I build manager development around what the business needs leaders to do well.

Danielle left an imprint on me far greater than she realizes. It feels like just yesterday she was a new store leader, at our company’s annual store retreat, where I told her I didn’t expect she’d be in stores long. “You’re going to find yourself with multiple corporate opportunities, and for what it’s worth, I think you’ll be great at all of them.” I still stand by that statement. I’m still grateful she chose our team. We’ve worked together for almost four years now, most of that time serving as our company’s L&D leader. She’s showcased so many incredible qualities: she’s hungry for feedback, self-directed, and creative. She’s also an amazing facilitator. It’s no surprise that she was promoted three times in her time here. She’s literally perfect for L&D. I love watching her teach others, whether its 35 store leaders at once, members of our corp team, or her direct report. Above everything else, the real reason why Danielle is special is because she made me a better person, just by being herself. She possesses a relentless optimism that is nothing short of infectious. She is completely unflappable in even the most challenging of circumstances, and it’s been inspiring to watch. When confronted with tough situations of my own, I find myself aspiring to live Danielle’s values. She’s also incredibly passionate, with a list of interests longer than most people I know. It’s clear Danielle has a zest for life, and the highlights of my weeks always featured my 1:1s with Danielle. Danielle is the glue that every team wishes they had, and she will continue to be the bar I hold L&D up to for the rest of my career.

Danielle was my manager, and she's the kind of leader who builds things that last while making the people around her better. She started our learning and development function from scratch and grew it into a global program across a lot of locations and languages. What stuck with me most was how clearly she communicated and how she always followed through. She set a direction people could get behind, coached me toward real growth, and never dropped a commitment. I'd happily work for her again, and I'd recommend her to any team that wants to grow its people. She made my first corporate experience memorable and would love to have her as a manager again!

Working alongside Danielle on the People Leadership team at Sandbox VR, I was consistently impressed by her command of her work and her ability to take complex information and turn it into something easy to understand. She has a genuine passion for systems and finding better ways of working, and she quickly became our team’s go-to leader for all things AI. Danielle not only built systems and workflows using AI automation, but generously brought the rest of us along with her, teaching us new tools and helping us incorporate AI into our own workflows. I also had the opportunity to watch her grow as a people leader, managing an Associate L&D Specialist with curiosity and empowerment while creating space for them to develop and take ownership. Danielle brought the same thoughtfulness to her presentations, which were always polished and unmistakably her own. She has a rare combination of creativity and technical curiosity, and I know she will make a meaningful impact in Learning & Development, Program Management, AI, or some combination of all three.

Danielle is an absolute pleasure to work with. Our cross functional meetings were always prepped, organized and productive. Not only is she a hard worker, she is an empathic and understanding leader. Danielle provides a positive, productive and professional environment that allows her colleagues to thrive. Her deliverables were always on time and on target. Danielle takes feedback and constructive criticism with grace when collaborating with her on all projects. Any person and/or company would be lucky to have her on their team.