Her Story
About Courtney
Courtney Rodriguez serves as lead consultant and project portfolio manager for Allstate's AI claims transformation program called ALLI. With almost 20 years in the insurance field, she began her career at Nationwide right out of high school in a call center handling first notice of loss. She later helped stand up the digital workplace experience team, developed the Voice of the Associate program, and led AI initiatives and product management there. After a period of self-reflection in a leadership role, she transitioned into an IT position utilizing her psychology background, which opened new opportunities in technology and creativity. Rodriguez holds a master's in psychology, having changed her major from nursing. She is focused on growing in the AI space, aspiring to leadership roles in enterprise transformations and eventually developing her own practice after earning a doctorate in psychology.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Courtney
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
When I came back to Nationwide, the AVP who hired me back pushed me to be the communications chair for an associate resource group even though I was terrified and only a month back. She said to challenge myself and learn as I go. That was the best thing because it helped me flourish and build relationships quickly instead of staying scared.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be patient with yourself, be open to learning, have a growth mindset. The most important thing is patience with yourself which leads to grace and building confidence. Also, do things afraid. If you feel nervous or anxious, that's your sign to do it. That's when you'll be most proud of yourself. Never see it as a failure, see it as a win because you'll learn and grow.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
In program project management, teams often work in silos. The way to overcome is to get everybody into a room, have a conversation, ensure we're on the same page about what success looks like, collaborate, develop communication plans and project plans, keep everybody in the loop.
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