Michael Texidor

Title Vice President, L&D

Organization Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)

Location New York

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/michaeltexidor

Education Bachelor's degree, economics (St. John's University)

Favorite Quote "If you're not making someone else's life better, then you're wasting your time. Your life will become better by making other lives better." —Will Smith

Michael Texidor started out on the pre-med track as an undergraduate but soon found himself on a new path toward digital ad and revenue operations, working as a campaign manager for the New York Times and Pandora Media. That experience led him into a position as a trainer, where he built his background in onboarding and developing training courses. Texidor now runs the IAB accredited certification program and builds development courses to support the digital advertising industry.

What impact do learning initiatives have at IAB?

Professional training is a service IAB provides for our member organizations and learners across all industries, so I have a unique vantage point in seeing how it affects different companies. One of the more interesting impact areas that learning initiatives tend to influence is culture. Having access to continuing education or professional development programs speaks volumes to employees; it tells them that their company is willing to invest in them.

Many of the teams we train or put through our certification programs form strong bonds through the experience. There is a direct correlation between learning and community. We see this in our own members, who have built a network from their experiences in our L&D programs.

What are the biggest learning-related challenges you've encountered?

It is a misconception that developing education and learning initiatives are quick and simple processes. For learning to be effective, there needs to be a clear understanding of the audience and the desired outcomes. Getting the buy-in and resources to create a substantial learning program is sometimes a challenge. I find that architecting a program is usually the easy part; the difficult part is getting the stakeholders to truly understand the commitment needed to reach their goals through the program.

When it comes to L&D, the metrics for success usually do not showcase an immediate impact on the key organizational focus areas, such as revenue. There is also an investment of time that is not always taken into consideration. Communicating the impact of learning is just as important as the content of the actual training.

What role have mentorships played in your career?

I truly believe that one of the most important things a person can do in their career is mentor another person. This is why I personally practice mentorship inside and outside of IAB. Mentorship has been key to my career and has come in many forms.

I have found mentorship through my managers, co-workers, peers, and friends. Their guidance is something that has helped me when I have had to make some of the biggest choices in my career. Each mentor has provided me with a learning experience that I could not receive in a classroom. Mentorship, whether officially through a program or through a personal connection, is a strong avenue for L&D.