Career Observations

Andrea G. Procaccino, Vice President of Global Talent Management at Sysco

As a child, I remember the joy of climbing and swinging from one bar to another on a jungle gym in the park while my parents laughed and looked on. I didn’t approach the jungle gym with a plan per se. When the opportunity presented itself to me, I decided where to go or climb to get to the top in the most exciting, efficient way. My career has been no different. I always say that your career is a jungle gym, not a ladder. You sometimes go up or over laterally or even down a rung to go even higher to your ultimate goal. Isn’t it more exciting that way? I know it has been for me, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it!

In college, I knew that I wanted to major in one of the life sciences (biochemistry) as I found the complexity and ambiguity of science so intriguing. I knew I didn’t want to spend years and years in medical school, and as an animal lover, I knew I couldn’t work in a lab doing animal experiments. Let’s face it, I was a business suit and killer pair of heels kind of girl! So, I joined Johnson & Johnson’s Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation two weeks after college as a Clinical Research Associate and climbed the ladder in clinical research and site management. I thought in my naivety that you had one way to go: up the ladder. I didn’t even consider that you could change your career trajectory dramatically, which I would do years later. Then, I was given an opportunity at JNJ to get trained and certified in learning and development and start and grow an L&D department in their Pharma sector. This was something totally different for me, but I always enjoyed being in front of a classroom or large audience, helping them connect the dots, helping them learn through storytelling and making it enjoyable for them. And let’s face it; no one else wanted to do that, so everyone was happy to let me be the one to travel all over and do the necessary training. This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. So, I took it and grew the department to include an e-learning team, performance support, and a global presence in all regions. We won awards on the national and international stage for our work. After almost 24 years, I knew I needed to branch out and learn another industry besides pharmaceuticals. Again, I was allowed to learn a different side of business, sales and marketing, in a global consumer goods company.

Like that jungle gym, I went from a senior director at JNJ to a Regional Director role at Avon Products. This was really outside of my comfort zone!

Not only was it something completely different, but it was also a 2.5-hour commute from my home to Manhattan!

But growth comes from discomfort, and I knew I had to challenge myself to grow and learn, and I knew my skills were transferrable to another industry. After two years of transforming how they did sales training, they asked me to head up L&D in the Global Talent Management department globally for the entire corporation, and I was promoted to Executive Director, moving upwards on that career jungle gym. Again, I was learning new things and pushing myself. Every experience was another puzzle piece towards my ultimate goal of becoming a Chief Learning Officer one day. After two years, that dream became a reality when I accepted the position of CLO and Vice President of Talent Development & Diversity at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in NYC. This job was my biggest role to date. I was responsible for Training & Development, Technology Learning Solutions, Organizational Development, Recognition and Events, and by the time I left the role almost ten years later, also Diversity & Inclusion and Talent Strategy, another rung up on that jungle gym. I was stretched and challenged and grew in many ways. My skills and capabilities grew enormously.

"Don’t be afraid to climb higher on that jungle gym or even miss a run or fall off. Just jump back on and remember that only you can decide your next step. But by all means, take that step! I did, and I’ve never looked back!"

Being in healthcare and being a corporate officer of the organization during the global pandemic was also a very fulfilling experience for me and something I will always be proud of. My team worked tirelessly to support our frontline colleagues in fighting against COVID. Never did I think my leadership skills would be put to that kind of test. Four months ago, I swung up another rung and took on the exciting role of Vice President of Global Talent Management for Sysco Corporation, a leader in global food distribution. I went from pharmaceuticals to consumer goods, healthcare to food distribution. My capabilities, skills and talents were industry agnostic, and the transition to different industries has been very seamless. I learned never to be afraid of learning a new industry and all that goes into its success. To succeed, especially as an HR leader, you must also be a lifetime learner and always be intellectually curious.

As I look in the rearview mirror of my career, I realize that every role I took was a stepping stone to get me to where I am today. My biggest learnings were these: 1) when an opportunity presents itself to you, take a leap of faith and try it and learn from it; 2) believe in yourself; 3) there is learning and growth through mistakes and failure – it’s how you handle them and what you do with the learning that will set you apart from others; 4) find a mentor or sponsor and if you can’t find one, be your own advocate; and lastly and most importantly, 5) be true to your personal values. I was widowed at 32 and had a 2-year-old son. He was and always will be my number one priority. I held fast to that and stuck to my convictions about always being there for him as his only parent, and I was still able to grow my career.

Set your boundaries, communicate them, and don’t be afraid to stick to them. I always ensured I was at school events, ran him to hockey practice, etc.

Was it hard managing work and life and trying to find balance? Of course, it was. But I knew what my priority was, my north star, and I let that guide me. As I look back, I’m proud of that, and I know it had a positive impact on my son.

Don’t be afraid to climb higher on that jungle gym or even miss a run or fall off.

Just jump back on and remember that only you can decide your next step. But by all means, take that step! I did, and I’ve never looked back!

 

Healthcare

Life Sciences

Pharmaceutical

Test

Marketing