Pat Collins

Sr. Manager for Diversity (retired)

Procter & Gamble North America

INROADS can be essential in meeting corporate strategic goals of hiring diverse leaders, future managers and high-performing, students.

-Pat Collins

There are many internship programs, but only one INROADS process.

“I started working with INROADS in 1989. Internships were not new to me, but INROADS was. During the 1970's and '80's within Procter & Gamble's sales function, we had higher than acceptable turnover among our diverse managers during their first five years with the Company. I was promised that retention would be higher with INROADS,” says Pat.

The promise was fulfilled when INROADS Alumni in the sales department of P&G had the highest retention rate of any source of management hires from 1994 thru 2006.

Pat believes that working with INROADS can be essential in meeting corporate strategic goals. That partnership provided him with access to diverse leaders, future managers and high-performing, high-potential underserved students. Additionally, INROADS year-round training and development component for its Interns proves invaluable, according to this INROADS supporter.

“I had the pleasure of working in many capacities with INROADS, including business coordinator, mentor, and board member,” Pat recalls. “One of my most memorable roles was as a loaned executive to INROADS in which I trained staff members and helped to grow the Intern base.”

When asked about his personal sentiments, Pat offered us another side.

“Personally, INROADS has helped me to internalize this whole phenomenon of diversity. The best friends that I’ve had are the INROADS staff and Alumni. I am retired now, but I still get e-mails and phone calls from them. INROADS energized the last 15 years of my career.”