Executive Vice President (EVP) at Career Certified, Rebecca Turco embodies a results-driven approach marked by high energy and passion for transforming business strategies and operations. With a career spanning strategy, operations, education development, product, and sales, Turco has consistently demonstrated her ability to deliver measurable value and execute innovative solutions that drive business growth. 

Rebecca’s journey with Career Certified began through an acquisition, where her expertise and strategic mindset naturally aligned with the company’s vision. Her extensive background in business growth and innovation has allowed her to partner with all levels of the organization, ensuring that each strategic initiative is customer-focused and forward-thinking. Under her leadership, Career Certified is meeting current industry demands and positioning itself to anticipate and shape the future of professional certification and education. 

Rebecca’s commitment to applying innovation to all aspects of business has been pivotal in Career Certified’s ongoing success. Her customer-centric vision emphasizes the importance of serving new audiences, offering enhanced experiences, and looking 5-10 years ahead to anticipate industry trends. This forward-thinking approach ensures that Career Certified remains at the forefront of the professional education industry, continually evolving to meet the needs of its diverse and growing customer base. 

Through her leadership, Rebecca Turco is transforming Career Certified into a dynamic organization poised for sustained success and industry leadership. 

Transformative Impact 

At Career Certified, Rebecca is deeply motivated by witnessing the transformative impact of their products, programs, and people on customers and the industry. The knowledge that their efforts are shaping the careers of current and future professionals and supporting their journeys is a powerful source of daily inspiration. To maintain her effectiveness and enthusiasm, Rebecca prioritizes a consistent physical and mental workout routine, recognizing the importance of taking breaks and achieving a balanced work/life dynamic. 

Early Successes and Holistic Growth 

Rebecca emphasizes that every business is the sum of its parts, and when assessing opportunities, she prioritizes the components that can deliver the most impactful results quickly. By stabilizing these key areas and achieving early successes, she creates a foundation for further growth and stability in other aspects of the business, ultimately leading to more holistic improvements in operations, revenue, and company culture. 

In her leadership approach, Rebecca underscores the importance of showing unwavering support for her team, ensuring they know she has their backs. She promotes a culture of open and honest communication, which is essential for fostering transparency and trust. Additionally, Rebecca encourages critical thinking, enabling team members to identify obstacles and connect ideas to solve challenges creatively. This approach not only empowers individuals but also enhances the team’s collective problem-solving capabilities. 

Building a Strong Foundation 

Rebecca measures success primarily through her employees’ achievements. She believes that implementing business strategies and operations is a collective effort, not solely her responsibility. By involving her team in setting and achieving goals, and providing them with insight into the company’s direction, she fosters a sense of investment and empowerment. This collaborative approach ensures that team members are actively engaged in the process, leading to greater satisfaction and success. Ultimately, Rebecca views team success—both individual and collective—as the most crucial key performance indicator (KPI), finding immense satisfaction in witnessing her teammates’ accomplishments and the pride they feel. 

Building a Culture of Leadership 

Rebecca emphasizes that ensuring operations and support functions align with the company’s strategic objectives requires ongoing communication of focused priorities. She believes in maintaining a clear feedback loop to support product and engineering teams, facilitating the analysis and fine-tuning of both products and processes. This approach leverages the diverse skill sets within the teams, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and contributing to continuous improvement. 

Rebecca champions the idea that everyone in an organization is a leader in their own right, each bringing unique strengths to the table. By fostering a culture of leadership, she focuses on harnessing these strengths and encouraging team members to support those who may be less experienced in certain areas. 

Her leadership philosophy centers around autonomy, trust, support, and empowerment. She acknowledges that no single leadership approach fits all situations but finds these principles to be broadly effective. Providing a sense of ownership, room for both success and failure, and opportunities for growth and learning motivates people to experiment, show commitment, and contribute meaningfully because they feel valued and supported in return. 

View on Industry Shifts 

Rebecca observes that the industry is currently at an inflection point marked by two significant trends shaping the future of business strategy and operations. On one hand, technology advancements like AI are still in their nascent stages, with many organizations exploring how to integrate these technologies effectively into their operations. On the other hand, the workforce landscape has undergone dramatic changes post-COVID, with ongoing debates about the merits of remote, hybrid, and in-office work environments. 

Customer expectations have also become increasingly unpredictable, adding to the complexity of navigating this evolving landscape. Rebecca believes that flexibility, a commitment to continuous learning, and adaptability in product offerings will be crucial for businesses to thrive in this environment. Those who embrace these principles are likely to emerge with positive outcomes, effectively managing the challenges and opportunities presented by these shifts. 

Work-Life Harmony 

Rebecca highlights the importance of integrating personal and professional life, recognizing that they are intertwined. Despite a busy schedule filled with meetings, she prioritizes her well-being by carving out time for early morning workouts, dinners with her husband, vacations with her family, and sunset walks with her dog. She believes that intentionally making space for these activities is crucial, as each aspect of life—personal and professional—deserves dedicated attention and care. 

Leadership Advice from Rebecca 

Rebecca views rapid change as a challenge that is largely manageable with the right approach. She stresses that continuous learning, experimentation, ongoing training, and open communication with transparency and feedback loops are essential for maintaining agility and adaptability in the face of change. 

For those aspiring to executive roles in business strategy and operations, Rebecca advises a commitment to continuous learning and curiosity. She encourages individuals to fully engage with every opportunity, even if it involves tasks that may seem repetitive or less appealing. Her message to interns underscores the importance of understanding processes, seeking improvements, and exploring new strategies to enhance efficiency and drive strategic growth. 

Website: careercertified.com