About Gina
When you’re both the student and the teacher, you see things with more clarity. Gina Furano should know that with three degrees under her belt, a background in higher education, and an esteemed career in recruitment, she’s shifted seamlessly between learner and educator. Combined with her studies in psychology and organizational leadership, these roles help Gina excel at matching the right people with the right environment. Her unique approach guides clients into stronger and more sustainable career paths.
Career Consulting Experience
Gina has a gift for guiding others to identify their natural motivations and align with a path that is both sustainable and fulfilling. Her approach is based on 20 years of interviewing and working with both candidates as a hiring manager and students as an admissions officer, career counselor, and educational consultant.
Gina is an excellent listener and relationship builder. Clients are naturally drawn to her energy which allows her to easfully create rapport and trust. This discovery process is fundamental for understanding their goals and providing effective coaching. Gina’s work is entirely customized to her client. Combining her experience, knowledge of communication styles, and various coaching models to support individuals in the most successful way for their unique needs!
For the past 11 years, Gina has worked on various projects in organizational development, executive leadership coaching, and private career & college consulting. She works with executive leadership teams & individuals to authentically enhance their leadership styles, improve processes, and increase employee engagement & productivity.
Gina assists professionals interested in changing positions/industries on how to best market their personal brand by highlighting their distinctive qualities digitally (via their digital presence LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and various job boards).
Gina spent 4 years working as a hiring manager in financial services, interviewing thousands of candidates. She was a member of the leadership team as the Director of Talent Acquisition for one of MassMutual's leading firms in the northeast. In her role at Prudential Financial, she finished her second year as the #8 of 47 ranked Talent Acquisition Managers nationwide while being a member of the management team.
Gina's recruiting career began at Excel Partner’s Temp/Admin Division, where she hit the ground running with minimal training. She managed the entire recruitment process, from taking job orders to creating an accurate and precise job description to attract ideal candidates. Gina always met with all of her candidates personally to confirm they were the right fit for the company and the company for them.
She developed her effective process of identifying the right fit both for the company and the candidate early on. Gina worked primarily on temporary assignments and had great success placing candidates in the right companies, leading to 12 of her candidates going temp-to-perm. She effectively collaborated with the permanent recruiters to ensure each candidate’s needs were met. Gina has a phenomenal work ethic.
College Consulting Experience
Gina Furano has 20 years of corporate recruiting and college admissions recruiting expertise. She began working with students as an admissions officer for seven years, including three years as assistant dean of undergraduate admissions at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering. “I read hundreds of applications and essays every cycle, she says, working particularly with students in the STEM disciplines, and developed a clear picture of the student who not only stands out to an admissions officer but also the student who can find a place for themselves in the university.”
Since 2012, she has worked as an admissions consultant, providing guidance to students and families both domestically and internationally through full life cycles of the college search. Her time at NYU developed her specialty in working with students with an interest in STEM (science, math, engineering, and technology). She helped them identify which majors were the best fit for their strengths, interests, and passions as well as which schools were best suited to their ultimate goals. She has expanded her practice working with students interested in the arts as well as nontraditional options such as cybersecurity certifications and vocational paths.
Also, working with early talent in middle school helps students get a head start. With her guidance, they can begin choosing skill-building activities and connecting with college-bound high school students and recent graduates.
“I take my students on a path of transformative self-discovery to empower them in choosing what major and university setting will be most ideal for growth and learning, she says. I feel when students are in alignment with their strengths and natural abilities, they are happiest and will have a positive impact on the world around them. I provide students with real-time career coaching if they are ready for it based on my business experience.”
Gina has helped students gain admission to Top 30 colleges and universities, including:
…and more!!!
Organizational Development Consulting Experience
In 2020 Gina transitioned back into Edtech where she served as a Sr. Organizational & Talent Development Manager. In this role she designed, facilitated and implemented a comprehensive new hire training program and has built efficiencies through the organization to sustain their explosive growth.
Gina embraces opportunities to coach, inspire, and effectively lead diverse teams. Gina values commitment to innovation, taking a customer-centric approach focused on accountability. Gina’s vast work experience has helped her to develop competencies for understanding, navigating, and improving various talent & organizational management processes in service of delivering for the company's people/talent and business performance ambitions. Beyond that, Gina understands how to manage changing requirements in a range of industries.
Gina’s Education
Masters of Science in Organizational Leadership, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY May 2009
- Cumulative GPA: 3.86 Delta Mu Delta, 2009 Beta Upsilon Chapter - International Honor Society in Business
Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY May 2001
Associates of Arts in Liberal Arts in Social Sciences, Dean College, Franklin, MA May 1999
The story behind the original Gina Furano logo
Gina is from NY originally and spent three years as Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering (then NYU Poly) in Brooklyn, NY. This was a transformative experience for Gina. This is where her foundation and passion for working with STEM students began. This is why she chose the Brooklyn bridge as it was designed by an NYU Poly Alumni. Gina helps her clients get from where they are to where they want to be. Often times this can be connecting them with career paths, people, companies, their truest passion, etc. She also chose the infinity symbol as she believes in interconnectedness. And of course, sparkle because she firmly believes life is better with sparkle and encourages everyone to Shine Bright.