At ASR Group®, we firmly believe that developing our talent is key to driving our company forward. A prime example is our Commercial Development Program (CDP), which has been crucial in fueling the growth of our future leaders. Now in its eighth year, the program is designed to teach participants foundational knowledge of the business, build relationships and strengthen skills needed to excel and contribute to our shared success.
The CDP sets participants on a three-year developmental path, rotating them through three distinct functions to gain broad, meaningful and hands-on exposure to our core commercial areas. These rotations feature high-impact assignments that are critical not only to the organization, but also to the professional growth of CDPs.
“The program’s success is mainly driven by the success of the CDP participants we’ve hired,” said John O’Brien, Vice President, Financial Planning & Analysis. “CDPs have and are making significant contributions during their rotations, and our CDP graduates have become impressive leaders.”
The program specifically recruits two roles to suit varying levels of experience and expertise: Analysts (recent college graduates) and Associates (MBA or master’s graduates with two to five years of work experience who are ready to further develop as leaders).
CDP enrollees are exposed to a diverse array of functional areas such as Corporate Development, Marketing, FP&A, Trading, Supply Chain and Sustainability, with 10 functions hosting CDPs thus far.
The CDP participants leave each rotation with foundational business knowledge, transferable skills and valuable relationships that span the organization.
Eric Kaplan, a 2020 graduate who serves as Director of Corporate Development, said: “The Commercial Development Program gave me exposure to the breadth of ASR Group’s business and the confidence to lead through change. It challenged me to think critically, adapt quickly and collaborate across functions. That foundation has been invaluable in my current role, where I now help lead acquisitions, integrations and major strategic projects that shape our future.”
Matt Galici, Director of Commercial Insights and a 2022 graduate of the program, added: “The Commercial Development Program afforded me the opportunity to rotate through various functions to gain a better understanding of the business while at the same time building my internal network. The program provided the opportunity to not only gain experience in fields where I previously did not have a background but also gave me exposure to the leadership in those departments and scopes of work that allowed me to make an impact.”
The CDP offers more than education and exposure. Graduates come away ready to excel in their fields, equipped with the strategic mindset, technical capability and collaborative networks to drive innovation and change across the organization.