WOMEN AT
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THE TOP
Eileen Huntington
Co-founder and CEO, Huntington Learning Center
How has your life experience made
you the leader you are today? My
What do you love most about being
CEO? As CEO I get to touch so many
husband and I founded this business in
1977. At that time the tutoring industry
did not exist. There was no model to
follow. We learned by doing. It was trial
and error. At times it was scary but you
can’t let that stop you. I knew we could
make a difference in our students’ lives.
You just have to believe.
lives and see how much Huntington
has enriched them. It is so rewarding
to visit centers and see the students
whose lives we’ve changed—and it is
also rewarding to work with a franchisee and help them start a business that
will provide for them and their family
for years to come.
Role models? There are so many female
How much of your time do you
spend at that, and what are you
doing to spend more? I spend as
pioneers—Amelia Earhart, Sally Ride,
Clara Barton, Susan B. Anthony—but
most of all I am inspired by all the many
women who hold down jobs, support
families, and juggle it all with grace.
I see so many of them at our centers.
They live for their families. They are
incredible and I am always taken aback
by what they are able to accomplish.
much time as I can with our franchisees
and center staff, both at our corporate
office and traveling throughout the
country. We offer numerous trainings,
council meetings, and our national
convention, where I have the opportunity to work closely with them all.
In addition, I take a personal interest
in watching our centers break new
records. I reach out every month to
congratulate those who have achieved
milestones.
Has mentorship made a difference
in your professional and personal life? When I started, the very first
teacher that I student-taught with took
me under her wing. She helped me turn
my dream of being a good teacher into
a reality. She believed in me and she let
me take my first steps in the classroom.
I try to remember that with the women
who work for me now. I love the role
of mentor—especially with young girls
and women right out of school who are
just beginning to see the possibilities
in themselves.
Advice for young female CEO
aspirants: Work at something that
inspires you, something that you love.
Don’t play it safe. Believe in yourself
and others will believe in you.
Leadership style: I believe hiring
the right people and empowering them
to succeed. The best way to empower
anyone is to delegate to them. Identify
their strengths and show them what
you see in them. Get them to believe
they can do it. Don’t hesitate to give
feedback, both positive and negative.
SYSTEM REVENUE: $140 million
What do you like most about what
your brand/legacy represents?
NO. OF UNITS: 264
Our mission is to give every student
the best education possible, and we
have continued to strive toward that
mission for more than 36 years. It is
amazing to see how we change lives
every day.
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE: Private
FOUNDED: 1977
BEGAN FRANCHISING: 1985
YEARS WITH COMPANY: 36
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 28
What role does diversity play in
your management team? I believe
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: 0
Was becoming CEO of an organization part of your professional
plan? No. When I went to school I
planned to be a teacher. I taught in New
York and New Jersey at the high-school
level for several years, but I saw a need
that was not being met in the classroom.
So many students were struggling and
could not catch up. I knew that if they
could get the individualized attention
they needed, they could get back on
track and be successful.
having the right person in the right job
is the most important thing. If you make
your decisions based on talent diversity
will happen. Our management team is
very diverse, composed more of women
than men, and we all benefit from the
different perspectives each member
brings to the team.
If you are expanding overseas,
does being a woman affect growth?
We have no plans to expand overseas
at this time. n
Franchiseupdate
Franchiseupdate I S S U E I , 2014
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