First Caliper Global Conference Kicks Off the Next Fifty Years of Aligning Culture and Leadership

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Caliper Corporation, the leading human capital management assessment and development firm, which last year celebrated fifty years in business, recently concluded its first global conference, held October 7- 9 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conference, “The Future of Talent Management: Aligning Culture and Leadership,” attracted two hundred executives comprised of human resource professionals, trainers and entrepreneurs from companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 global businesses. The 2012 Caliper Global Conference offered 19 distinct sessions specifically designed around topics most relevant and valuable to business leaders.

“The Future of Talent Management: Aligning Culture and Leadership”

The conference opened with an interview by Caliper President Patrick Sweeney with Herb Greenberg, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Caliper and the creator of the Caliper Profile, and Dave Power, a pioneer in customer satisfaction work and a founder of what has become one of the most prestigious marketing information firms in the world - J.D. Power and Associates. Both are legendary entrepreneurs who pursued their dreams, creating companies that have enormous influence worldwide. Other industry leaders who presented at the conference include Tom Gartland, President, North America, Avis Budget Group; Dave Griffith, CEO, The Modern Group; and Helen Slaven, Chief Learning Officer, Montefiore Medical Center.

Keynote speaker Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., known for his groundbreaking book, Emotional Intelligence, presented a three hour session on the importance of this quality for effective leadership.

“All of us strive to build a committed and motivated organization that is able to cope with an ever-changing business environment. Caliper was one of the “early adopters” in recognizing the need to harness and develop emotional and social intelligence in order to improve an organization’s performance,” said Daniel Goleman. “It was a pleasure to present at the first Caliper Conference, to a receptive, informed audience that was there to learn how to help their companies deal with an ever changing marketplace, while building and sustaining the passion and commitment they need to succeed.”

“Last year we celebrated fifty years in business and we were thrilled to kick off the next fifty years with this wonderful event,” said Patrick Sweeney, president of Caliper Corporation. “The experts we gathered did an outstanding job of providing insights and practical advice on so many engaging topics – from managing intergenerational teams to identifying and cultivating up-and-coming leaders to developing a proactive approach to succession planning. I know we all walked away from those two days inspired, and full of new ideas.”

The conference agenda, selected by Caliper’s Client Advisory Board, proved directly relevant for business leaders who want to foster a culture that encourages innovation, hard work and loyalty. Highlights of the conference included:

Succession Planning and Strategic Leadership Development: With many organizations’ top leaders nearing retirement, succession planning and strategic leadership development becomes a necessity, not simply a “nice to have.” Dave Griffith, CEO, The Modern Group and Jo Moore, SVP OD, Caliper detailed a highly practical method to define a process and approach for succession planning.
The Emergence of Women Leaders: Leadership development methods that worked previously in hierarchical organizations no longer apply, and it’s important for executives to recognize and understand the different work styles of men and women. This seminar, led by Marc Mackin, President, Lapp Holding NA, who was joined by Susan Magrino, SVP Sales, and Cyndi Sax, SVP Consulting Services, both of Caliper, presented the steps executives can take to develop the potential of the women currently on their staff. The presenters also discussed how managers can unwittingly cap the progress of women.
Achieving Success Through Managing Multi-Cultural Teams: Kristin Lytle, OD Manager, Kohler was joined by Patrick Farrell, Managing Director, Caliper Australia and Mark Lawrence, Managing Director, Caliper China in this session addressing the need for companies to be strategic in identifying opportunities for international growth. While the other BRICS countries, Brazil and South Africa, grow in importance, China and India – with their massive populations and growth of the middle class – present the greatest opportunities, and challenges, for business growth.

And finally, the first night’s keynote presentation stood out for its artistry and vision: “Break Your Personal Sound Barrier,” lead by Patrick Sweeney, President, Caliper who was joined by professional guitarist, Russell Ferrara. They posed the question: what would your life be like if you suddenly broke through your own personal sound barrier? Focusing on the skills that musicians practice to develop their intuition, Patrick and Russell engaged the audience with live guitar music and compelling stories, helping them to discover how to tap into their intuition like a musician, to truly collaborate, get comfortable improvising, and find their own “song.”

For more information about Caliper Corporation, please visit www.calipercorp.com.

About Caliper

Caliper is a leading human capital management assessment and development firm. For over 50 years, Caliper has helped over 28,000 organizations globally improve every aspect of managing their talent. Starting with accurate, objective insights that Caliper consultants gain from the proprietary Caliper Profile, the company delivers tangible improvements in the performance of individuals and the organizations for which they work. Caliper Founder and CEO Herb Greenberg, Ph.D., developed the Caliper Profile, which has assessed the potential of more than 3.5 million applicants and employees. Dr. Greenberg and Patrick Sweeney, President of Caliper are the authors of the New York Times bestseller "Succeed on Your Own Terms" and "How to Hire & Develop Your Next Top Performer,” a second edition of which was released in September 2012. For more information visit www.calipercorp.com.