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CARA CEO to Moderate “Innovation in the World of Talent Development” Forum

By Commitment to Community, News

We are excited to share that CARA’s President and CEO Michelle Reid-Powell will be serving as moderator at Southeastern Wisconsin’s Association of Talent Development’s (SEWI-ATD) “Innovation in the World of Talent Development” forum on October, 27 at Kohl’s headquarters in Menomonee Falls, WI.

Michelle will facilitate a dynamic morning of discussion on innovation, and what it means in the context of talent development strategy.

“At CARA, we help our clients ensure their workforce is future-ready, so it is critical to understand how emerging approaches, technologies, and skill requirements impact talent development,” explained Michelle. “I’m looking forward to sharing the research and can’t wait to moderate this amazing panel of experts.”

Business leaders on the panel include Jay Anders, Vice President Talent Management & Development at Molson Coors; LaShonda Hill, Vice President HR Contact & Transaction Center at ABM Industries; and Jill Whitfield Wooley, Global Learning & Development Director at Kohler Co.

For more information on this forum and to purchase tickets, link through here.

 

Nina Kuhlman Joins as Marketing Director

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We are very pleased to announce that Nina Kuhlman has joined The CARA Group as Marketing Director. An advertising, media and marketing veteran, Nina brings wealth of expertise in both brand building and demand generation in professional services.

“We are excited to bring Nina on board as we continue to build a leadership team that is highly experienced and focused on our clients’ changing needs,” explained Michelle Reid-Powell, President & CEO.

That focus was acknowledged recently by Training Industry, which recognized CARA as a top 20 custom content developer. This is the one of multiple awards CARA has earned in 2023.

One of Nina’s goals includes building a resource library that clients and the industry can turn to, featuring new insights in learning and development, organizational change management and digital transformation.

“The work CARA is doing in these areas is so important to business leaders managing today’s complex workplace,” said Nina. “I’m looking forward to helping CARA continue cementing the solid relationships we have with clients and showcasing our solutions with new ones.”

To learn more about CARA’s consulting solutions, link through here or please feel free to contact us.

Introducing Our New Vice President of Solutions: Melissa Noonan

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Introduction

It is with great pleasure we announce the promotion of Melissa Noonan to Vice President of Solutions. With her exceptional skills, experience, and dedication, Melissa has established and grown our Project Solutions line of business, enhancing CARA’s ability to make an impact on our clients through the creation and delivery of turnkey project solutions.

A Client-Centric Approach to Success

As the Vice President of Solutions, Melissa will ensure the Project Solutions Team continues to deliver the client-centric approach that CARA is known for through customized change management and learning solutions that are specifically architected to achieve client results.

A Background of Excellence

Melissa brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Prior to CARA, Melissa held several strategic leadership roles in broader Talent Management, Learning, and Change Management roles.

Throughout her career, Melissa has shown exceptional leadership skills, fostering collaborative environments that encourage teamwork, creativity, and open communication. Her commitment to excellence is not only reflected in her professional achievements but also in her dedication to continued learning and development. She is a strong advocate for staying informed in order to ensure that CARA’s solutions remain relevant in an ever-evolving business landscape.

Building a Stronger Future

Melissa’s contributions have led to a significant milestone in The CARA Group’s growth and development, and we look forward to continued expansion of our award-winning Project Solutions under her leadership.

“We are excited to have Melissa as an integral part of our leadership team, and we look forward to the positive impact she will make on our clients’ success stories. Her promotion not only represents a significant milestone for our company as we expand our Project Solutions offerings, but also serves as a testament to our commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and equal opportunities for all.” said Allyson Carter, SVP, Talent Management.

CARA Client Ace Hardware Wins 2023 ATD Excellence in Practice Award

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The CARA Group is pleased to announce that our client, Ace Hardware, has won the 2023 ATD Excellence in Practice award in the Onboarding category for their Retail Support Center (RSC) New Hire Onboarding Training program.

Nick Zahos, Manager of Training, Onboarding, and Culture – Retail Support, had this to say “Ace Hardware is extremely proud to be recognized by the Association for Talent Development for our Retail Support Training and Onboarding Program. It took a complete team effort, from the corporate office staff to the Retail Support Center leadership to the individuals on the floor, to produce a program that enhances the training and retention of our new hires. The success of this program has opened several other avenues in the training, onboarding, and engagement arenas for Ace, and we are continuing to look for ways to make a positive impact. At the center of it all has been our partnership with CARA, and their fantastic consultants. CARA has had a solution for all our needs, and I look forward to continuing to partner with them.”

Michelle Reid-Powell, CARA’s President and CEO, said “We are incredibly honored to have supported Ace in achieving the ATD Excellence in Practice award. This recognition is a testament to the power of collaboration and the transformative impact of effective learning solutions. This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication and trust of our client, and the leadership of our consultant, Eileen Terrell. This award is a validation of our shared commitment to excellence, and we are thrilled to celebrate this milestone together.”

