LDP Connect is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.
14th ANNUAL LDP SUMMIT AGENDA
May 7th & 8th, 2025
At the Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH
Pre-Conference Workshops: Tuesday, May 6th, 2025 (separate registration fee)
Workshop
8:00 am
Hosted by
520 Vine St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
Pre-Conference Workshop: How to Build (or Re-Build) a Quality Early Talent Development Program
Offered again in 2025 due to popular request! Getting a program started on the right footing can make all the difference between success and trouble. With the LDP Connect maturity model as a backdrop, this full-day workshop will get you focused on the key foundational questions to setting up and running an impactful (and measurable) early talent development program. With an emphasis on clarifying your program’s goals, you’ll be guided through considering proper program structure, curriculum design, and community building among stakeholders. If you’re new to the world of early talent development programs, or if you’re looking to re-vamp an existing program that may need recalibration, don’t miss this workshop. Facilitated by early talent development experts at Wronski Associates – a firm with 40 years of experience building and running early talent programs.
Main Conference Day 1: Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
7:45 am
Breakfast & Networking
8:15 am
Welcome & Introductions
8:30 am
Opening Keynote
Product Marketing Strategist, Board Advisor and LinkedIn Top Voice in Thought Leadership
Archita Fritz
Elevate, Evolve, and Energize Your Early Talent Program: Leading with a Product Mindset
Most early talent programs start strong: clear direction, top recruits, enthusiastic managers, and early wins. But as the business (and leadership) changes, challenges can surface—focus erodes, the program’s impact plateaus, and internal support wavers. It’s not just about recruiting and developing talent anymore; it’s about evolving, proving value, and aligning with the ever-changing needs of the business.
What if you could lead your program like a product—constantly iterating, building a brand that resonates on campus and within the company, and turning alumni into your most powerful ambassadors?
LDP Connect is pleased to welcome Archita Fritz as our opening keynote speaker. A product marketing strategist with deep expertise in human resources and talent development, Archita brings a fresh, strategic lens to program leadership. Whether you’re launching, growing, or refining your program, her insights will empower you to strengthen your brand, boost alumni engagement, and position your program as a critical driver of business success.
9:30 am
Networking Break
9:45 am Concurrent Session 1A
Global Head, Internship Experience Program at SAP
Christine Archer
Insights Driving Influence: Practical applications of understanding the minds of participants
Research has recently helped us pinpoint the inclinations and limitations of a brain younger than 25. Armed with this insight, we can make a difference in our programs. Join Christine Archer, SAP’s Global Head, Internship Experience Program, as she shares the steps SAP has recently taken, based on these insights, to better equip participants for success. Discover how to design a curriculum that resonates with the incoming generation – particularly when your L&D department’s offerings don’t cover all of the bases. Learn how to prepare assignment managers – who often lack an intuitive grasp of what motivates their new employees – to leverage their potential. While we may have limited control over the learning outcomes and overall performance of our programs, this newfound understanding can empower us to exert greater influence than we realized.
Concurrent Session 1B
Project Services Manager at Georgia-Pacific
Kurtis Carlin
Maximizing Impact: Scaling Early Talent Programs with Limited Resources
Are you feeling pressure to do more with your early talent programs without the resources to match? Maybe you’re being asked to develop more participants, expand program offerings, or assume accountability for alumni career progression—all while being stretched thin. Join Kurtis Carlin, Project Services Manager at Georgia Pacific (and only part-time early talent program manager) as he shares how to do more in a world of dotted reporting lines. In this interactive session Kurtis will discuss practical strategies for leveraging your program’s support community and optimizing every available resource. Whether you’re balancing multiple roles or navigating budget constraints, learn how to maximize scant resources to scale with intention.
10:45 am
Networking Break
11:00 am Concurrent Session 2A
Senior Manager, Aetna Sales Development Programs
Cristal J. Pitre
In Their Shoes: Bridging the Gap Between Program Vision and Execution
Program strategists craft ambitious blueprints, while program managers face the practical realities of implementation. This gap is especially evident in the transition from planning to execution. It can become glaring when the strategist is thrust into the implementation role. As the saying goes, “You don’t know what it’s like until you’ve walked a mile in someone else’s shoes.” Cristal Pitre experienced this firsthand while leading Talent Development for emerging sales leaders at CVS Health/Aetna. After consulting on program redesign & curriculum, she was given the opportunity to execute her recommendations as the program leader. Her journey highlighted the disconnect that can occur when strategy and implementation are performed independently. Join Cristal for a discussion on how planners and administrators can better align to ensure that both visions and resources lead to practical, impactful outcomes. Learn how strategists can consider practical limitations and how program managers can guide strategists in deploying resources effectively.
