Program for Emerging Professionals Launched at ARC Industry Forum

In a Smart City podcast at the ARC Industry Forum at Orlando in June, there was an interesting in-house conversation about the program for emerging professionals that ARC is starting. Exchanging their perceptions about the in-person Forum and views on the emerging professionals’ program were Dillon Fosa, Luke Martin, and Emilio Posa (EJ) – all freshly recruited at ARC Advisory Group. The session was moderated by ARC’s Jim Frazer, Vice President, Infrastructure and Smart Cities.  This blog captures the highlights of their conversation. To listen to the podcast, click here.

From left to right: ARC’s Dillon Fosa, Luke Martin, Emilio Posa, and Jim Frazer

Virtual vs. In-person Events

Events were held on a virtual platform during the past two years. But now the situation has eased and in-person events are being hosted. Luke and EJ said that as they graduated in COVID-struck 2020 they missed out on the face-to-face professional networking opportunity. The ARC Industry Forum was exciting as it was a big event where they could interact with C-level executives and learn from their experiences. “There’s no replacement for the warmth of personal interaction,” they opined. Dillon added that what inspired him as a beginner and learner was the level of passion that these executives had for their career and past achievements. He said that they must have the same kind of passion to inspire the next generation.

Program for Emerging Professionals

Jim asked the trio about what they expect from the program. In this context they spoke about mentors who’d guide them on the right career paths. Jim said that there will soon be a call to action for senior leaders to be mentors to emerging professionals within ARC and for companies at the Forum. With the mentorship program, relationships can be taken to the next level. It’s invaluable to have a mentor who is willing to share decades of experience with newcomers. This will help broaden horizons, understand different topics and viewpoints.

Topics of Interest at the Forum and Session Takeaways

Topics that resonated with them at the Forum:

• Sustainability, circular economy, and understanding what that means for the future.
• Long-term ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategies for a better world.

Takeaways from the Sustainability Session

It is obvious that the EV market has changed in the last few years, and it would be interesting to see how it shapes up in the future. Sessions on the concept of the 3-wheel EV, charging infrastructure, and the future of power generation (from where we are to where we would ideally like to go) were informative.  “Soaking up knowledge from experts has been very beneficial,” said the trio.

Emerging Professionals

This program that ARC has launched is a small part of a larger diversity and inclusion effort within ARC to include women, first time attendees, or those who may not have attended such events. This will be a good learning experience and will give that extra push to newcomers on their career paths.

Some ideas for this program to gain momentum:

• Have a few inhouse virtual meetings and then host in-person events.
• Attend more outside events as first-time attendees and invite first timers too. This will give them the much-needed exposure.
• Deliver value to attendees.
• Send out reports periodically that help connect emerging professionals at ARC with other professionals (emerging and C-suite) outside our networks.

Wrapping it Up

In conclusion, Jim said that the Emerging Professionals program has already been set in motion along two axes – virtual and physical. Historically, the ARC Industry Forum is hosted in February; this time it was slightly delayed as the Omicron virus raised its ugly head. But in 2023 it’ll be hosted in February in Orlando. ARC Forums are also held in Europe and Asia, so this program will have a global reach and impact. A lot of preparation and planning goes into events such as the ARC Forums. The speakers painstakingly prepare their presentations and ARC personnel look into every detail to ensure that the event goes smoothly. But in the end, it’s worth it all!

To join the Emerging Professionals program do connect with Dillon Fosa (DFosa@arcweb.com).