Created to boost knowledge and skills within the sales leadership team, the program complements other ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions training, said Jon Laing, Director of Professional Training and Development.

“Many companies put a lot of effort into technical training to teach people about their products, but don’t put as much effort into professional development. We try to have the right balance. So in addition to the work that I do, it’s good to have strategic partners like Quinnipiac that you can rest on for other aspects of professional development,” Laing said.  

He said the successful rollout of the ADVANCE Leadership Program at Quinnipiac last year reinforces the strategic value of continuing the program annually.  

“I met recently with faculty members and staff about what to do for the next cohort, and we were so happy with what they came up with that it’s essentially going to be the same type of program, with just some minor tweaks,” Laing said.  

He said concepts taught the inaugural cohort were quickly implemented and executed when they got back to work in their territories.

“No later than 30 days after the session, I had everyone get back to me with feedback about how they executed any one of the concepts they’d learned. The overall feedback showed people heard key concepts and demonstrated them with their actions,” Laing said.  

Heidi Pascale, Vice President of Marketing and Training at ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions, said Quinnipiac faculty, administrators and staff supported a seamless process and supplied engaging educational experiences.

“We felt like it was a true partnership,” Pascale said.  “As program observers, we could really focus on our people and spend time making sure that they were happy and that the content was giving them what they needed. I wanted everyone to walk away feeling it was time well-spent, and Quinnipiac surpassed our expectations.”

Pascale said the program also was very interactive, fostering a lot of give and take and rich discussion among participants who work in many different areas of the country.

“That exchange was so valuable because they don’t get to see each other often, and it also allowed them to begin to build semi-networks. For this next go-round, we’re going to incorporate even more open discussion where people can share their best practices and have more opportunities to network,” said Pascale.  

Dean Holly Raider and School of Business faculty, Vice President of Strategic Programs and Partnerships Alison Witherspoon, and Program Director of Lifelong Learning Jennifer Benson worked with Laing to develop and customize the inaugural program.

“We put a lot of time into planning this,” Laing said. “The faculty did a great job of listening and going through the discovery process to determine what we needed and how that could dovetail with their curriculum. From the initial conversations with Alison and Jennifer, to mapping out the curriculum with faculty, to all the logistics involved in bringing our people together, the whole experience was executed in a thoroughly professional manner.”

Based in California, Josh Tucker, an ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions US territory sales manager, traveled to Quinnipiac to join the 35-member cohort last year.  

“Being a part of this was transformative, in many ways,” Tucker said. “To go back into the academic domain and to have that level of guided instruction validates what you’re able to learn. To have that level of candor with some very knowledgeable individuals in conversations, discussions, actions, activities and exercises helped to create new levels of thought for me.”  

Tucker said everything he learned from his ADVANCE Leadership Program experience remains with him.

“The instruction and the layout of the program allowed for meaningful growth. A year after the fact, I haven’t forgotten anything I was taught. I think that shows the quality and the intention of what was being communicated to the audience,” Tucker said.  

Due to the program and ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions’ relationship with Quinnipiac, Tucker was inspired to apply to Quinnipiac’s online MBA program and has been accepted.  

Laing credits Bobcat alumni Sean McGrath ’91 and Beth Hulteen-Burkle ’91 with initiating the concept of first developing the ADVANCE Leadership Program as a new component of ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions’ ongoing partnership with Quinnipiac. Hulteen-Burkle is senior vice president and head of human resources for Americas of ASSA ABLOY Group. McGrath is ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions Head of U.S. Commercial Sales.

“We chose to work with Quinnipiac because of its outstanding reputation for academic excellence,” said Laing.  

ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions Americas headquarters is based in New Haven, Connecticut. At Quinnipiac, all university buildings and residence halls exclusively use ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions.  

Witherspoon said what started as a vendor relationship many years ago has blossomed into a multi-faceted high-impact partnership over the years that now encompasses workforce development through student career development, employee recruitment, and customized leadership development.  

Pascale said working on this program has already created more opportunities to partner with Quinnipiac, from participating in career fairs to onboarding a Quinnipiac intern this summer.  As the ADVANCE Leadership Program heads into its second year, Pascale sees opportunities for further development.

“Building that partnership, and the possibilities of the partnership, has been a wonderful experience,” Pascale said. “I think there are a lot of opportunities to be found as we go along. It’s been nothing but positive and a win-win for us.”