Congratulations to Nick as well as to the Ace and CARA team!

The CARA Group Named to Training Industry, Inc. 2023 Top 20 Custom Content Development List

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The CARA Group is pleased to announce that we have been named among Training Industry’s 2023 Top Custom Content Development companies.

“We are proud to once again be recognized by Training Industry, Inc., as we believe this award speaks to our commitment to understand the unique needs of each client, and design, manage, and deliver best-in-class solutions to drive workforce performance,” said Michelle Reid-Powell, CARA President, and CEO.

“This year’s selections for our Top Custom Content Development Companies list offer quality customized training across a wide range of subject areas, topics and industries, as well as a range of custom services and processes,” said Jessica Schue, market research analyst at Training Industry, Inc. “These organizations offer high-quality instructional and curriculum designs to increase learner engagement while at the same time bringing in tools, features and processes to help solve the needs of their clients.”

Selection to this year’s lists was based on the following criteria:

  • Breadth and quality of content developed and services offered.
  • Industry visibility, innovation, and impact in the learning services training market.
  • Client representation.
  • Business performance and growth.

Contact us to learn more how CARA can partner with you to help you achieve your learning goals.

About The CARA Group

The CARA Group is a consulting firm focused on change management, learning, and communications solutions that enable the workforce of the future. Our unparalleled commitment to the success of our clients and consultants makes CARA solutions unique. https://www.thecaragroup.com.

About Training Industry, Inc.

Training Industry (https://trainingindustry.com) is the most trusted source of information on the business of learning. Our authority is built on deep ties with more than 450 expert contributors who share insights and actionable information with their peers. Training Industry’s courses, live events, articles, magazine, webinars, podcast, research, and reports generate more than 10 million industry interactions each year, while the Top 20 Training Companies Lists help business leaders find the right training partners.

 

 

Announcing Our Q1 2023 PURE Award Winner

By News, PURE Award Winners

We are pleased to announce the Q1 2023 winner of the PURE Service Award: Dan Epstein.

Dan is a Senior Instructional Design Consultant whose expertise in instructional design and development, videography and video direction contributed greatly to the success of our global food and beverage client’s drive-thru optimization projects.

Dan’s work with our client and the team was instrumental in the project’s success. He was able to translate our client’s needs and requirements into actionable tasks. He found a more effective and less costly alternative for filming drone footage, and even traveled across multiple states to be on location to ensure the success of the video shoot. His collaboration with the team of consultants was pivotal in moving the work forward and the resulting overall success of the project.

Dan was very adaptable to changes throughout the project and used many of his skills to ensure the video met the needed professional standards.

The client had this to say about Dan and the team’s contributions: “Thanks to all of you for the support and guidance along the way with all four videos. It was a really good team, and I am so pleased with all that you have done. THANK YOU!!! It has been an honor working with such a talented group of folks.”

 

CARA’s PURE Service Program provides a unique way to measure success and evaluate how well our consultants’ service delivery meets our clients’ needs. CARA’s service delivery process is based on the PURE service philosophy and consultants are reviewed quarterly based on how well they demonstrate our PURE values: Professionalism, Understanding, Responsibility and Excellence. CARA’s consultants are nominated based on client feedback, PURE evaluations, and team interaction with the consultants. After careful consideration of each candidate, CARA selects the PURE award recipients. The PURE award program is the foundation of CARA’s culture, aligning us with our clients’ and consultants’ values in service excellence.

 

Announcing Our Q4 2022 PURE Award Winner

By News, PURE Award Winners

We are pleased to announce our latest winner of the PURE Service Award: Stacy Porcelli.

Stacy is an Organizational Change Management Consultant whose expertise in change strategy and communication proved to be the perfect solution for our global pharmaceutical client.

Stacy’s work with our client’s IT organization included aligning leaders on benefits and guiding principles to establish ownership and accountability, as well as empowering program sponsors to act as change agents that role model behavior and communicate changes to their team members.

The client had this to say about Stacy’s contributions to the project’s success:

“Stacy provides originality, creativity, proactiveness and user experience risk insight. I would definitely work with her again on another program or project. She consistently reaches out to engage myself and team to gain a holistic point of view to better understand how she can lean in. Stacy helps create a space for us to identify shared roadblocks and a forum for us to quickly strategize ways to overcome them. On several occasions, she has created a forum for us to share what we are experiencing and without being asked in 24 hours has turned around a tool/template for both workstreams to leverage.”

CARA’s PURE Service Program provides a unique way to measure success and evaluate how well our consultants’ service delivery meets our clients’ needs. CARA’s service delivery process is based on the PURE service philosophy and consultants are reviewed quarterly based on how well they demonstrate our PURE values: Professionalism, Understanding, Responsibility and Excellence. CARA’s consultants are nominated based on client feedback, PURE evaluations, and team interaction with the consultants. After careful consideration of each candidate, CARA selects the PURE award recipients. The PURE award program is the foundation of CARA’s culture, aligning us with our clients’ and consultants’ values in service excellence.

