Behind the Cube: Gerren Bennett, Sr Sales Representative

Questions and Answers:

Tell us a bit about you and your career journey at McGraw Hill.

I am a husband and father of two beautiful children. When I first started with McGraw Hill in my early 20's, I was introduced to the industry by a mentor who was aware of my passion for both education and business. The balance of education and business practices in my role allow me to thoroughly enjoy working as a sales rep with McGraw Hill!

I started as a representative with McGraw Hill in 2008, supporting districts in Los Angeles county and a few counties on the southern California coast. About a year into this role, my territory changed. My primary focus, and account, was one of the company's largest accounts in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Over the years, a few additional districts and schools have been added, but throughout the company I am primarily known for my work in supporting LAUSD.

I have a dynamic partner and am currently one of two representatives supporting LAUSD. In addition to supporting LAUSD, I support most charter schools in the Los Angeles area along with a few other districts in Los Angeles county. The consistency in being allowed to focus on this territory for an extended period has been instrumental in the relationships I've been able to forge over the years.

What has been your favorite memory or accomplishment during your time at McGraw Hill?

My favorite memory at McGraw Hill are the countless colleagues that have become close friends that I can count on both inside and outside of work. In fact, we typically refer to our team as our "MHE family," given the close ties and bonds that have been built! There is such a great culture at McGraw Hill and many of my colleagues are genuine and kindhearted individuals that are passionate about education. It does not feel like work when I'm able to work alongside a team that I care for, respect, and admire, and who share common goals on working in the best interest of educators and students.

My most memorable accomplishment occurred roughly 10 years ago when our Los Angeles area team was able to work closely with countless departments through McGraw Hill to secure and support the largest sale in publishing history. There was quite a bit of work that occurred, but it was extremely rewarding to facilitate this with the support of so many internal teams.

What does a typical workday look like for you? How has your work changed due to COVID-19?

Prior to COVID-19, the one thing that I would always tell people that I loved about my job was that no one day ever felt the same. I loved the ability to go out and meet with a wide array of educators. Prior to COVID-19, I also had a team of educational consultants that were instrumental in our success in covering the large number of accounts that I support in the Los Angeles area. I truly enjoyed overseeing this small but mighty team as we worked to ensure our clients were properly supported.

With the start of the pandemic, our sales team moved to a work from home model. Many reps were accustomed to doing "office work" from a home office, however that work was only a small portion of our day. While it was an adjustment to work solely from home, this work was helpful in creating practices that I will utilize moving forward to ensure that I am maximizing my day to be as productive as possible.

What are some of your favorite hobbies or activities outside of work?

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, and sports. I love coaching youth sports and am grateful that my son and daughter are currently at the age where I can coach them along with other neighborhood youth.

What would you tell a job seeker about working at McGraw Hill to encourage them to apply?

McGraw Hill is a great place to work. There is a culture that is second to none that brings out the best in all employees. We all feel a part of the McGraw Hill family and are Red Cube Proud!

At McGraw Hill, helping students learn, grow, and unlock their full potential is a team effort. Whether we work in product development, marketing, sales, engineering or elsewhere in the company, each of us makes an impact.