​​​Nearly 50 women in Honeywell's inaugural Women's Advancement Program (WAP) class wrapped up a year of invaluable skill-building and networking opportunities. Launched in January 2019 at the conclusion of the Honeywell Senior Leadership Meeting (HSLM), this Inclusion & Diversity initiative is designed to accelerate the development of women leaders in various functions across Strategic Business Groups.

The first-ever WAP was created by Darius Adamczyk, Chairman and CEO, and co-sponsored by Que Dallara, President and CEO, Connected Enterprise, and Anne Madden, Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Participants were selected based on nominations by senior-level leaders and represented General Management and Commercial, Engineering, IT, Integrated Supply Chain, and Finance functions.

"I am incredibly grateful to Darius, Anne, and the other Honeywell leaders [who] brought the Women's Advancement Program to life," said Heidi Frisbie, Director of Sales, Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT). "The highlight of the program for me was the connections I made to women across all of our businesses." The objectives of the WAP program include:

• Broadening networks
• Enhancing leadership skills
• Advancing careers at Honeywell
• Building resilience to thrive in the face of everyday challenges

As part of the 2019 WAP program, participants were paired with sponsors who provided support and access to their own professional networks. In addition, sponsors encouraged participants to develop through challenging assignments and to take on new opportunities at the right time.

"I was fortunate to be selected to the inaugural class," said Deb Gendreau Flynn, Director of Sales, Safety and Productivity Solutions. "Being partnered with a sponsor that is a wealth of knowledge on many businesses and functional areas within Honeywell made the experience much richer."

WAP participants took part in monthly virtual meetings on a variety of skill-building topics, ranging from leadership value, strategic networking, and digital transformation. These sessions provided participants with practical tools and advice to help them develop skills and grow their careers.

During a mid-year, face-to-face meeting, the women had the opportunity to visit the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), where they observed the ringing of the closing bell and took in an overview of the NYSE history. They ended the experience with dinner on the stock exchange floor.

"I highly appreciated this program," said Ai Jun, Director, ISC Operations. "My takeaways are it provided me with a higher platform, wider network, and brighter future."

A class of new participants has been selected for the upcoming 2020 WAP, which will kick off at the upcoming HSLM in January. Madden and Torsten Pilz, Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, sponsors the 2020 program.

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