or more than a decade, IAPD’s Women in Plastics program has been a powerful source of community and inspiration for women across the performance plastics industry. We built something special together: connection, confidence and a place where women felt supported. But in today’s competitive talent market, connection alone is not enough. Our companies need leaders who can think strategically, influence effectively and help their organizations navigate a changing business landscape.

That is why, in 2026, Women in Plastics is evolving into something far more impactful. It is becoming a start-to-finish leadership development program designed exclusively for women in our industry.

This new model provides companies with what they tell us they need most: stronger leadership pipelines, better retention of high-potential women and greater readiness among emerging leaders to step into strategic roles. It is an investment in people, bench strength and long-term growth.

And it is something few companies are able to offer on their own.

Companies told us they wanted something more structured and more directly tied to leadership readiness.

So we redesigned the program with a clear purpose: to help women shift from a management mindset to a leadership mindset at every career stage.

That shift is at the heart of this new program. Leadership is not simply a higher position on the organizational chart. It is a way of thinking, a way of influencing and a way of contributing to the business. Too often, talented women spend years in tactical roles without access to the development opportunities that help them advance. This program changes that trajectory.

Women often gain experience that prepares them to manage people and operations, but not always the same exposure, mentorship or confidence-building opportunities that prepare them to lead at the strategic level. That is where gaps form in succession plans. It is where promising talent can stall.

By focusing intentionally on leadership skills, visibility and influence, this program equips women to step into the roles our companies need them to fill. These roles drive long-term organizational performance, customer growth, operational excellence and innovation.

When we strengthen women leaders, we strengthen the companies they serve.

This represents a major step forward. Unlike previous years, when we offered standalone workshops, the 2026 Women in Plastics Leadership Program is a cohesive, research-informed leadership pathway. It is structured, sequenced and aligned with the real challenges women face as they move into strategic roles.

While I will not use this space to list every credential, you can feel confident placing your rising leaders in the hands of a faculty that has coached executives at Fortune 50 companies, guided senior leaders through complex organizational change and built some of the most recognized women’s leadership programs in the country.

This is a premium learning experience, and we are bringing it directly to our members.

The new program offers a complete, start-to-finish leadership development experience. It includes a virtual curriculum that builds progressively over several months, followed by an in-person leadership intensive in August 2026.

Here is what the pathway looks like.
1. Virtual Leadership Curriculum (April through July)
Participants move through a series of structured virtual sessions. Each session builds on the one before it and focuses on topics essential for advancing into higher-level leadership roles. These include:

• Developing self-awareness and confidence
• Personal branding and leadership identity
• Strategic relationship-building
• Influence, communication and negotiation

These sessions are designed for immediate application on the job. Participants become more effective leaders in real time.

2. In-Person Leadership Intensive (August 2026)
The program culminates in a full, immersive workshop where participants apply the skills learned in the virtual sessions. It includes:

• Executive presence and communication
• Conflict and difficult conversations
• Leading through change and ambiguity
• Strategic thinking and decision-making

This capstone is where everything comes together. Participants leave with a more strategic mindset and a clearer sense of leadership identity. Companies gain women who are ready for expanded responsibility.

3. Recordings and Flexibility
If participants join after the program has begun, they will have access to recordings of all previous sessions so they can complete the full curriculum.

This ensures the program remains accessible and flexible for organizations with shifting schedules or new hires.

Companies will experience meaningful organizational benefits, including:
Stronger leadership pipelines.
Participants gain the skills they need to take on supervisory, managerial and director-level responsibilities.

Improved retention of high-potential talent.
When employees see a clear pathway for development, they are more likely to stay and grow within your company.

Better team performance.
Leaders trained in communication and collaboration improve engagement and coordination within their teams.

Greater organizational resilience.
The curriculum includes tools that support change navigation, relationship building and complex decision-making.

Clear return on investment.
This program enhances the capability of your workforce. When your rising leaders grow, the entire organization benefits.

One of the defining features of the 2026 program is its cohesiveness. This is not a workshop, a single conference or a one-time training.

It is a complete leadership development arc, intentionally designed to elevate women at every stage of their careers.

By the time participants reach the August in-person capstone session, they will have:

• Built foundational leadership awareness
• Identified their leadership brand
• Strengthened their strategic influence
• Practiced key leadership skills
• Gained confidence in their ability to lead
• Developed relationships with peers across the industry

When they return to your organization, they return as stronger contributors, clearer thinkers and more capable leaders.

• Builds internal leadership pipelines
• Strengthens retention and reduces turnover costs
• Improves team performance and engagement
• Enhances communication and collaboration
• Develops leaders who can think strategically
• Supports succession planning
• Provides training most companies cannot offer internally
• Creates long-term organizational stability