“My decision to pursue my Master of Science in human resource counseling with Northeastern, was driven by my interest in pursuing career advancement opportunities. I was working in human resources and recruiting at the time, and wanted to expand my knowledge” says Cheryl Haynes, MS’94 with a smile while reminiscing about her Northeastern experience. “It was quite helpful in allowing me to do that after completing my master’s degree.”
Haynes has had a long and illustrious career working in human resources—for over two decades, she held leadership positions in the corporate HR sector of prominent companies like State Street Bank, CVS, MetLife, and Citizens Bank. Currently, she runs her own coaching and consulting practice, Achievementor LLC, that specializes in CEO peer advisory mentoring in addition to leadership development content design, facilitation, and coaching executives and small groups.
After Achievementor’s launch in 2019, Haynes has developed a track record and reputation for elevating the careers of high-level executives across companies of all sizes, both public and private, through utilizing strategies in mindful leadership, team dynamics, and group coaching. However, Haynes credits her Northeastern degree as the foundation for these strategies—all of which have compounded into a success story.
“When I was pursuing my degree, I had been introduced to the concept of emotional intelligence. It has become the foundation of my work as an executive coach. Following my graduation, a book on the subject was published by Daniel Goleman, launching his reputation as one of the founders of emotional intelligence,” she says, beaming. “Fast forward to [2023], I was engaged by a large health insurer client to facilitate an emotional intelligence workshop for their C-suite level team. This was a major investment in leadership development for them. It was important enough that they brought in a guest speaker, Daniel Goleman himself, to speak on the topic of emotional intelligence, via Zoom!” radiates Haynes. “I was a big fan his book, and then fast forward 30 years later, I was debriefing the concept with C-Suite leaders following his presentation on Zoom.”
With her full-circle Northeastern moment in conjunction with her natural talents for coaching and elevating one’s career path, Haynes offers advice to both enrolled Huskies and young working professionals. “When uncomfortable, you’re on to something,” says Haynes with conviction. “Always make sure that you engage to get the best possible answer and to be comfortable with discomfort—as you advance your career and get to the next level of leadership, there will be things you need to learn.” Keeping that in mind, Haynes and her wisdom is a catalyst in helping the next generation of Huskies prosper.
Learn more about Achievementor, LLC
Always make sure that you engage to get the best possible answer and to be comfortable with discomfort—as you advance your career and get to the next level of leadership, there will be things you need to learn.
Cheryl Haynes, MS’94