Taking CAP on the Road: MLT Executive Programs Team Visits the Bay Area

By: MLT

MLT’s Career Advancement Program (CAP) team traveled across the country to offer multiple CAP Information Sessions in California on Tuesday, March 3rd. CAP helps high-potential mid-career professionals advance in the pipeline to senior leadership. CAP provides rising leaders with: A personal roadmap to progress toward the executive level; a high-performing network of peers from other organizations; frequent one-on-one coaching from an executive coach; and practical leadership development content based on the competencies needed to be a successful senior executive.

Aside from escaping the frigid temperatures and relentless snow in Washington, DC, we had a mission to take the CAP message on the road.  We set out on this 2800 mile journey with the goal to spread the word about MLT’s Executive Programs, particularly in the Bay Area.  The Silicon Valley area is home to more than 200 MLT alumni and multiple partners, and we aimed to expose MLT alumni and potential candidates to the possibilities in customized programming for high potential, mid-level professionals.  CAP has delivered career and life-changing results to help this particular demographic make major advances in their careers toward positions of senior leadership.

We began the action-packed day with a 9:00 a.m. CAP Information Session and breakfast at Aeris Communications in Santa Clara, CA.  Breakfast was followed by a mad dash north to host a luncheon in San Francisco at Wells Fargo, after which we darted across the Oakland Bridge to conduct an evening session at Pandora’s headquarters in Oakland.  At each of the three sessions, guests received a thorough overview of the program and participated in a Q&A segment. They also had the opportunity to build relationships with other partners, alumni, and guests.

John Rice, MLT’s Founder and CEO, delivered warm remarks to kick off the evening gathering at Pandora. Pandora’s own CEO, Brian Andrews, and Chief HR Officer Kristen Robinson, also addressed the audience to express their commitment to diversity. Erby Foster, Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Clorox, spoke about his success leveraging a customized version of CAP for the career advancement of minorities.

Patricia Hayling Price, Managing Director of Executive Programs, led the overview and facilitated a panel of CAP alumni.   Representing Google, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Clorox, these alumni brought the CAP experience to life by enthusiastically speaking about their evolution in the program.  “I was very honored to know that my company nominated me to participate in this program, and they valued me enough to invest in my future as a leader within the company,” said one panelist.  “If there’s any advice that I have for anyone that is thinking of doing CAP or sponsoring a fellow, it is DO IT!”  This earned chuckles from the audience and thumbs up from the other panelists. The night ended with both panelists and attendees mingling during a networking reception.

It was a long day, but we left feeling highly energized in response to the swell of enthusiasm from more than 150 people who had attended the sessions.  We are so grateful to Mark Taguchi, West Coast Managing Director, for leading and organizing the events, and to our partners Aeris Communications, Wells Fargo, and Pandora for being such gracious and generous site hosts.  We enjoyed our trip to the San Francisco Bay Area – we came, we saw, we had a great time spreading the word about MLT’s Executive Programs. We’re excited to see where the compass points next!