“The guidance we got in being able to select the right course for our level and what we were trying to communicate was very valuable.”
—Barbara Barkley, Director of Human Resources, Holden Industries
INDUSTRY: Diversified manufacturing
# OF EMPLOYEES: 1,200
HEADQUARTERS: Deerfield, IL
Business Challenge
As Baby Boomers at Holden Industries, Inc. began to retire from the company, the loss of top talent would create leadership gaps in the firm’s diversified manufacturing subsidiaries. “We realized that we needed to…set a formal process in place to develop future leaders in the organization,” says Barbara Barkley, Director of Human Resources at Holden.
AMA Solution
Barkley worked with AMA Enterprise to create a custom training curriculum for these potential leaders. The program knows as the Leadership Academy, is designed to build skills that can be applied universally across Holden Industries’ four core companies. It includes five customized AMA courses with competencies selected to meet Holden’s specific needs.
Results
Graduates of the program are applying new skills on the job for greater efficiency and role satisfaction, according to Barkley. Most important, the Academy has developed career-building skills in Holden’s high-potential employees. Of the original 22 people who completed the core program in 2015, 64% have earned promotions to higher-level positions.
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