The 2024 Graduate Development Program Leaders' Summit (Europe)

The Graduate Development Program Leaders’ Summit is an annual conference for professionals who manage or support early talent development programs in Europe. Join your peers on November 13th, 2024 in London for the 2nd Annual GDP Summit. Click below to register!

GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM LEADERS' SUMMIT

Early talent development programs are globalizing. After many years of running the LDP Summit for early talent development professionals in North America, LDP Connect launched its 1st annual Graduate Development Program Leaders’ Summit in Europe in 2023. The second annual conference will happen in the Fall of 2024. If you lead, manage or support a graduate development program in Europe, join your peers for a day of connection and idea sharing with others in the region.

LDP Connect events focus on generating actionable takeaways through intimate discussion with peers. We recognize that innovation is happening everywhere in our community. Our mission is to provide a forum for people working in this important space to support and inspire each other. Click the button below to be notified when details are finalized for the 2024 GDP Summit.

Early talent development programs are globalizing. After many years of running the LDP Summit for early talent development professionals in North America, LDP Connect launched its 1st annual Graduate Development Program Leaders’ Summit in Europe in 2023. The second annual conference will happen in London on November 13th, 2024. If you lead, manage or support a graduate development program in Europe, join your peers for a day of connection and idea sharing with others in the region.

LDP Connect events focus on generating actionable takeaways through intimate discussion with peers. We recognize that innovation is happening everywhere in our community. Our mission is to provide a forum for people working in this important space to support and inspire each other. Click the button below to register or click here to become a member and save 20%. Capture the Early Bird registration rate through June 29, 2024.

What Organizations Registered for the 2023 GDP Summit?

AGENDA

Fall of 2024: London, UK

(subject to change)

08:00

Breakfast & Networking

08:30

Welcome & Introductions

09:00

Opening Keynote

Chief University Partnerships Officer at JobTeaser & Associate Professor at IE Business School

Dr. Amber Wigmore Alvarez

TBD

In recent years, many organizations have united early talent development and diversity and inclusion under one umbrella – often putting both functions under a single leader. On the face of it, this makes a lot of sense; nourish a diverse pipeline at its roots by bringing diversity to your emerging talent and building it up for the future. After all, the current generation of new recruits is significantly more diverse overall than prior generations. But is uniting these two functions the best approach to building a diverse, high-performing workforce? Some say that both functions are big enough on their own to warrant individual focus, and that diversity initiatives should permeate all generations of employees. Join Dr. Amber Wigmore Alvarez for an exploration of the increasing alignment of diversity and early talent development. Where might this alignment take us? What should we watch out for? And how can you shape the direction your organization takes regarding both functions?

10:00

Networking Break

10:15

Session A

Cloud Technical Residency Manager at Google Cloud

Alessandro Sciuto

Hub v. Decentralized? What’s the best location model?

As the reach of our program widens, and operations become more “remote,” we often struggle with how best to “locate” our programs. We love the idea of having people physically together, engaged in a strong community and benefiting from centralized resources. But we also want to meet the needs of stakeholders in diverse areas, with unique challenges and customers that a more distributed model might better address. How do we figure this out? In this session, Alessandro Sciuto, Cloud Technical Residency Manager at Google Cloud, will share his recent experience navigating both models and the interesting findings that have emerged. Learn what to consider regarding your talent pool, competition, diversity objectives and customer needs when deriving your own model. Learn how to build a location framework to mitigate risks and leverage advantages.

11:15

Networking Break

11:30

Community Interactive Session

Topic Tables: ‘Idea Snack” discussions

The landscape of managing early talent pipeline programs has changed dramatically over the past twelve months. The best help we get is from each other. What is your most pressing challenge as you navigate the new environment? Where do you need ideas, guidance or validation from your peers? Choose from several “topic tables” for open group discussion in this interactive community session. Stay with the same group, or pop in and out of these moderated intimate chats. Leave with ideas and confidence. Would you like to propose a topic for discussion?

12:30

Lunch

13:30

Session B

Early Career Programs Leader at Boeing

Paulina Leszczynska-Sek

Managing senior stakeholders in a multi-geographical, remote environment

Early talent program managers serve many “masters” and often find themselves artfully leading without authority. It’s not easy to think of any other role in business that requires the same level of senior stakeholder management. The diversity, scope and various geographies involved can make the process even more complex. Our programs depend on senior stakeholder support, and they depend on the talent our programs deliver. How do we keep things connected? Join Paulina Leszczyńska-Sęk, Early Career Programs Leader at Boeing, for an exploration of how to influence senior stakeholders in the midst of change and distance. Learn Boeing’s approach to building senior stakeholder support while smoothing cultural differences and uniting them around a vision.

14:30

Networking Break

14:45

"Rapid Fire" Session

A popular session format for LDP Connect events. Participant volunteers share a best practice, learning or challenge with the audience in 7 minutes or less. A quick exchange of actionable ideas, and an efficient introduction to others who may be wresting with the same challenge you’re wrestling with.

15:45

Networking Break

13:30

Session B

Learning Manager – EMEA Graduate Program (EGP) & Essential Skills at Veolia

Sarah Adams

Re-calibrating program alignment through design thinking

Early talent programs tend to be longer-term strategic solutions, and we need to keep them aligned with the business and the overall talent plan. Performing a realignment can be challenging given all of the moving parts and people involved in a program. How can we be both collaborative and creative in leading appropriate evolution? Sarah Adams, Learning and Development Manager at Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions, recently underwent a program re-build by facilitating a design-thinking approach with her stakeholders. In this session, she’ll introduce the group to the design-thinking methodology, showcase the benefits of using it for program calibration and shed light on how collaboration with program participants, sponsors and assignment managers can lead to deeper community, stronger engagement and a program better prepared for success.