Katy Platt, VP of Finance, Sunrise

"With LEAP being my first management training course, I went into the experience not knowing what to expect; what a journey it was!

The program constantly encouraged personal and professional growth. It encouraged us to push ourselves out of our comfort zones; to take our companies and careers to the next level.

The course allowed me to take time to reflect on the type of leader I am, how I can contribute to our businesses, and what management skills and matrix I can implement to nurture high-performing teams. 

Because of this experience, we’ve built strong bonds for sharing advice and knowledge, or simply an outlet to vent. By being open and honest with each other our cohort has become not just a tight-knit group of business professionals; we’ve built lasting friendships.

This journey has been priceless, making a positive impact on my confidence in my skills and abilities. It has been a privilege to be part of the LEAP program and I would recommend it to anyone looking to move forward in their career."

Tom Knoebel, COO, Tribute

"The connections I have made have been amazing.  Working side by side with such talented and motivated people has been an eye-opening experience. This experience has taught me we are all in this together and striving for a common goal. 

I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to be personally and professionally challenged and stretched.  Tony talks a lot about developing talent within our portfolio, and I can assure you, he puts his money and time where his mouth is."

Stuart Moore, Head of Sales and Marketing, IndiCater

 "When invited to join LEAP, my initial question was, 'Why me?! How will another course on being a manager benefit me or the business?' How wrong I was to be at all skeptical—LEAP is unlike any program I've experienced before.

LEAP proved to be a hugely beneficial course. The primary focus of the program explores leadership in three key areas: leading oneself, leading others, and leading the business. It provided a safe space for all discussions, led by amazing leaders who encouraged us to think deeper and truly unpack the topics at hand. While we had a course outline, the program allowed for flexibility; if other topics surfaced the space was made to ensure we had time to delve into them.

LEAP is not about dictating how to do your job; rather, it equips you with the tools to bring your unique leadership style to your business. It emphasizes showing up authentically—being the best version of yourself—and fostering an environment for others to grow around you.

The bonds and friendships I've forged with people from various business units, sectors, and backgrounds will endure as we all progress in our careers. This program represents a significant investment in a group of individuals identified as future leaders."

Grant Chaplin, Managing Director, Grosvenor

"It was a huge privilege to be enrolled in LEAP; having the opportunity to learn alongside an amazing group on the same journey was both humbling and inspiring. Our facilitators, Lynne and Lisa, did a magnificent job of curating content that challenged us, and at times, was incredibly emotional.

I graduated LEAP with many takeaways to bring back to Grosvenor, lifelong memories and relationships, and a wealth of personal growth. I definitely feel better equipped to lead myself and the business and have learned to build time into my schedule to regularly reflect and apply my learnings.

Here a just a few of the highlights from my many LEAP takeaways:
• Boss Watching
• The light and shadow we cast
• Recruiting Talent
• Our Employee Value Proposition
• Motivators

The portfolio leadership team has shown a real commitment to our growth, investing both time and resources into our businesses and the people within. I look forward to applying my LEAP learnings in this next chapter!"

Julia Tomczak, M&A Execution & Strategy Manager, Volaris Group

"As with most Volaris events, my most significant takeaway from LEAP is the connections and relationships I've made. Sharing experiences with a close-knit group facing similar situations – albeit coming from a diverse range of backgrounds, expertise, and career stages - offered a valuable opportunity to connect, hear different perspectives, learn from their experiences, and engage in insightful discussions (with no shortage of laughs along the way!).

I‘m leaving LEAP with a new support network – a good reminder that one is never alone as part of Volaris. The perspectives I gained, and connections made during this program have been invaluable; so much so that fellow LEAP-ers and I have already set up recurring meetings to keep the momentum moving forward."

Tim Leighton, Operations Director, Artifax

“LEAP has been an incredibly special programme to be part of. As a small group, we quickly developed a deep level of trust, which allowed candid conversations about our individual motivations, career paths, and leadership aspirations.

The program skilfully guided us to recognize and overcome self-imposed limitations, leading to a transformative reconstruction of our improved selves. As a result, I emerged from this experience as a more accomplished and confident leader!

For the class of 2023, this is just the beginning. We've vowed to continue supporting each other in the months and years ahead, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing our collective accomplishments as we contribute to the growth of our businesses and respective teams.

LEAP really sums up the unique spirit that embodies the Volaris philosophy. Where else can you find leaders from diverse software businesses genuinely cheering for each other's success in such a meaningful way?”

