Susan Burek
Nheeda Enriquez
Tricia Sutton
pDMa carolinas chapter focuses
on innovation careers
Susan Burek, MS, NpDp, president, carolinas chapter pDMa, Director of
commercialization practice, Foresight Science & Technology (sueburek@
gmail.com), Nheeda enriquez, product Development Manager, Duke energy
( nheeda@gmail.com), and Tricia Sutton, pMp, NpDp, Visions Spotlight
editor, president, Sutton enterprises inc. ( pasutton@suttonenterprises.com)
When the economy is tight, companies typically cut costs broadly, including staff, in an effort to weather the storm. So what are the right
skills to have as a job-seeker and what skills do you retain in your organization so that you are ready for the turnaround? PDMA Carolinas
held a workshop last summer that helped job seekers and employers position themselves better in a tough economy. —Tricia Sutton
Product management, new product and service development, and innovation initiatives are key drivers of a company’s long-term profitability and growth in any economy. New
product development (NPD) professionals with the requisite skills
and experience will always be in demand.
But what are those skills? How does one position him or herself
as an NPD professional? As an innovation master? As one who
drives the customer’s voice throughout a company’s strategy and
new products? As a profit center and business manager? These
were some of the questions addressed at a summer workshop (Au-
gust 18, 2009) hosted by the PDMA Carolinas called “Cultivating
Your Product Development and Management Career” at National
Gypsum Company Headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.
The challenge
With an economy in flux, many companies seem to be freezing
everything (including innovation, NPD, and hiring) to focus on
cost control and organizational survival. Unfortunately, those deci-sions are likely to hurt a company’s bottom line in the long term.
Without new product, service, or process innovation, it is almost
certain an organization will fall behind the competition once the
economy recovers. So what can organizations do and whom do
they retain to prepare for the eventual turnaround?
A unique career event
The Carolinas Chapter of PDMA considered this challenge
and created a combination panel discussion and interactive work-
shop, rather than a traditional job fair. PDMA Carolinas targeted
attendees at different points in their career searches as well as
managers seeking to understand how to best leverage the skills
of their teams in leaner times.
Inviting both career experts and NPD practitioners, PDMA Caro-
linas carefully chose six panelists to represent multiple aspects of ca-
reer management, innovation, large and small businesses, products
and services. Michael Arena, Senior Vice President of Leadership
Development, Bank of America, represented large businesses and
service products. Jeff Hynds, Program Manager and Innovation
Subject Matter Expert, Ingersoll Rand, spoke for physical products
and also large businesses. Dalya Kuchei, Principal at the Seabridge
Group, an executive recruiting firm, gave insight into job search and
hiring processes. Gwen Mazza, CEO and coach/staff development
professional of Enspirit, and Ken Westray, President and Founder of
NPLearning, provided the perspective of learning and professional
development as well as small business. Rosanna Stokes, Global
Technology Business Development Manager for Momentive Per-
formance Materials, moderated the panel and addressed the needs
of a consumer-focused technology company.
The panelists began by addressing several questions: In what
ways has your role changed in light of leaner times (do more with
less, refocus goals, reorganization, and so on)? What are some
recent skills that you’ve seen become more crucial in your teams?
What’s missing? What’s indispensable (skills, certifications, and
more)? What areas are your clients (internal and external) looking
to fill? The rich discussion revealed cogent advice for job seekers
as well as hiring managers.
Tighter project selection
Companies are taking a closer look at where they invest their
time and dollars. A clear understanding of portfolio management,
innovation, and real risk management are capabilities that affect
the bottom line. Equally important, managers need to be ready
to de-invest in projects—and to shut down programs that need to
be dropped sooner.
A marriage of good business sense and customer
understanding
Creating a market-based structure is important; however, a good
idea is a good idea no matter the economy as evidenced by eBay,
Google, and NetFlix. Concentrating purely on the business case
rarely sells a new product idea. To be successful, there needs to
be passion. Make it personal. Innovation is about growth.
Certifications and degrees provide an edge
A person holding the Project Management Professional (PMP)
certification commands a $10,000 boost in pay over non-certified
project managers, especially in positions related to government
contract work. There is strong interest in innovation and product
development. Several universities are adding courses and degrees
related to both the technical and business/organizational side of
new products. An emerging educational opportunity is the Profes-
sional Science Master—touted as the 21st century’s MBA.1
New Product Development Professional (NPDP) certification ad-dresses these hot topics too. Since the NPDP is not as well established
as certifications like the PMP, its value is less defined. An opportunity
