for PDMA would be to quantify the benefits and value of the NPDP
to support interest by both job seekers and employers.
True “service” development grows more important
Breakout sessions with panelists helped participants
share insights
PDMA Carolinas Chapter—Finding
New Ways to Serve a Larger Region
The pDMa carolinas chapter is a community for North and South
carolina professionals and organizations that have a stake in the
broad areas of product and service innovation, development, and
management—from the front end of innovation to manufacturing.
The chapter reinvigorated in 2004 around a core group in Raleigh/
Durham, N.c. Since then, pDMa carolinas is finding innovative
ways to better serve its members in key metropolitan areas across
the two states, such as adding local volunteer committees to serve
the charlotte and Winston Salem/Greensboro regions in North
carolina and the Greenville/Spartanburg area in South carolina.
The chapter seeks involvement of additional committee leaders and
sponsors to help support the growth in programming.
The goal of the pDMa carolinas chapter is to help businesses
increase and realize their innovation potential. The chapter brings
its community value by providing opportunities to learn new ideas,
approaches, and best practices from world-class organizations
as well as to network with peers through events and meetings
throughout the year where the users (new product development
practitioners), not just keynote speakers and gurus, take center
stage. For more information on the chapter and photos of the
event, visit www.pdma.org/carolinas.
Another group evaluated important qualifications and provided
insight related to skills, education, and attitude to showcase your-self in the product development and product manager profession.
They also suggested the following ways to uncover these skills:
professional groups like PDMA, mentors, role models, stretch
roles, volunteer work, and social media sites.
Positive feedback
Overall, this event was a big success and well attended, with
39 participants from throughout the Carolinas. People also par-
ticipated remotely via LiveMeeting from as far away as Texas
and Ohio. Nate Miranda, R&D Director of Sealed Air, enjoyed
the interactiveness. This was his first event with PDMA and it
exceeded his expectations. Nate “looked at it from the perspec-
tive of an innovation director as to the type of people to look for
to achieve success in his
Panelist Michael Are-
na said “during difficult
times individuals have
a greater opportunity to
shine. After all, neces-
sity is the mother of invention. When you have limited resources,
two things happen—ideas compete on merit alone, and ability
will show through like never before. Under such circumstances,
bright, intelligent, skilled people are noticed.”
Several attendees participated from one of the event sponsors,
Lee Hecht Harrison, a global leader in outplacement services
with a local Charlotte office. Sarah Dollander, LHH’s Area Sales
Director, shared that “networking is key to job seekers’ success.
In today’s market, there are many venues for networking such as
job fairs, job search support groups, and social events.
“The event put on by PDMA of the Carolinas went beyond those
typical networking events and provided attendees with unique
value-added takeaways.”
Executive recruiter and panelist Dalya Kutchei summed it up
with the following insight: “PDMA Carolinas created a power-
ful career event, matching the innovative spirit of its creative
members. Interactive and lively dialog between expert panelists
and participants, along with small group exercises, captured great
ideas about thriving in today’s career marketplace.”
“The goal of the PDMA Carolinas chapter is to help
businesses increase and realize
their innovation potential. ”
Endnotes
1. Sheila Tobias, “Comment : Professional Science Master’s Is
21st Century MBA”, Science News, Vol. 175, #13, June 2009,
www.sciencenews.org
2. Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the
Future (New York: Riverhead Trade, 2006), Berkley Publishing Group,
published by the Penguin Group, New York, NY
