Now Live : 2025 Global Most Loved Workplaces® — See the Top 100 Companies
The 2025 America’s Top 100 is live. See the list →
The 2025 America’s Top 100 is live. See the list →
Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for joining us on a brand new episode of the Leader Show with Lou Carter. Joining us today is Gregory Marino, CEO of Kaplan North America, a premier international educational services company that delivers high-quality educational and training programs to a diverse range of clients across the globe.
With that said, let’s learn what makes Kaplan a Most Loved Workplace®
Lou praises Kaplan for revolutionizing the education management industry, especially in the online space and asks Gerg what makes Kaplan a Most Loved Workplace®. Greg highlights that Kaplan is a large and diverse education provider with over 80 years of experience serving students.
It is known for preparing standardized tests, helping students get into their dream colleges and universities. Kaplan also serves professionals in various fields, such as medicine, law, and finance. According to Greg, the company’s success can be attributed to the core values of expanding educational access and leading academic innovation.
He also emphasizes the importance of a true partnership with students and educators, investing in their success and making a positive impact on their lives.
Next, Lou expresses his admiration for Kaplan’s mission and purpose, especially given the time it was founded when access to higher education was limited for women. He also highlights the vast number of students and professionals the company has served worldwide. On this note, Greg adds that Kaplan has transformed many lives, partnering with universities and K-12 institutions to help students prepare for online learning.
According to him, it may not be uncommon to encounter someone who has come through Kaplan’s programs in a social gathering or at a doctor’s office.
Moving on, Lou commends Kaplan for successfully transitioning to a remote work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining a customer focus and increasing productivity and engagement. Greg credits the team for helping with the transition and emphasizes the importance of co-authoring the transition plan, ensuring access to necessary systems, and accommodating feedback from employees to maintain engagement.
He also highlights the importance of maintaining fun elements in a remote environment, such as costume contests, trivia tournaments, and talent shows and involving families in the process to keep the employees engaged.
Lou asks Greg how Kaplan’s family values contribute to employee engagement and longevity. In reply, Greg explains how Kaplan consolidated its three major business units into one integrated organization, which posed challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous organization had internal constructs that did not align with customer needs, and consolidation enabled Kaplan to offer a wider range of products for the entire educational journey.
He mentions that Kaplan now operates as one organization, and customers have access to all offerings throughout the portfolio.
Subsequently, Lou highlights how Kaplan’s consolidation of business units aligns with the company’s values of inclusion, innovation, and transparency. Greg mentions the importance of prioritizing the customer and student experience by removing administrative tasks and focusing on their academic outcomes. He also mentions that most enhancements and optimizations are driven by the voice of the customer, which was a key factor in the decision to reorganize.
Finally, Lou Carter asks how recognizing Kaplan as a Most Loved Workplace can help the company grow. Greg highlights that in the current corporate culture, with many employees resigning, being recognized as a Most Loved Workplace can help attract and retain talent. The certification helps validate the hard work the employees put in to create a great workplace culture.
Lou and Greg go into much greater detail throughout this conversation. Thank you for listening!
