Company Background: A Complex Industry with Evolving Compliance Needs
Williston Financial Group (WFG) is a title insurance and real estate settlement services company that must navigate complex regulations, including state insurance, banking, and real estate guidelines. With over 1,370 employees across 181 cost centers in 33 divisions, the organization requires a highly adaptable and compliant training program.
Christina Gutierrez, Compliance and Training Specialist, CPTM, plays a pivotal role in managing WFG’s compliance training. As the LMS Administrator, Course Curator, and Data Analyst, she oversees system functionality, designs and delivers training content, and ensures accurate reporting for audits and regulatory requirements. She also assists in developing policies and procedures to align training initiatives with compliance requirements. Alongside her manager, Theresa Williamson, SVP Compliance, National Training Manager, they form a dedicated two-person team responsible for maintaining an effective training program that supports both compliance and professional development across the organization.
The Challenge: A Small Team Driving Scalable Training Solutions
With only two people managing training for a diverse workforce, Christina and Theresa navigate several challenges. They oversee 145+ evolving policies and procedures, many of which require annual or bi-annual updates and compliance tracking, all while addressing the unique learning preferences of a multi-generational workforce.
As the company continues to grow and evolve, onboarding and ongoing training remain a priority. Adapting to workforce transitions, they ensure new hires quickly gain the knowledge needed to succeed while also preparing for complex audits like SOC2, Vendor Audits, and the Model Audit Rule (MAR). Keeping training engaging and up to date is a continuous effort that supports both employee development and regulatory excellence.
“With so many different generations in the workforce, keeping everyone engaged and ensuring they absorb the material is a real challenge. Each group learns in its own way, so we have to find creative ways to make training effective for everyone.”
– Christina Gutierrez, Compliance and Training Specialist, CPTM, Williston Financial Group
Objectives: Aligning Training with Business Priorities
WFG has three key priorities for its training program: ensuring compliance, making training more relevant and engaging, and enhancing leadership development for employees.
First and foremost, compliance training is non-negotiable. WFG has a corporate mandate to maintain a 90%+ completion rate for all assigned training across divisions and cost centers. Given the industry’s heavy regulatory burden, training has to be consistent, up to date, and accessible to all employees. Failure to meet compliance requirements can lead to audit failures, financial penalties, and reputational risk.
With employees spanning multiple generations—each with different learning styles—it is crucial to offer content that is both relevant and engaging. The goal is to deliver role-specific training that aligned with individual job functions, ensuring employees felt the content was valuable rather than just another checkbox to complete
Beyond compliance, WFG recognized the need to invest in leadership development. Christina and Theresa want to equip emerging leaders with the tools and confidence to grow into their roles effectively. This means providing structured development programs and making leadership training more widely accessible.
Implementation: A Strategic Shift toward Scalable Training
Rather than relying solely on in-house content, Christina and Theresa continue to curate a library of 300+ courses from OpenSesame, covering essential compliance topics, leadership development, and industry-specific regulations.
To ensure all employees remain compliant, Christina and Theresa mapped training paths based on job roles, ensuring each employee received only the necessary training. By integrating OpenSesame courses, they were able to provide timely, regulation-aligned training on topics such as fraud prevention, data security, and anti-harassment policies.
In the name of continuous improvement, Christina and Theresa implemented a rigorous tracking and reporting system to analyze training effectiveness. They used key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:
- Compliance Pass Rates – Monitoring completion and assessment scores to identify employees who needed additional support.
- Audit Preparedness Scores – Evaluating employee readiness through internal assessments tied to external audits.
- Training Efficiency – Tracking the average time spent on courses and pinpointing bottlenecks to streamline training.
- Engagement Metrics – Monitoring login frequency, time spent on courses, and interaction levels to adjust training content accordingly.
By analyzing engagement trends, Christina identified that interactive elements such as quizzes, real-world case studies, and short-form video content significantly enhanced learner engagement. As a result, WFG redesigned its training approach to incorporate more scenario-based learning, increasing effectiveness.
Beyond compliance, Theresa is focused on facilitating a leadership development program. Profit center managers were given the autonomy to nominate employees for leadership tracks, and employees are encouraged to request additional training to expand their skill sets.Through structured leadership modules and self-directed learning opportunities, Christina and Theresa help employees develop essential skills in customer service, sales, and cultural awareness. Employees now have greater access to career growth resources, leading to a more engaged workforce.
Results & Business Outcomes: Measurable Improvements in Compliance, Engagement, and Efficiency
Through its partnership with OpenSesame, WFG achieved a 40% improvement in compliance adherence across departments, leading to significant cost savings in fraud prevention and reduced regulatory penalties. Additionally, the company experienced a 10% improvement in SOC2 audit preparedness, driven by more targeted role-specific training and enhanced reporting capabilities.
The training process became significantly more efficient, dropping from 8 to 6 hours per employee for a total savings of 2,740 hours or over $78,000. Employees recognized the impact of these changes, with one new hire stating, “I very much value the training and the kind help from all of you. It’s so useful when onboarding.”
Employee engagement levels also surged by 30%, thanks to the integration of interactive learning elements such as short videos, quizzes, and scenario-based training. Training satisfaction scores rose by 15%, as WFG leveraged learner feedback to shorten and refine course content for better comprehension. Additionally, OpenSesame’s catalog saved countless administrative hours for Christina and Theresa, allowing them to focus on strategic training initiatives.
“Investing in compliance and fraud prevention training has led to significant cost savings. It’s incredible to see how proactive training can make such a substantial financial impact.”
– Christina Gutierrez, Compliance and Training Specialist, CPTM, Williston Financial Group
Looking Forward: Continuing Innovation in Compliance and Learning
WFG continues to expand its training initiatives with OpenSesame. The company has already developed a custom course called “Investigation” using Simon, OpenSesame’s course creation tool, making training more concise and engaging by incorporating visuals and short videos. Christina plans to further leverage APIs to automate manual data entry, allowing her and Theresa to focus on more personalized training for their multi-generational workforce.
