Rita Craig
- Over 40 years of Global Human Resources experience
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Three Lifetime Achievement Awards including inaugural HR Association of Palm Beach County Lifetime HR Excellence Award
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Chair, Florida Commission on the Status of Women
Travels From
Florida
Rita Craig Speaker Biography
"It's about being your personal best – treating everyone with respect, doing the right thing when no one is looking and leading from the heart ..."
Rita Barreto Craig is passionate about building winning cultures, creating inclusive workplaces and grooming executives to lead with a clear vision and giving heart. She has engaged audiences around the world by sharing her lessons from both the corporate world as well as a family dynamic (10 siblings!) to inspire others to be their best, embrace change and to construct their own personal and professional runway to success.
While working in corporate America for more than 25 years, Rita achieved barrier-breaking achievements: first female Division Human Resources Manager, first Diversity Director winning top honors within two years among like utilities and first Senior Affairs Advisor responsible for developing and implementing programs for a rapidly growing aging population. She also served as the corporate Equal Employment Opportunity officer for the company of more than 15,000 employees.
In 1994, Rita founded Top Tier Leadership where she continues to share her expertise on critical areas such as strategic planning, mentoring, leadership and respect in the workplace. She frequently delivers keynote addresses and conducts highly interactive C-level retreats. She is an author, TEDx speaker and business consultant who believes in servant leadership as seen by her extensive community and industry involvement.
Having trained over 100,000 individuals in creating respectful workplaces, she guides leaders on how to create cultures that work – for everyone. She was appointed by the Governor of Florida to serve two terms on the Florida Commission on Human Relations where she served as Chair for six years. This opportunity allowed her to further the Commission’s purpose of promoting fair treatment of and equal access to opportunities for all Floridians in regard to employment, housing, public accommodations and private club memberships. Rita also helped the Commission encourage mutual understanding and respect among all Floridians by reducing intolerance, antagonism and intergroup tension through education, legislation and enhancement of public awareness.
In 2016, Rita was appointed to the Florida Commission on the Status of Women, which is responsible for guiding the Governor and Cabinet in the area of women’s issues. She has served two terms as vice-chair and currently is chair of the 22-person commission.
Rita’s reputation as a consummate professional has awarded her numerous honors from respected sources such as the South Florida Business Journal, HR Florida, North Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce, Executive Women of the Palm Beaches, SER Jobs for Progress and The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. She is the proud recipient of four lifetime achievement awards, including the Joachim De Posada Lifetime Achievement Award for speaking impact and influence.
To book Leadership and Business Culture speaker Rita Craig call Executive Speakers Bureau at 901-754-9404.
Kiss Your Status Quo Goodbye: How to Succeed in a Changing Workplace
Today’s workplace is a crucible of rapid-fire change; work from home, freelance and multi-generational workforces, shifting values, technological advancements... It’s enough to make your head spin. Do you have what it takes to not only survive, but rise to the challenge and LEAD? In her trademark down-to-earth style, Rita explores the up and coming workplace trends with a focus on equipping both employers and employees for imminent change.
Lead with Empathy
The best leaders are at the top of their game as professionals, learners, and leaders that foster loyalty and a spirit of collaboration; in short, they are people that employees love to work for. Disruption is all around. Will you be the kind of leader demonstrating qualities that drive success, builds engagement and produces results? When you look at leaders, we’ve come from a time when leaders held back. What they knew and you didn’t made them smart. Today, leaders are authentic, they live to bring out the best in others and most importantly, they care. Lead from the heart. It’s your competitive advantage.
Respect In The Workplace
Success is determined by more than just great products and service. Creating a work environment that maximizes the potential of every employee is equally—if not more–important. Our workshops and consulting services address the impact of diversity, what it takes to create an inclusive work environment, an understanding of select employment laws, promoting mutual respect, effective communication skills, and developing an action plan for change. Workplace investigation services are also offered.
HeRoes without the Capes
Virtual in a flash, social media overload, mobile technologies that are endless…virtually every aspect of how we do business is in a constant state of flux. Old rules are being rewritten and social cohesion is Plan A. What’s an HR pro to do? Find out for yourself how to not only keep up with the changes but to excel in the ever-evolving realm of the HR professional.
There's No Place Like Work
Our cherished traditions bind us together. They touch us deeply, help us connect across generations and expand our potential as human beings. Rita shows you how to harness the power of traditions to transform your workplace, turbocharge employee engagement and realize productivity gains that you never dreamed were possible. Building on a touching tradition from her childhood about little brown lunch bags for her and her 10 siblings, Rita explains why 70 percent of employees have become dissatisfied with their current work environments. Learn how to the put the right traditions in place to lead business transformation and redefine what's possible when everyone works together.
I Showed You So…Lessons from Mom about the Business of Life
Do you wonder whatever happened to good ‘ol common sense? You’ll be sure to find out when you join motivational speaker Rita Craig as she talks about her book, I Showed You So – Lessons from Mom about the Business of Life. In her book, Rita takes a fun and insightful trip down memory lane, sharing what it was like to grow up in a house with 14 people and detailing fundamental life lessons she learned from her mother along the way. A bit of a romp at times, her book is much more than simply entertaining. In her own unique style, Rita connects these life lessons with today’s business climate in a way that is direct and hard-hitting. This will be a time of laughter and learning with one of the most engaging speakers around.