Concurrent Session 2B
Vice President, Manager, Early Career Development at Fifth Third Bank
Jennifer Doyle Baker
Ready for Liftoff? Accelerating your participants' transition from college to corporate
Many have noticed Gen Z’s struggle with the shift from college to the corporate world. Sometimes it feels like everything is being slowed down – participants aren’t ready for our program’s core developmental opportunities until they can master the basics we assumed they already knew. How can we help them thrive faster? Jen Baker and her team at Fifth Third Bank have created “Launchpoint”—a dynamic, digitally-enabled learning experience integrated into all of the organization’s LDP’s – that amplifies cross-functional collaboration and accelerates participants’ understanding of banking, Fifth Third’s mission, and financial health and wellness. Join this session to learn how cohort-based learning, and a little productive competition, can speed your participants’ success.
12:00 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm
Concurrent Session 3A
Senior Practitioners’ Meeting – Moving Forward Together
Concurrent Session 3B
Functional “Club” Roundtables
2:15 pm
Networking Break
2:30 pm
Concurrent Session 4A
Manager, Onboarding & US Early Career at Alcon
Abbey Brewer
Externship Excellence: Could it work at your organization?
Ready to supercharge your program’s diversity pipeline? Maybe you’ve considered creating an externship program but have been scared away by the potential hurdles. This session, led by Abbey Brewer, Manager of Onboarding & Eary Career at Alcon, is your guide to overcoming internal hurdles—like leadership buy-in, budget constraints, and competing priorities—to create an externship program that attracts and grows high-quality, diverse talent, and then funnels it into your program. Hear about Abbey’s journey to rally leadership around a vision, forge powerful internal and external partnerships, and design programs that deliver real value for participants and Alcon. Packed with actionable tips, real-world examples, and strategies to maximize impact, this session will leave you inspired and ready to act.
Concurrent Session 4B
Panel Discussion
Moderated by Parker Pell of:
Senior Manager of Emerging Talent at Bunge
Katie Flaschar
Global Operations Management Leadership Program Manager at GE Aerospace
Bianca Castagna
Senior Director, Global Early Talent Programs at Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dianne Davidson
The Right Move: The Science & Art of Matching Participants with the Optimal Opportunity
Matching early talent program participants to the right next assignment can feel like solving a constantly shifting puzzle. Despite leveraging data, there’s always an element of intuition involved. But what if you could bring more structure—and confidence—to your process? Join Parker Pell of Abode HR as he moderates a panel of experienced early talent program managers with various approaches to rotation matching. This session will break down two key factors in making a great match: identifying the right assignment and finding the right manager—because the best role doesn’t always come with the best leader. You’ll learn from the panelists and each other on different approaches to rotation alignment. Walk away with actionable strategies to refine your matching process, ensuring better outcomes for both talent and teams—without feeling like you’re just rolling the dice!
3:30 pm
Networking Break
3:45 pm
Rapid Fire Session
Rapid Fire Session
5:00 pm
Evening Reception
Main Conference, Day 2: Thursday, May 8th, 2025
8:00 am
Breakfast & Networking
8:30 am Plenary Session
Sr. Consultant & Trainer at Wronski Associates
Rich Trombetta
President at Wronski Associates
Steve Wronski
Exploring AI’s Impact on Early Talent Programs: Bots as "trusted colleagues and coaches"
The potential of AI to enhance early talent programs is both exciting and, at times, overwhelming. Across our community, professionals are already leveraging this transformative technology in creative and impactful ways. Building on the momentum of last year’s AI keynote—which inspired the Wronski team to explore new AI tools—this engaging session will focus on using AI as a “trusted colleague and coach.” Through hands-on demonstrations and interactive discussions, we’ll explore new AI tools, examine real-world applications, and tackle the challenges of integrating AI as a professional and leadership development tool in early talent development programs. Join us as we turn curiosity into actionable insights and chart a path toward the future of early talent development.
9:45 am
Networking Break
10:00 am Concurrent Session 5A
Early Talent Program Manager at ABB
Rose-Anne Gabriel
Early Talent Program Manager at ABB
Amber Lawrence
From Twisting Arms to Patting Backs: Building co-creative relationships with program stakeholders
It’s clear that your programs create value for the businesses you support – at least it’s clear to YOU. If you’re feeling more like a salesperson than a talent partner; or if your senior stakeholders are acting a little too much like finicky consumers instead of collaborators, you might need to change your approach. Rose-Anne Gabriel and Amber Lawrence, talent managers at ABB, have spent the past year transforming relationships with their stakeholders in the multiple businesses that they serve. By understanding and addressing the specific concerns of each diverse unit, they have shifted the dynamic from selling to co-creating, and are now reaping the rewards. Attend this session to learn specific tactics on turning stakeholders into partners, reducing unproductive conflict and accomplishing more without more resources.
Concurrent Session 5B
Head of Early Talent Pipeline at AbbVie
Kate Neal
Don’t Fumble the Hand-Off: Building Better Program Offboarding Processes
The transition from program participant to independent role can make or break success—for the individual, for the business and for your early talent program. Make it smooth and you get engaged, productive professionals serving the business for years to come. Get it wrong and your program participants may bring their newfound value to some other organization. In this important session, Kate Neal, Head of Early Talent Pipeline at AbbVie, will lead a discussion on navigating the crucial handoff between the program and the business, while sharing how her own team has evolved its approach from a formal “Bridge Program” to a more integrated and extended post-program preparation experience. Leave with insights from the group on how to bridge the gap between program and practice like a pro.
