Cultivating the Next Generation: Inside Forrester’s Inaugural Future Leaders Program
At the recent B2B Summit North America, Forrester introduced a significant addition to its hallmark event: the Future Leaders program. This invitation-only, curated experience was designed to address a critical gap in professional development for early-career high-potentials. By identifying rising talent within partner organizations and providing them with a specialized environment, Forrester aimed to bridge the transition between individual contributor roles and future leadership.
The inaugural cohort consisted of 25 hand-picked professionals. These individuals were not merely attendees; they were participants in a high-touch program designed to foster confidence, strategic thinking, and cross-industry networking. Over three intensive days, they balanced the breadth of the larger Summit agenda with a specialized curriculum that included roundtables, peer discussions, and hands-on exercises tailored specifically to their career stage.
A Chronology of the Experience
The program was structured as a multi-layered journey, moving from foundational networking to tactical application.
Phase 1: Immersion and Belonging
The event began by establishing a sense of community. For many participants, the program provided a rare opportunity to step outside the silo of their own organizations. As Kaila Wallace, a marketing manager at Hughes, noted, the immediate impact of the program was a sense of "belonging." In many corporate environments, early-career professionals often find themselves as the youngest or least experienced voices in the room. The Future Leaders cohort provided a rare "peer-level" environment, allowing them to discuss their career trajectories with those facing identical challenges.
Phase 2: Tactical Skill-Building
Once the cohort was established, the program pivoted to hard-skills workshops. This phase included sessions on executive communication—teaching participants how to translate their day-to-day work into strategic narratives that resonate with leadership—and practical negotiation tactics. Leah Broadaway, regional marketing manager at Keepit, highlighted the value of role-playing exercises, particularly those focusing on managing scope creep and setting professional boundaries. These were not theoretical lectures but active rehearsals for real-world corporate friction points.
Phase 3: The Broader Ecosystem
The final phase of the program encouraged participants to look outward. By engaging with Forrester analysts and seasoned B2B professionals, the cohort moved beyond their own organizational bubbles. They participated in immersive, real-life buying scenarios that required them to synthesize information and make high-level decisions. This phase was designed to stretch their thinking, moving them from tactical executors to strategic architects of their company’s future.
Supporting Data and Industry Context
The development of the Future Leaders program comes at a time when the B2B landscape is undergoing massive transformation. With the rise of generative AI, shifts in buying behaviors, and the increasing complexity of the marketing tech stack, organizations are under immense pressure to groom talent that can adapt quickly.
According to internal feedback from the program, the "curated nature" of the experience was its most significant differentiator. Unlike a traditional conference, where attendees often suffer from "information overload" and passive consumption, the Future Leaders program maintained a high participation-to-content ratio.
- Diverse Perspectives: The cohort represented a wide array of functions, including content strategy, sales enablement, field marketing, and channel management.
- Engagement Metrics: Participants reported that the most transformative moments occurred during the informal, non-scripted segments of the event—lunches, happy hours, and networking mixers—which were intentionally structured to lower barriers to entry for professional relationship building.
Perspectives from the Cohort
To understand the long-term impact of the program, we sat down with three members of the inaugural class: Kaila Wallace (Hughes), Olivia Grogan (Reltio), and Leah Broadaway (Keepit).
The Power of Intentionality
When asked to describe the program in one word, the responses were revealing. Olivia Grogan chose the word "intentional." She noted, "The entire experience was thoughtfully designed—the agenda, discussions, networking opportunities, and even the informal moments. It wasn’t just another conference track. It was built around where we are in our careers."
This intentionality meant that every session served a specific purpose: providing the tools necessary for the "next" level of leadership, even for those who did not yet hold a leadership title.
Breaking Silos
One of the most profound realizations for the cohort was the diversity of roles represented within the group. Leah Broadaway shared that she initially expected the group to be homogenous, filled only with other marketing managers. "I assumed everyone would be in similar B2B marketing roles," she said. "I’m in channel marketing, so it was great to connect with people in content, sales, and other areas. It allowed us to see how our specific roles fit into the broader revenue engine."
Communication and Executive Presence
A recurring theme throughout the interviews was the focus on executive presence. Many early-career professionals struggle with the "imposter syndrome" associated with presenting ideas to senior stakeholders. Kaila Wallace emphasized a session on communicating with executives as a major turning point. "It reinforced that if you have something valuable to share, you should speak up—but also how to approach those conversations effectively. That was really helpful for me."
Practical Implications: From Phoenix to the Office
The true test of any professional development program is its "shelf-life"—what stays with the participant once they return to the office? The Future Leaders participants have already begun integrating their learnings:
- Negotiation and Scope Management: Leah Broadaway has applied the negotiation techniques learned in a roundtable session to her daily workflow. By shifting from a "yes to everything" mindset to a more strategic, boundary-focused approach, she has been able to manage her bandwidth more effectively and deliver higher-quality results on priority projects.
- Strategic Curiosity: Kaila Wallace has adopted a more inquisitive approach to her firm’s tech stack. By asking, "How are we using these tools to align with our broader lead generation goals?" she has moved from a task-based role to a more collaborative, strategic partnership with her leadership team.
- Expanded Perspectives: Olivia Grogan highlighted the importance of breaking out of her company’s internal "echo chamber." The experience allowed her to benchmark her company’s progress against the wider industry, resulting in a more proactive and long-term vision for her department’s growth.
Expert Advice for Future Participants
For those who may be nominated for future cohorts, the participants offered three core pieces of advice:
- Be Fully Present: "Fully opt in," says Grogan. "Attend the sessions, but also take advantage of everything around them. Some of the most valuable moments won’t happen in a workshop but in those informal conversations that shift how you see your career."
- The "No Stupid Questions" Rule: Broadaway emphasizes the need for intellectual bravery. "Lean in and ask what you need. Someone else in the room is probably wondering the same thing."
- Embrace Your Belonging: Wallace encourages future participants to shed their nerves. "Know that you belong in the room and that you have something to contribute. Even if you’re nervous, start the conversation or join the discussion."
Looking Ahead
The success of the inaugural Future Leaders program suggests a shift in how major industry players view talent development. By moving beyond the "one-size-fits-all" conference model and into a highly personalized, cohort-based experience, Forrester has set a new standard for professional development.
For the 25 members of this first class, the Summit was more than just a trip to Phoenix; it was a catalyst for their professional identity. As they return to their respective companies, they carry with them not just new tactical skills, but a fortified network and the confidence to lead long before they are formally titled to do so. The future of B2B leadership, it seems, is in capable hands.
