Natalie McCullough joins fast-growing platform for employer-backed education as Fortune 500 doubles down on workforce development
Guild Education, a certified B-Corp on a mission to unlock economic opportunity for America’s workforce through education and upskilling, today announced the appointment of Natalie McCullough as President and the company’s first Chief Commercial Officer. McCullough joins Guild at a time when leading Fortune 500 companies are ramping up education investments to attract, retain and upskill employees. Enrollment in Guild’s programs, which support employees at Walmart, Chipotle, Lowe’s and more, have increased by more than 25 percent during the pandemic.
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“The profound upheaval we have witnessed in the labor market is driving unprecedented employer investment in human capital. Those investments are creating a unique opportunity to help employers equip workers with critical new skills — and chart new pathways to economic mobility,” said Rachel Carlson, Guild Education Co-Founder & CEO. “This is a position that’s very important to our work, and I’m so excited to welcome Natalie to Guild. Natalie brings 25 years of experience leading cross-functionally at every stage of maturity — from true startups to Microsoft. Many of the companies she’s worked for have oriented towards the same future of work we think about at Guild, and she brings incredible wisdom and operational skills to our team.”
In response to growing employer demand for upskilling and reskilling solutions, Guild has doubled the size of its learning marketplace to include more certificate programs and bootcamps, as well as expanded upskilling and reskilling programs focused on the most in-demand technology skills, skilled trades, healthcare and language training. Employers have also increased their focus on equity and inclusion in their education and learning programs, supported by Guild’s addition of Paul Quinn College, an innovative Historically Black College and University (HBCU), as well as increased support to help Fortune 500 Human Resources and Learning and Development teams to evaluate and measure their education programs with a diversity and inclusion lens.
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McCullough’s hire will galvanize Guild’s efforts to help employers adapt their education and learning programs to meet new corporate demands for upskilling and reskilling, along with adapting their education and L&D programs to ensure equitable outcomes for all employees. McCullough will join the leadership team and oversee Guild’s enterprise sales & partnerships, client services, B2B marketing, employer solutions and professional services teams.
“I’ve focused my professional life on opportunities that drive innovation and growth, and I am incredibly excited to join a company focused on doing well while also doing tremendous good,” said Natalie McCullough, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Guild Education. “I look forward to helping our team continue to scale its impact, while addressing the profound challenges — and opportunities — for the students and employers with whom we work.”
As a veteran executive leading companies building for the future of work, McCullough has spent the last 25 years working with companies at all stages of maturity, driving rapid growth and leading key functions, including operations, sales & revenue and marketing. She previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Domino Data Lab, a data science platform used by over 20 percent of the Fortune 100. Prior to Domino, Natalie was a General Manager at Microsoft where she oversaw two People Analytics product businesses, My Analytics and Workplace Analytics, growing the businesses from validated idea phase to at scale products over a four-year tenure.
In her new role, McCullough will oversee Guild’s deep collaboration with employer partners focused on developing and implementing new and expansive investments in learning and education as a corporate strategy.
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