Association Insights: Innovative Industry Outreach

The NexGenLeaders program helps these future executives hone their management skills, teaches them proven strategies for maintaining a successful life/work balance, and offers opportunities for significant peer interaction and developing business building relationships with others of their own generation.

Each year of the program includes four day-long workshops, where participants receive real world business management training from industry-based instructors and experts with hands-on knowledge of the skills needed to run a successful 21st century graphic communications company. Topics include managing financial and manufacturing operations; identifying, hiring, and managing top performers; developing strategic business, sales, and organizational plans; and building management and leadership skills.

Three of the quarterly workshops will be intensive training at various sites around the country, while the fourth session will comprise an on-site facility tour, operational analysis, and best practices assessment at a leading industry company. The inaugural session was held in Atlanta, GA, in February; the next is being held this month at New York University in Manhattan.

Candidates for the NexGenLeaders program must be sponsored by an NAPL member company, be willing and able to make a three-year commitment to the program, and hold a position within the sponsoring company where they can apply the processes they learn. There are no age requirements, but candidates must have at least three years of industry experience, and have been identified by their sponsoring company as an up-and-coming executive in the industry. Fifteen companies have already enrolled leadership candidates in the first year of the NexGenLeaders program.

For information on any of these NAPL programs, please contact David Fox at 800-642-6275, ext. 6357. To learn more about the full range of NAPL membership programs and services, please call 800-642-6275 or visit www.napl.org. Joseph P. Truncale is president and chief executive officer of NAPL. Reach him at 800-642-6275, ext. 6310 or jtruncale@napl.org.