Stepping into the Driver’s Seat: Celebrating the 2024 Accelerated Development Program Cohort

Alex Mitchell, Marketing (Davidson, NC) 

Q: What did you discover about Trane Technologies from the inside that others might not see from the outside? 

A: "Coming from Texas, I would have never imagined living in both Minnesota and North Carolina. The program gave me the opportunity to experience entirely new regions of the United States, cross paths with fantastic people and embed myself in different communities and cultures. I wouldn't have had this massive life experience if I hadn't left my home state. 

I also discovered how vital it is to love both the work you do and the people you do it with. Everyone here is invested in your growth. On a personal level, I made lifelong friends in this program—people who will be in my wedding and mentors who will support me throughout my entire career. Every person I’ve worked with has shaped me into becoming a leader who can step back, see the whole picture and recognize the value in everyone."

Katie Winton, Marketing (Davidson, NC) 

Q: When you look back on your journey from intern to ADP graduate, what moment stands out as the clearest sign of how much you’ve grown? 

A: "What immediately comes to mind is our last report-out presentation. I remember being so incredibly nervous for every single report-out early on, but by the last one, I felt completely comfortable. 

Public speaking has never come naturally to me. When I first started as an intern, I was extremely anxious about the speaking opportunities that come with being in the program. By the end, however, presenting to senior leadership and collaborating across teams became second nature. I wasn't nervous at all; I was confident, articulate and energized to get my point across." 

Brynn Jones, AI & Analytics (Davidson, NC) 

Q: How do you view your role in shaping the future of work with AI?  

A: "When we first started, generative AI was just beginning to explode—ChatGPT had just launched and it wasn't something we were even using in college. The program allowed me to see how AI can be leveraged in the real world to solve massive, enterprise-level challenges and drive day-to-day efficiencies. It showed me just how fast technology develops and where our growth opportunities lie.  

AI is moving at a breakneck pace, and we are all figuring it out together. We bring a very special capability to Trane Technologies, particularly around change management. Adapting to new ways of working can be daunting, especially with AI, so it’s been special to contribute to improving how we work across our products and processes. We are uniquely positioned to bridge that gap, providing the support and fresh perspective needed to integrate these new tools seamlessly." 

Ethan Ngo, AI & Analytics (Davidson, NC) 

Q: What is the most critical skill you developed to keep pace with AI technology?  

A: "Without a doubt, flexibility. New AI tools are released every single minute. The last thing you want to do is spend weeks building a custom solution, only to find out a day later that a hyperscaler has released an out-of-the-box tool that is ten times more powerful and cheaper. You have to constantly balance pushing the envelope of innovation with staying meticulously up-to-date with market developments to keep our operations as efficient as possible. 

Flexibility also comes into play with learning how to work with AI effectively. There is a common public perception that AI knows everything because it has been trained on the entire internet. However, AI does not inherently know the context of your specific problem. 

If you ask a general model to solve a problem without giving it boundaries, it's like pouring a glass of water into the ocean—the scope is just too vast to be useful. Giving the AI a specific "lens" to look through by providing highly detailed, structured context is what yields precise, accurate and rapid results.” 

Connor Dokken, Engineering (Minneapolis, MN) 

Q: How did your mentor help you navigate the steep learning curve of corporate engineering?  

A: “My mentor was Pat, an engineering manager in La Crosse. We met biweekly for my entire 2.5 years in the program, and he was an invaluable sounding board. 

In school, you learn the nitty-gritty physics and math, but you learn absolutely nothing about a company's new product development cycle or our gate review process. Pat patiently walked me through that entire framework, using real examples from his team. He helped me apply that structure directly to my assignments, ensuring I knew exactly what deliverables were needed to move from Phase 2 to Gate 2 with more confidence. 

That support was especially meaningful during my first rotation, which was focused on the TCAB 570-ton chiller—a high-capacity, air-cooled magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller designed for data center applications and launched in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It meets an incredibly critical demand in the rapidly growing AI and data center market, and I'm immensely proud of how it turned out. Pat’s mentorship helped me not only understand the process behind the work, but also see how that process connects to delivering innovative products that meet critical customer needs.” 

Gabriella Locher, Information Technology (Bloomington, MN) 

Q: If someone asked you what the IT Function in ADP is truly about, what would you say?  

A: "My major was Management Information Systems, and I think people on the outside often think IT is just about submitting tickets and fixing broken computers. In reality, IT has so many diverse roles and the rotational program gave me a well-rounded experience, especially because it structurally requires both a highly technical rotation and a functional or project management rotation. 

To me, it is about constant curiosity, challenging your limits, stepping outside your comfort zone and developing both functional project management skills and deep technical skills. 

