Erin F. Higgins

Creator and host of comprehensive, multimodal, learner-centered talent development programs. By inspiring continuous learning and growth, I upskill people and teams to support the speed of change, create fail-safe spaces to explore new approaches to work, and drive the evolution of organizational culture toward the attributes that attract and retain today’s top talent.

DESIGN PORTFOLIO

• https://www.efhidportfolio.com/

CONTACT

• Email: erin.f.higgins@gmail.com

• LinkedIn profile (public): http://www.linkedin.com/pub/erin-higgins/44/865/300/

• Mobile phone: +1-312-590-3928

• Mailing address: 2166 Dean Lane |  Lincolnton, NC 28092

SELECT SKILLS

• Business Simulation

• Coaching

• Consultation

• Content Creation & Customization

• E-Learning

• Employee & Group Assessment & Debrief (CliftonStrengths, DiSC®/ The Five Behaviors®, MBTI®)

• Employee Training (In-person, Virtual, Blended)

• Evaluation

• Facilitation

• Instructional Design (ADDIE, SAM, Backward Design, Action Mapping)

• Leadership Development

• New Hire Onboarding

• Program Management

• Project Management

• Sales Enablement & Training

• Succession Planning

• Video Authoring

SELECT SOFTWARE

• Generative AI: Open-source and proprietary

• Facilitation/Training: Webex, Microsoft Teams, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting

• e-Learning Development: Adobe Articulate 360 suite, Vyond, Murf.ai, Poll Everywhere, Venngage

• Cornerstone OnDemand LMS, Microsoft ShareKnowledge LMS, Glint, Qualtrics, EPIC/Wiley DiSC® Admin, Workday

WORK EXPERIENCE

Senior Consultant, Talent Development

CNA Insurance, Chicago, IL                                                              8/2018 – 6/2025

• Created, implemented, and continuously improved talent development strategy and tactics for 6,500+ hybrid employees at all levels of a global insurance carrier.

• Led design and facilitation of comprehensive sales enablement training, including a gamified business simulation.

• Created and maintained organizational framework for assessment tools.

• Designed and delivered 30+ distinct technical/professional skill development programs across all functions in the business.

• Managed HR and business partners through needs analysis, design/delivery, post-learning reinforcement, performance support, and evaluation.

• Architected and continuously updated global new hire onboarding, resulting in program completion increasing by 25% and favorability ratings by 12%.

• Provided technical support, user guidance, account management and budget oversight to all in-house users of content creation software.

Regional Director, Training & Talent Development

Levy Restaurants, Chicago, IL                                                         8/2017 – 8/2018

• Drove enterprise talent strategy for 50K+ employees at all levels across elite franchises and hospitality brands nationwide.

• Designed and implemented succession planning mechanisms and high-velocity leadership development pipelines to support rapid scaling across nationwide locations.

• Upskilled workforce through data-powered needs assessment, leadership competency frameworks, and transformative business simulations; in-house design and delivery reduced training and development spend by $10,000 annually.

• Created and deployed an online onboarding portal that boosted employee retention by 20%.

Senior Specialist, Professional Development

National Futures Association, Chicago, IL                         12/2013 – 8/2017

• Executed talent development strategy (encompassing compliance, leadership development, technical and professional skills) in the industrywide regulatory organization for the U.S. derivatives market.

• Created, facilitated, and managed immersive 2-week business simulation, replicating a complex regulatory audit with fully realized corporate functions and documentation.

• Designed and implemented collection and analysis methodology for key employee metrics (performance, retention, engagement) to drive transformative talent management toward HR KPIs.

Learning & Curriculum Specialist

DePaul University, Chicago, IL                                                        8/2010 – 12/2013

• Designed and delivered training and organizational development experiences for 1400+ university employees at all levels.

• Project-managed and delivered immersive onboarding for all new hires.

• Created and facilitated Lunch & Learn series featuring University experts on pertinent modern topics including workplace bullying, financial planning, and preventing burnout.

• Supervised, coached, and mentored 1 trainer and 5 interns and managed training budget.

Training Manager

Enova Financial, Chicago, IL                                                            10/2008 – 8/2010

• Managed training department, including staff, schedule, and budget, for 1,000+ corporate and call center employees.

• Designed and delivered technical and professional skills training.

Learner Experience Coordinator

Academic Advisor

Capella Education Company, Minneapolis, MN                            9/2003 – 10/2008

Career Counselor

JVS, Minneapolis, MN                                                                      6/2002 – 9/2003

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATES

• Korn Ferry

Leadership Architect

• Langevin Learning Services

Certified Trainer

Certified Instructional Designer/Developer

• University of Wisconsin-Madison

Master of Science, Counseling

• Northwestern University

Bachelor of Science, Human Development