Get to know Elena Cutri, the Director of Education Services at Lexis Nexis in this Women Who Wow profile.

Elena is a lifelong learner at heart and an educator by trade who partners with clients around the world to guide their software adoption strategy. She leads a team of professional trainers who create effective and engaging learning for today’s Modern Learner.

Elena is an adjunct professor at a Chicago college where she teaches public speaking and group communication skills. She volunteers as chair of a 3,000-parent network for a Special Education Resource Group in her community and leads a Girl Scout troop and teaches work-readiness classes for adults with special needs. She learns the most though from her husband and three children. Elena holds her MA in Corporate Communications from Northern Illinois University and a MBA in Marketing Management from Loyola University.

Why did you choose your profession?

My profession found me, and it never let me go! I started ‘playing school’ when I was around 8 years old and have been entrenched in any and all forms of education ever since. From teaching college courses to volunteering as a catechist to training attorneys, my 20-year career has centered on education.

In my profession of directing software training organizations, I work with legal teams to drive user adoption of technology. I enjoy aligning the ever-evolving needs of today’s Modern Learner with an efficient software user experience. My amazing team of learning professionals often innovate new and engaging methods to train our users.

I also volunteer as chair of a 3000-parent network in my community to provide educational resources for our students with special needs. I collaborate with parents and school administrators to strategically and tactically improve the student experience for these learners.

What do you wish you could tell your younger self?

  1. Identify what matters most to you. Without naming what matters, you’ll waste time doing tasks that you think you are supposed to do. For example, I know you want to be that risky person who goes skydiving for fun. Accept you’re a person who’d rather ride in a hot air balloon.
  2. Delegate more. If you feel compelled to do every item on that to-do list, get help from people who like to do some of those things. They’ll be happier and you’ll feel less stressed.
  3. It is OK to return people ‘back into the universe.’ You will try very hard to make all the relationships work, even the counterproductive ones. But, listen to your inner voice when it says that you need to release some people.

 

What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?

Take on a problem that no one else wants to solve. The challenge will force you to grow professionally and personally.

Learn more about Women Who Wow and read the profiles of all of the women featured in the series.