Before starting the program, I did not realize how much complexity goes into enterprise-wide software implementations. Our leaders are not just thinking about the end customer buying the product. They are also deeply considering the internal customer, meaning the engineers and employees who use these systems every day. 

When the opportunity came up for my second rotation on a highly visible project, I chose to challenge myself and learn more about software implementation. That experience helped me understand the complete picture of how software is implemented, who it impacts and how decisions are made regarding data quality, security and analysis. I loved the team and the work so much that I ended up rolling off into this space permanently.” 

Gavin Ebli, Information Technology (Bloomington, MN) 

Q: What advice would you give to yourself on your very first day?  

A: "I would tell my first-day self: 'Get comfortable being uncomfortable.' You are going to be placed on high-visibility, enterprise-level projects right away. You will feel intimidated, but don't let fear hold you back. Seize the opportunity and go for it—that initial discomfort is exactly where the greatest learning happens. 

In my first rotation, I was brought onto a high-priority Workday project right as it was starting up. I was fresh out of college as a Computer Science major and software engineer intern—definitely not used to presenting to large groups. Suddenly, I was in meetings with business consultants and human resources leaders. No matter the meeting, there was a senior leader in the room I had to collaborate with. It was a powerful opportunity for rapid growth.”

Cael Dice, Finance & Accounting (Hastings, NE) 

Q: How has this program changed the way you view your ability to shape the future of the company?  

A: "When you start any role, you naturally wonder, 'What impact can I make?' But the rotational structure of the program places you in three or four entirely new positions where you have zero prior experience. You spend a month or two learning the process inside out, and then you are immediately empowered to drive meaningful changes. The program inherently teaches you how to learn quickly, so you can start shaping the future of the business immediately. 

The program also pairs us with fantastic mentors, and I always looked forward to our monthly syncs. My mentor, Jason, told me something that stuck with me: 'Nothing ever beats preparation, effort and attitude.'

I immediately wrote that down on a Post-It Note and placed it right under my monitor. I try to live by that every single day. Whenever I am facing a daunting or complex project, I remind myself that if I prepare diligently, give it my maximum effort and maintain a positive attitude, the outcome always ends up being better than I could have imagined." 

Shannon McDermott, Integrated Supply Chain (Trenton, NJ) 

Q: How did rotating through different locations and ADP rotations shape your leadership philosophy? 

A: "I entered the workforce as a Supply Chain major not knowing exactly which facet of my degree I wanted to pursue—procurement, material planning or operations. I specifically chose this program because it allowed me to rapidly test different fields. Having four different roles over a two-year timeframe is a unique growth experience you cannot get in a standard role. Geographically, I went from Panama City, Florida, all the way to Trenton, New Jersey, driving and exploring the entire East Coast. Across my roles, I gained perspective not just from multiple plants, but from three completely different business units (Commercial, Supply and Residential). I got to see both the production side and the service side, building a complete understanding of how we support our customers. 

When I arrived at Trenton, our big focus was total productive maintenance (TPM). We implemented TPM events to clean up and optimize the equipment, ultimately improving our overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) by 10 percent on some machines. This meant we could deliver to our customers much faster, keep the machines running without daily breakdowns and significantly improve our operators' daily quality of life. 

Having four different managers and being able to work with engineers and operators at different plants exposed me to different leadership styles and passions for work. This experience has been incredibly transformative in shaping how I want to lead with active listening, a willingness to learn from the people closest to the work and a focus on building strong partnerships across teams.” 

Sunny Barboza, Human Resources (Rushville, IN) 

Q: What is the biggest opportunity the ADP made possible for you?  

A: “When I first started this program, I was a very shy kid who preferred to blend into the background and not be seen. 

Through high profile opportunities in critical rotations, I had to step up and talk to people. I had to learn how to navigate tough, sensitive conversations and act as a trusted source of empathy and comfort for our employees. That intense practice built my confidence, and I now leverage communication as one of my strongest and most polished professional skills. 

The program also opened unparalleled opportunities to travel and experience our different sites first-hand. I’ve been able to support our plants in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Hastings, Nebraska, help out in Grand Rapids, Michigan and next heading to Jacksonville, Florida to support our Stellar Energy team. 

Getting to travel, meet diverse groups of employees and understand different business units has been monumental for my professional development. I never would have gained this level of exposure without Trane Technologies and the ADP.” 

Interested in hearing from more employees in the 2024 ADP cohort?

Explore Elizabeth’s point of view with marketing as a sustainability job and a look back to Xzavier’s first rotation as an engineer.  

• Elizabeth Tomalis: marketing as a sustainability job
• Xzavier Rainey: thriving in a sustainability-focused environment