Once a teacher, always a teacher.
Paula Singer ? once a classroom teacher ? has helped to educate nearly 35,000 students around the world as the chief executive officer of Laureate Online Education.
“I don?t think I?d be a great business person in another field ? my passion is around education,” she said. “If my students aren?t successful, we haven?t done the job.”
Singer?s company, part of Baltimore-based Laureate Inc., offers online degrees, targeting professionals. To stay ahead, Singer cites meeting with her customers and partners as a top priority.
“We stay very close to both the students and the employers to anticipate where the jobs are going to be, and we develop our programs to meet those needs,” she said.
Singer?s strategic global vision propelled her division?s success while attracting international universities and institutions to Laureate?s network of educators, including Walden University, the University of Liverpool and Universidad del Valle de Mexico.
Yet, at the same time, staff members say she maintains close contact and connection with them from day to day.
“It?s not unusual for her to have knowledge of the priorities, challenges and frustrations of directors and managers across varying levels of the organization,” said Senior Vice President Linda Leftrict, who reports to Singer. “She creates expectations of interdependence.”
Singer acknowledges her ability to “get the right people on the bus,” using the words of “Good to Great” author Jim Collins.
“There is no person that can run a business alone,” she said. “You have to get the whole classroom to work together as a team if all individuals are going to win.”
As part of one of Maryland?s largest public companies, Singer enjoys the accountability that comes with having shareholders.
“Like other schools, we do the best job we can for our students,” she said. “We just happen to have shareholders that are invested in the students being best-served and loving the institution. We plow our profits right back into the business, to the benefits of the students.”
In this world where knowledge can be currency, Singer said she believes there is still much more educating to be done.
Yes, still a teacher.
