Held in winter and summer, the semiannual meeting is a great opportunity to address the issues and opportunities that the program is facing, develop closer relationships with peers, network with guests and discuss topics of interest for the company and the team. Personal growth and development are also part of every semiannual meeting.

Our most recent semiannual meeting was held in Wilmington, DE at the DuPont Country Club. The meeting focused on leadership for growth. At this event we felicitated MLDP alumni that have rotated out of the program into full time roles within DuPont. To read more about their profiles please click here. We also hosted a golf scramble and tennis tournament which ended in a social event that allowed us to interact with senior management, managers and mentors associated with the MLDP program. 

The relationship that you develop with your assignment manager is essential to your success in the company and effectiveness in the business. Program participants choose to meet regularly to make sure that everything is going well and to address potential issues early. Most participants meet with their assignment managers weekly, depending on availability and the nature of the assignment.

The role of Program Directors and the MLDP Program office is broad and includes:

• Setting the recruiting strategy and managing the recruiting process
• Working with businesses to assure quality assignments for participants
• Finding the right rotations and career assignments in which to place participants
• Coaching and informal mentoring of participants
• Renewing and administrating the performance management system
• Managing the day-to-day aspects of the program.

As a result, program participants are in close and regular contact with Program Directors and the Program Office to keep them updated on the status of their assignments and their career goals. To learn more about the program office, click here.

DuPont is full of bright, successful professionals with many years of experience in their fields. You will have access to both cutting edge thinking and developments within the corporation through a series of brown bags organized by the Program Office. Recent guests include Chad Holliday, Chief Executive Officer; Diane Gulyas, Group Vice President, Performance Coatings; Tom Connelly, Executive Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer; and Ann Gaulteri, Vice-President - Corporate Strategy.

Program participants meet informally, usually for lunch, to discuss anything from last night's basketball game to the challenges that they are facing in their assignments. The environment is one of collaboration and it is common to see peers sharing information, thoughts and contacts across businesses.

"A business is only as strong as the people leading it and a General Manager's #1 role is to develop our future leaders. That is why I devote a portion of my time as a mentor for the MLDP. It is a great way to help bring corporate understanding and knowledge to people who have the potential to be key leaders in DuPont. It is also a great way for me to get to know the people in MLDP, as I look to fill leadership roles in my business for the future."

Mark P Vergnano, Group Vice President, Safety and Protection