An inaugural group of 22 LeasePlan USA employees recently graduated from the Insight leadership program, a rigorous year-long program focused on training, educating and grooming the next generation of company leaders.

The program, which required approximately 60 hours of participation, took employees through a series of personal assessments, community service activities, career development workshops and mentoring sessions to gain and foster essential leadership and business skills.

"Witnessing the innovation and teamwork this group had to offer makes me very excited for the future of this company," said Michael Pitcher, LeasePlan's president and CEO who also participated in the program as a mentor.

LeasePlan USA's entire executive leadership team served as mentors and speakers, guiding employees from across the organization.

"This is a significant investment for employees, but the way we see it, it's also an investment in our future," said Mary Christy, senior vice president of human resources. "Developing talent is the best way to keep it."

The inaugural Insight group was made up of employees from all departments and levels of seniority.

"The program has been an incredible experience on both a personal and professional level," said Kyle Uhlis, remarketing account manager supervisor. "It has been a pleasure to get to know the other individuals I would not normally encounter, and see different perspectives from their everyday work experiences."

The Insight program also prompted employees to reflect about future trends and how to stay on the forefront of innovation.

"Our industry and our clients' needs will change in years to come. We need to make sure we are a step ahead and are able to meet these needs later on," said Alison Kirkland, director of marketing. "This program helped us get there."

A second Insight cohort with 25 employees is already in training, with several first-cohort graduates now acting as mentors.