Rachel Verstegen

Spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive Training & Talent Development department from ground up within the Human Resources division, addressing a critical organizational gap.

Transformed the department into a fully operational business unit complete with budget development, strategic vision and mission aligned with HBS's overarching mission and goals, hire and lead a team of high-performing training professionals, implemented a full functioning learning management system, and improved reporting and visibility to training and certification metrics and data driving increased performance and increased revenue through partner programming initiatives.

Oversee the design and implementation of learning programs from Intern, to hired, new leaders, hi-potential development, and executive coaching.

Partner with cross-functional business units to recommend high quality, sustainable training programs including certification attainment, professional development, technical skills, succession planning and performance improvement coaching. This includes third-party vendor management, building strong relationships with senior and executive leadership and having strong business acumen skills to address cross-functional skill development needs.

In partnership with HBS's C-suite and Harvard Business School, I implemented a program for selected Director and VP level employees seeking to build skills necessary to promote to next level.

Support CHRO, Manager HR, and HR Business Partners with compliance training, performance management, succession planning, engagement surveys, 360 assessments, DiSC as a mechanism to understand yourself and others fostering informed and meaningful professional relationships, and development of core competencies for leaders using Korn Ferry 38 competency model

Ongoing pursuit to foster a mindset of continuous learning and growth as part of each individual's mindset and the overall culture at HBS.

Founded and led Didion's inaugral learning and development department within the Human Resource function, serving as a key member and trusted advisor of the Executive Leadership Team.

Reported directly to the Vice President of Shared Services and CHRO, entrusted with executing a comprehensive L&D strategy aligned with organizational goals.

Subject matter expert working with the ongoing investigation and government guided program to improve and provide documentation, training data, records, and advise on improvements made to exceed government and regulatory compliance mandates.

Key Deliverables -

• Coordinated engaging training sessions to enhance employee skills and knowledge.
• Implemented learning management system to streamline training processes, data, evaluations, reports.
• Facilitated workshops focused on leadership development and team collaboration.
• Collaborated with department heads to identify staff development needs.
• Monitored training effectiveness through surveys and assessments.
• Established strong relationships with external vendors to provide specialized training services.
• Partnered with HR colleagues to ensure that Learning and Development initiatives were aligned with overall talent management strategies.
• Revamped outdated training manuals by incorporating interactive elements such as videos, quizzes, real-life scenarios to keep learners engaged throughout the process.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop effective training materials and resources for various departments.
• Coached managers on effective techniques for providing constructive feedback during performance reviews leading to improved employee performance.
• Assessed employee skill gaps and developed targeted training interventions to close those gaps, improving overall performance levels.

Led a global team of Training Specialists, contractors, and interns across Romania, Mexico, China, Thailand, and U.S. headquarters, driving enterprise-wide learning and development initiatives.

Directed training strategy and execution across key functions: Global Manufacturing, Engineering, Continuous Improvement, Operational Excellence, Corporate Quality, Audit, and Trade Compliance.

Built strategic partnerships with global leaders and SMEs to align training programs with business objectives and compliance standards.

Identified capability gaps and implemented targeted training solutions to reduce risk and optimize ROI.

Designed Plexus’s first enterprise-wide training evaluation framework using the Kirkpatrick Model, supporting data-driven decisions for 20,000+ employees.

Launched Plexus’s first global translation strategy, enabling training delivery in 32+ languages.

Introduced the company’s first Training Project Management tool to streamline development, delivery, and performance tracking of training programs.