We Are Thrilled to Welcome Ginny Coulthard and Paula Teich to CARA!

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The CARA Group is pleased to announce the hiring of two new members to our Project Solutions team: Ginny Coulthard, Senior Organizational Change Management (OCM) Manager, and Paula Teich, Learning Engagement Manager. Ginny and Paula will report to Melissa Noonan, Senior Director, Project Solutions.

“We are thrilled to have Ginny and Paula as part of the CARA team”, said Melissa. “They are both extremely talented professionals who have great experience, and, most importantly, they also epitomize CARA’s PURE values.”

Ginny Coulthard

Ginny is a Senior OCM professional with over 25 years of business experience and extensive expertise in change management, strategic planning and implementation, information technology, business process mapping and measurements, data analytics and reporting, and program/project management.

Her deep experience streamlining operations using change leadership and influencing skills optimizing systems and business processes coupled with her collaborative, results-oriented approach, enables her to help individuals, teams, and organizations navigate change and deliver impact.

Paula Teich

Paula is a Learning and Development professional with over 20 years of business experience in learning solutions design, team leadership and direction, needs analysis, instructional design, curriculum design and development, and project/program management.

As a growth-minded team player who demonstrates a keen understanding of her clients’ business priorities and challenges, Paula accelerates results through relevant learning solutions that deliver impact.

The CARA Group, Inc. Welcomes Our New Controller, Eileen Spulak!

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The CARA Group is pleased to announce the hiring of Eileen Spulak to the position of Controller. Eileen reports to CARA’s President & CEO, Michelle Reid-Powell. In this role, she will focus on leading the Accounting department to ensure CARA provides the highest levels of satisfaction for all stakeholders.

“I’m thrilled that Eileen has joined the team and am confident that she will lead our Accounting function with professionalism, efficiency, technical excellence, and an eye toward the future”, said Michelle.

Eileen comes to CARA with over twenty years of accounting experience including streamlining processes and maximizing efficiencies, strengthening financial stability, and initiating growth. She also has extensive leadership and management experience, and a true passion for execution.

Eileen has a BBA with a concentration in Accounting from Loyola University, Chicago.

Announcing Our Q2 2022 PURE Award Winners

By News, PURE Award Winners

We are pleased to announce our latest winners of the PURE Service Award: Nicholas Hutchings, Denise Jeffries, Janet Kearney, Ramona Soto Stevenson, and Sherrill Voegel.

Nicholas Hutchings

Nicholas Hutchings is an ERP Instructional Designer and his proven expertise in instructional design, system implementation and ERP experience has been a huge asset to our client’s project needs.

The client had this to say about Nicholas: He is a strong communicator able to deliver effective messaging at all levels within the organization from SME to VP. Not only does he demonstrate an extreme sense of urgency and is proactive, but the standard also that he imposes on himself goes well beyond expectations. Consultatively, he can determine areas of most importance and pursues them with tenacity. This project is constantly evolving, and Nicholas has taken on a team leadership role, leads by example, is proactive, brings order to chaos in a systemic and logical manner, and has great EQ. His business savvy and ERP experience are amazing, he consistently demonstrates creativity in overcoming roadblocks, and has poured himself in becoming part of the solution. Nicholas has gained the respect and trust of all our team. and is my right hand.

Denise Jeffries, Janet Kearney, Ramona Soto Stevenson and Sherrill Voegel

Denise, Janet, Mona, and Sherrill are instructional designers and have proven time and time again their expertise, collaborative style and creative solutions have been nothing short of beneficial to our client’s needs.

The client had this to say about Denise, Janet, Ramona (Mona) and Sherrill: Over the past several years the criticality of strong Instructional Designers supporting my Change Management team has been vital. We have had two transformational projects impacting thousands of global employees. How lucky we have been to have four amazing CARA Instructional Designers part of the team. Mona, Denise, Sherill, and Janet are integral members helping to create and update thousands of SAP training materials while also going above and beyond by providing areas for improvements and leveraging new tools to deliver adult learning. There is no task we cannot give one of these four that they won’t tackle with excellence. It is also unique to have so many similarly skilled consultants on the same project/team. Mona, Denise, Sherill, and Janet strong camaraderie and support for one another bleeds over into the work they deliver for my team. Individually and collectively, they exemplify CARA’s PURE values and we are honored to have them part of our team.

CARA’s PURE Service Program provides a unique way to measure success and evaluate how well our consultants’ service delivery meets our clients’ needs. CARA’s service delivery process is based on the PURE service philosophy and consultants are reviewed quarterly based on how well they demonstrate our PURE values: Professionalism, Understanding, Responsibility and Excellence. CARA’s consultants are nominated based on client feedback, PURE evaluations, and team interaction with the consultants. After careful consideration of each candidate, CARA selects the PURE award recipients. The PURE award program is the foundation of CARA’s culture, aligning us with our clients’ and consultants’ values in service excellence.