Snack World - November 2015 - (Page 12)

Legislative Summit EMERGING LEADERS Emerging Leaders Program a Success Attendees share leadership skills and industry insights BY SARAH HUBBART Participnts in SFA's inaugural Emerging Leaders Program experienced three days of leadership training and networking opportunities. 12 Snack World O ctober brought nearly 50 young professional leaders representing 27 companies from across the snack food industry to Washington, DC for the first Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), hosted by the Snack Food Association (SFA). During three days of educational presentations, networking opportunities and plenty of snacks, the inaugural class went home equipped with tools to help them become future leaders of the industry. The event was a unique forum with dynamic speakers and engaged, ready-to-learn participants. Attendees included a mix of individuals currently serving management roles in manufacturing, administration and sales. During the conference, held Oct. 27-29 in Washington, DC, participants heard from eight speakers who encouraged them to fully engage in every segment of their own organization and identify opportunities to become active in other industry roles. Topics included leadership training, communication skills, SFA's policy issues in Washington and real-world problem solving. "The Emerging Leaders Program helped attendees understand that while some of the issues being discussed might not seem to affect them directly, it is important to continue to November 2015 www.sfa.org expand your knowledge to be an effective leader for the industry," explained Tom Dempsey, SFA president & CEO. The ELP class learned from MBA-level speakers including Robert Bias, a professor at Georgetown University and founder of the Executive Master's in Leadership program at Georgetown's McDonough School of Business. He spoke about ensuring team effectiveness in the workplace and led team-building exercises to illustrate the lessons learned throughout the meeting. "Success demands singleness of purpose," Mr. Bias said, quoting Vince Lombardi. "Team success requires constant focus." The group also received negotiation training taught by Professor Douglas M. McCabe, who distributed an extensive packet for the "Executive Negotiation Skills" session and also led interactive mock negotiations. Mike Mears, founder of the CIA Leadership Academy, brought leadership training to the group and explained tactics that proved effective during his time serving as commander of a nuclear missile site, a general's aide and as a US Army combat platoon leader in Vietnam. The US Department of Agriculture's Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Christensen provided an over- http://www.sfa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Snack World - November 2015

Snack World - November 2015
Table of Contents
Letter from SFA - Engaged and Energized
Government Affairs - Legislative Outlook
Emerging Leaders - Emerging Leaders Program a Success
ELF Recap - ELF Builds Momentum
Business Member Profile - Putting People First
Associate Member Profile - Ideas and Solutions
SNAXPO Preview - Saddle Up for Success
Products & Services
Ad Index

Snack World - November 2015