the launch of the company's corporate university by creating workflow and procedures, identifying staffing needs, training all university employees, developing curricula, and working with senior managers to align the strategic initiatives of the university with the company's corporate strategy.
"Jen has a passion for development and a disciplined approach to process, which at various times inspires, motivates, or educates those working for her or with her," says Joy Ann Lowery of Munich Reinsurance's HR department.
 Heather Wolfe, 31
Learning Specialist III (9 direct reports)
Raymond James and Associates Inc., St. Petersburg, FL
B.S., Florida State University; M.A., Webster University
Heather Wolfe crafted a blended training program to support her organization's rollout of third-party financial planning software to more than 3,000 Raymond James advisors. In 2007 alone, the program, which combines instructor-led and online training, logged 75 classroom sessions and more than 100 online sessions firm-wide.
Twice a year, Wolfe also leads a train-the-trainer program within Raymond James that covers topics such as brain theory, accelerated learning, and the principles of adult learning. "This program has been so popular that other training departments within our firm have asked to attend," says Lisa Sankowski, a supervisor at Raymond James.
 Jennifer Yellin, 36
Director of Hospitality (15 direct reports)
Plus One Health Management Inc., New York, NY
B.A., The George Washington University
Jennifer Yellin created an innovative, companywide hospitality training initiative that provides train-the-trainer seminars and materials to program facilitators. Adopted by company leaders and now part of the vernacular, the program promotes consistent, "gold standard," caring service. She also developed an onboarding system including the design of collateral for use in recruiting and new-hire outreach. In addition to managing internal communications, Yellin also designs procedural management guides and participates in management recruiting for the company.
"She has taken an active role in transforming customer service initiatives within PlusOne…[and supporting] its expansion plans," says Mark Snyder, director of operations at Vinifera. "She is a trusted company ambassador."
They may not have won, but these awards applicants are up-and-comers worth keeping an eye on. View the Young Trainers to Watch.
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