Arnau C.

Tell us a little about your career journey.

I was born and raised in Barcelona, Spain and my education has taken me from Belgium for my Master’s Program to Paris for a yearlong traineeship. Right before the traineeship ended, I got accepted to join the Stanley Black & Decker Leadership Program (SLP) in finance. Nearly two years and four rotations later, here I am, about to graduate from the SLP. I’m excited to take on a new challenge within the company!  

What drew you to the Stanley Black & Decker Leadership Program?  

As a young professional, I knew I could develop a successful career in corporate finance. But I didn't have enough experience to determine which area would best fit my skills and expectations. The SLP was the perfect way for me to gain exposure to different positions within finance and better understand what they involved.   

Tell us more about what your role as a Finance SLP entails.  

As a Finance SLP, my job is to support the different teams I’m placed on, taking on reoccurring responsibilities and learning more about the tasks and duties each position performs.  

Part of being an SLP is promoting positive change. Being a fresh mind on a new team makes it easier to identify processes that can be improved and help rethink tasks and other aspects of the team. Having direct involvement in improving team performance is one of the main reasons why the SLP role is so gratifying.   

Can you describe your overall experience in the SLP? What has the workplace culture been like?  

I’ve been through four different rotations. Throughout my entire SLP journey, everyone’s made themselves available to me and been supportive of my projects and my career goals in general.    

Can you tell us more about the trainings you were able to attend?  

I’ve had the opportunity to attend four SLP trainings, which consisted of a group project and several other activities to develop our leadership skills. Two of these trainings were in-person — one in the Czech Republic and one in Slough. During those, I got to work together with other SLPs from different functions and countries. Getting to know them better was one of my favorite moments as an SLP.  

How does the SLP help you develop as a leader?   

Being in the program gives you access to multiple resources apart from the recurring SLP trainings. All participants go through Hogan Assessment, identifying strengths and areas we can work on. There’s also access to different learning platforms.   

What advice do you have for someone getting ready to join the SLP? Just starting at Stanley Black & Decker in general?   

Enjoy every piece of it, try to learn the most from every rotation and every team you work with, be curious and proactive and, most importantly, NETWORK!