Rebecca Ray: Crediting MasterCard Learning with Business Success

MasterCard has established a fairly rigorous process to capture Level 1 and 2 metrics data for instructor-led and online learning. The company also conducts periodic vendor reviews to ensure course quality remains at the level it expects.

"We try very hard to make sure that the quality of the programs is outstanding, so we're constantly looking for feedback," Ray said. "It's only been a few months, but people wrote how they felt about the RoadMap to the Future. People talked about understanding the strategy in a very compelling way. It was very powerful that an awful lot of employees felt not only did they have an opportunity to step away from the 'day to day,' they had an opportunity to really understand the big picture. Second, employees resonate to managers who spend time talking to them about the larger picture, taking the time to explain things in facilitated discussions with employees.

"I think it would be fair to say that I built on the foundation that I found. If I did make a contribution, it's in helping the learning function stay very closely aligned to the business units and think about learning from a strategic standpoint. MasterCard has a long history of success from a financial standpoint. Certainly, it enjoys a very good reputation. As MasterCard begins to take a new look at the company it is evolving into, it will continue that record of success, and I will make sure that the learning function tracks along with it."

Kellye Whitney, kwhitney@clomedia.com

NAME: Rebecca L. Ray, Ph.D.

TITLE: Senior Vice President, Global Learning and Organizational Development

COMPANY: MasterCard Worldwide

SUCCESSES:

Launched the largest single learning event in MasterCard history with the "RoadMap to the Future" strategy maps for the company's global employee base, aligning its leaders and employees in an understanding of the competitive landscape, its financial/business models and its winning strategy.

Revised and relaunched MasterCard University to focus more clearly on the needs of the business units and to make the learning portal more intuitive for participants.

Enhanced MasterCard's management and leadership development programs with a variety of new programs, including the development of a new learning portal devoted to the company's leaders, which ties to the new MasterCard leadership model and corporate competencies.

Partnered with Global Staffing to design and launch a global competency-based interviewing program to help managers acquire talent against the MasterCard leadership model and the corporate competencies.