11:00 am
Networking Break
11:15 am Concurrent Session 6A
Global Program Lead, Early in Career at Genesys
Julie Caines
Global Talent, Local Impact: Addressing business complexity in a single cohesive program
Designing a successful early talent development program that spans multiple locations (and possibly cultures) requires a careful balance between global consistency and local relevance. How specific can you get without compromising the unity of the program – or overstretching your resources? This session, led by Julie Caines, Global Program Lead, Early in Career at Genesys, will explore how organizations can create a centrally managed early talent program that resonates across diverse geographies (whether global or domestic), aligns with varied business priorities, and earns the support of local leaders. How do we earn buy-in from stakeholders and participants and rally them around a vision, while supporting their unique interests in our programs?
Concurrent Session 6B
Early Career Talent Manager at Saint-Gobain
David Knutson
Beyond the Gut Check: A Scalable Model for Confident Participant Allocation
It can be challenging to determine the proper allocation of program participants across the various business units our programs serve. We often find ourselves relying on anecdotes, outdated precedents, and guesswork when sizing and allocating. But as programs grow, these methods hold us back. Saint-Gobain North America recently experienced a tripling in program size and needed to revamp its talent allocation approach. In response, they developed a strategic, data-informed model that leverages business feedback, historical site performance, and future CAPEX forecasting, improving program sustainability. Join David Knutson, Early Career Talent Manager at Saint-Gobain, for practical insights and discussion on adapting and evolving talent allocation during times of significant change.
12:15 pm
Lunch
12:15 pm
Special Team Lunch
Facilitated Team Workshop
New for 2025! Mastermind Lunch for Teams
Bring colleagues from your organization, and work as a team alongside early talent teams from other organizations in this professionally facilitated mastermind workshop—co-led led by our opening and closing keynote speakers! Accomplish for your team what busy schedules often prevent during the year. All organizations sending four or more people to the LDP Summit will have access to this bonus session. Details to come!
1:15 pm
Community Interactive Session
Topic Tables: "Idea Snack” discussions
2:15 pm
Closing Keynote
Belonging & Culture Expert, and Former Vice President of Sales Process Surveillance at Synchrony
Shawntà Hooks
Mindful Influence: Building and Leading Community within Early Talent Programs
In every moment, you’re influencing—whether it’s new ideas for your program, navigating participant concerns, or your showcasing your own potential. But what if the secret to true influence and connection wasn’t about pushing harder but about being more present?
Join Shawntà Hooks, an award-winning leader and Fortune 100 executive with 20 years of experience, for an electrifying session that blends mindfulness with practical strategies to unlock your persuasive power. This is not your typical keynote—get ready to move, feel, and transform. Through dynamic storytelling, guided meditation, and an innovative AI simulation, you’ll dive into real-world scenarios that show how mindfulness can help you build and lead the stakeholders in your early talent program community.
This immersive experience is designed to evoke emotion, spark creativity, and empower you to navigate even the toughest conversations with confidence. Don’t just attend—experience the power of mindfulness to transform how you connect and lead.
3:15 pm
Close and Networking
THE GREAT AMERICAN BALLPARK
100 Joe Nuxhall Way
Cincinnati, OH, 45202
Enter Stadium at the Terrace Level Club Entrance ↓
Questions? Please contact Susie.Likovic@LDPConnect.com
FAQ's
Why attend a conference for early talent development professionals?
Because you need support and validation! The life of an early talent development professional is challenging. You hold together a community of people at multiple levels of seniority, and the stakes are high. Early talent developers are coaches, sales people, recruiters, career counselors and brand managers all wrapped into one. The job is big and no one understands you better than your peers. Invest in attending the conference and you’ll walk out with ideas, friends and a whole bunch of positive energy.
What's unique about the LDP Summit?
Although our conference includes content related to early talent acquisition, we are not a “campus recruiting” conference. The LDP Summit was founded in 2012 to focus on early talent development and how to optimize the structured programs that exist to promote it. There are no university career services professionals at the LDP Summit, and the vast majority of our content is produced and delivered by members of our community – other early talent development professionals like you.
What content does the LDP Summit cover?
Here is a link to the agenda of this year’s conference. You can also see past agendas for 2023, and 2022. LDP Summit sessions cover many tactical issues in running successful early talent development programs, and often tackle larger strategic questions about early talent development in general.
What if I have more questions about the Summit?
If you have more questions about the LDP Summit or about the LDP Connect community, please contact us at membership@LDPconnect.com.
Is there a group discount?
Yes! If you send more than one person, you get a 5% discount on all attendees. Please contact Susie.Likovic@LDPconnect.com for the team discount coupon code. ALSO, if you send at least four people, your full team will be invited to our exclusive Team Workshop session designed for attending teams from the same organization. Bring your colleagues and build something together.
Some Participating Organizations
LDP Connect includes professionals from many of the world’s marquis employers, including 40% of the Fortune 100.