Jeannie Clark, Director of Customer Experience, WebCheckout

“It's challenging to find the words to describe my incredible experience with LEAP, but I will do my best. Embarking on this global journey with eleven other remarkable individuals, this experience offered dedicated time for self-discovery as well as the opportunity to learn new skills for leading a team and impacting business growth.

I came into this program with uncertainty about what I'd take away, and I graduated with a profound realization: people and purpose are what matter the most. Immensely grateful for those who share their time, experiences, and encouragement, I now understand that this is my leap to take. If you get the opportunity, take the leap and don't look back-- but do look back at your reflections and Emergenetics profile!”

Pierre Ponsin, CIO, WiFi SPARK

"The LEAP program was a great adventure I was lucky enough to be selected for. It was much more than just an academic learning opportunity; it was also a way to discover ourselves and understand the type of leaders we are.

Lisa Read and Lynne Kennedy did an incredible job at bringing us all together. They created an environment of trust, allowing the LEAP’23 team to create lasting bonds, share insights, and support each other. Truly a unique experience."

Adam Calladine, CPO, Kinetic

"I feel extremely privileged to have been offered the opportunity to participate in LEAP over the last year. The program encouraged me to take an introspective look at the type of leader I aspire to be. I gained some great insights into my impact on others and the teams I collaborate with. Learning how to lead myself, others and a business provided a holistic approach to leadership.

I was fortunate to embark on a mini global adventure, attending sessions in Grapevine, Texas, Windsor, and Lisbon.  Each of these sessions represented a new phase in the learning and a different environment in which to learn.

I graduated feeling equipped for the next step in my career with a toolkit of valuable frameworks and concepts, empowering me to refine my leadership approach. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this journey was the bonds I formed with my mentor and 11 colleagues. Our shared experiences fostered a strong connection, and I look forward to maintaining these relationships for years to come."

Dean Coleman, CEO, Sunrise Software

"I was privileged to attend LEAP. The program was organised superbly and exposed us to a wide variety of skills focused on leadership, growing the business and talent development. 

LEAP has been the single most impactful leadership development program I have attended in a very long career to date. Over the years, I have attended many management and leadership courses, which all had their value but none compared to the benefit that this program has delivered. 

The program taught me many valuable skills and gave us countless takeaways. I left each session with tons of notes to reflect upon and take onboard, as I continue my journey as a leader. However, I would say above all, the most valuable part of LEAP for me, was turning 11 colleagues into a group of trusted and valuable friends. This was evidenced by the ability to lean on each other outside of the sessions for coaching, mentoring and support – it’s been extremely valuable and helped me several times over the past few months.

I also need to give a shout-out to my mentor, Glenn Adams, COO of AssetWorks. We had meetings every two weeks, where we covered everything from career development, business challenges, and even the weather in the UK. I even got to play a round of golf with Glenn at the Portfolio Summit - where Europe defeated North America at the DeSilvester Portfolio Ryder Cup.

Yet again, our portfolio has invested in the development and growth of our leaders. I feel absolutely honoured to be asked to be part of LEAP and see this as a fantastic program for developing our future leaders.

Randall Walsh, General Manager, AssetWorks

"Going into LEAP, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was expecting, but having recently been promoted to General Manager of AssetWorks Facilities, despite more than 15 years with this business in a variety of roles, I knew I had a lot to learn and a lot of questions in my new role. 

I hoped to gain better insight into what I needed to do as a leader. If I am honest, I had somewhat of a preconception of what I thought I needed to be taught. However, what the program provided was not what I had preconceived.

Over the course of a year, as the program progressed and as my tenure in my position progressed, it turned out LEAP taught me exactly what I needed to be learning.  Leadership is much less about numbers (don’t get me wrong, numbers are very important; they are how we measure success), but the majority of each day, as a leader, you are dealing with people.  People make an organization successful, and it requires intentional thought, effective communication, and continuous investment in them to lead them successfully.

I wholeheartedly endorse the LEAP program and think it is essential to an individual who has taken over or is preparing to imminently take on the role of COO or General Manager of a Volaris business. The LEAP program is now an essential requirement that will be included in our employee development plans for those who are moving up into senior leadership roles at AssetWorks Facilities."

Matt Kusnierz, VP of Finance, Volaris Group

 "LEAP was not what I anticipated. I was expecting models, decision-making frameworks, and a narrative that we must be experts in all facets of a business. Given the consistent focus on people our leaders have and continuously communicate, I should have known that we were always going to focus on people.

The program taught us to build up those we work with, reflect on how we impact them daily through the smallest interactions, and that we are continuously leading even when we think we aren’t; the answer always comes back to the people around us."