Guest: Rachael Bourque, Director, Corporate Employability, Pearson North America
Host: Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Hall Group
In this episode of HCMx Radio, we talk with Rachael Bourque, a learning solutions leader with Pearson’s professional team, where she helps companies leverage education and tuition subsidies in a strategic way to drive frontline worker skills development. She works in a fast-paced environment where change is the norm; it is both demanding and fulfilling.
Rachael is a natural leader who has mapped out a journey that affords her the ability to be challenged, developed and rewarded. Working in male-dominated industries has led Rachael to have strong views on the importance of targeted development for women and the criticality of women mentorship in helping improve gender diversity in leadership.
Rachael will lead a panel discussion, Where Are All the Women Mentors?,
at Brandon Hall Group’s two-day event, A Way Forward: Women in Leadership, June 15-16 at the Delray Beach (FL) Marriott. Click here for presenters and agenda: http://www.brandonhall.com/WIL/
“Our brains are wired differently, and that’s not metaphorical,” Rachael said in explaining her perspective between men and women in the workplace. “To be able to understand how we learn and engage with one another truly, you have to understand the science behind the way both genders work. I don’t think women are finding everything they’re looking for today – at their organizations. And if they are, it’s few and far between. So we are paving our own way, and that’s not necessarily an easy task.”
With over 20 years of professional experience in the client services marketplace, Rachael’s responsibilities have included partnering with large organizations to devise learning strategies, educational pathways, and workplace development solutions that deliver organizational performance and business impact. Her client relationship experience spans a variety of industries, including energy, financial services, entertainment, telecommunications, retail, and restaurants.
“Some of us work in very male dominated environments, so the opportunity to emulate exceptional female leaders isn’t always readily available. And in those environments, you see a lot of women emulate men, even to the point of dress, so it’s this warped sense of reality we need to overcome to find ourselves.”
Rachael’s panel at the Women in Leadership Summit will feature women leaders from United Healthcare, Adventist Health System, Hunter Douglas, and Bloomin’ Brands.
The Summit offers female corporate leaders a community experience designed to enhance skills and share ideas. The goal is to share leading practices for creating inclusive environments to improve personal and organizational performance. Brandon Hall Group’s research has validated the need to offer targeted development opportunities for women to grow and achieve their potential personally and professionally, and to address the unique internal and external obstacles they face.
Click here for presenters and agenda: http://www.brandonhall.com/WIL/
To listen to the Rachael Bourque interview, you can download the podcast anytime at the HCMx Radio site.
–Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Hall Group @RachelCCooke