Behind the Scenes, Leading the Way: Rachel Portela’s Journey to the metroConnections C-Suite

Rachel Portela had a stark realization shortly after starting her internship at metroConnections in the summer of 2009: “It was a lot more glamorous in my head than it actually was when you’re doing the hard, dirty, behind-the-scenes stuff,” she explains. Portela was helping with exciting events, but that meant long days on site, plenty of physical work, and many ad hoc responsibilities.

But she loved it. She listened to college friends complain about their first jobs. “And I was just loving what I was doing,” she recalls.

Seventeen years later, that enthusiasm for the sometimes-unglamorous, behind-the-scenes work has helped carry Portela from summer intern to Chief Operations Officer (COO) of metroConnections.

And her willingness to take on the hardest jobs — even when they fall outside her conventional responsibilities — is central to how she leads.

Learning the business from the ground up

Portela’s early years at metroConnections showed her what it takes to make complex events happen. She pitched in wherever she was needed before moving into a coordinator role supporting the Target account.

That’s where she began working closely with Andrea Murphy, now metroConnections’ Chief Administrative Officer. “Andrea always took me under her wing,” Portela recalls. “She taught me everything I know about being detailed, and I still make my lists the same way she makes her lists.”

Portela built her career across event services, production, and client-facing roles, developing a broad understanding of the business through firsthand experience. “My path definitely hasn’t been a straight line,” she says. “I started in events, pivoted to production because I loved it, and then followed a client I really enjoyed working with.”

For Portela, the freedom to explore different roles and follow her interests kept her energized and engaged. She also learned the importance of speaking up about where she wanted to go next. “I shared with my leaders what I liked,” she says. “I realized early on to not assume that leaders know what you’re thinking. Clear, proactive communication gives them the opportunity to understand and support you.”

Today, she encourages employees to take a similar approach to their own development. “I think you can make each journey your own,” she explains. “I try to remind our team members that their career does not have to follow a straight path. Growth can come from trying something new, changing direction, or taking an opportunity you didn’t originally plan for.”

Leading with experience and understanding

As COO, Portela now oversees operational teams responsible for delivering the seamless experiences metroConnections clients expect. “I have held many different positions at this company,” she says. “So I would say that I lead by experience.” But she also recognizes that effective leadership means knowing what she doesn’t know. “The biggest thing about my leadership is surrounding myself with other leaders that have more talents than I do in some areas so that they can bring fresh perspective to me,” she explains.

That openness extends to how she handles challenges. “I don’t like defensive leadership,” she says. “I like to understand, ‘Where did that come from?’ Because what I find is that if you really dig into stuff, you can understand people more.”

Portela calls out how becoming a parent changed her approach to leadership. “I think I became a better leader after I became a mom,” she says. “Kids really teach you how in life, you can’t control certain things.”

Above all, her approach is grounded in respect for the people and roles that contribute to the company’s success. “Every team member and position is important to make everything run,” she says. “If you treat others with respect, I find that it goes a long way.” Portela believes the care and attention given to internal colleagues should be just as intentional as the effort invested in delivering exceptional client experiences. “Yes, the client is our focus, but our internal team is also super important,” she explains. “If you can prioritize both, you’re in a really good spot operationally.”

That people-first approach doesn’t mean avoiding difficult decisions. “I’m a people person, and I like to be a people-pleaser” Portela shares. “But sometimes when you have to think like an owner, it’s making hard calls to better the organization.” That means recognizing opportunities for growth while also being willing to question whether certain activities are worth the time and resources they demand. It’s a perspective reinforced by the company’s employee-ownership culture, where everyone has a stake in making sound business decisions.

Making the behind-the-scenes work better

Over her 17 years at metroConnections, Portela has watched the company grow from a smaller operation, where employees often developed their own ways of working, into a more specialized organization with increasingly sophisticated systems and processes.

That experience informs her priorities as a leader. Portela has championed operational improvements such as adopting Smartsheet and creating a company-wide tracking systems, helping teams collaborate more effectively and spend less time navigating disconnected systems. “Innovation isn’t always about introducing new technology,” she says. “Sometimes it’s about challenging how we work today and finding smarter, more effective ways to operate.”

For Portela, these improvements are about giving employees the tools, resources, and structure they need to focus on the work that matters most: delivering great experiences for clients.

Growing together

Portela credits the longtime colleagues and relationships she’s built at metroConnections with helping her grow into her leadership role. “I think you can take for granted how reliable some people are,” she says. “They’ve helped me grow to where I am today. I don’t take that for granted at all.”

The company’s transition to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) has given that shared commitment even greater meaning. “We were already one team,” Portela explains, “but now there’s a financial benefit to being one team.”

She says employee ownership makes the company’s successes feel even more rewarding, from delivering exceptional client experiences to celebrating record-breaking months. Everyone has a direct stake in the results of their collective efforts.

“You’re playing in the game at all times,” she says. “You’re not just scouting other teams.”

She’s also seen her relationship with Murphy evolve. Their roles have changed considerably since their days working together on the Target account. Today, Murphy focuses on business operations and the employee experience, while Portela leads the operational teams responsible for delivering client experiences. But the relationship remains rooted in the same mutual trust and support that helped launch Portela’s career.

Creating opportunities for the next generation

Looking ahead, Portela hopes to help a new generation of employees who are just starting their careers today grow into top performers and leaders, just as she once did. “I love finding natural leaders that take care of people,” she says. “A mindset of helping others is a huge way to be a leader.”

After 17 years, Portela knows better than most that creating exceptional events takes hard work, adaptability, and a willingness to do whatever needs to be done behind the scenes. And now, as COO, she wants to make sure the next generation has the same opportunities to find fulfillment in that work that she did.

“I think the culture of metro is what makes it special,” she says. “So I want that culture to remain at the forefront of why people want to work here.”

Words At Work

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