Lead, Engage, Achieve, and Develop. Start your full-time career after college graduation developing these critical competencies through Linde Gas & Equipment Inc.’s LEAD Program. This leadership development program is designed to develop individuals who will gain valuable business knowledge and insight in all functional areas of the business during their first year. Program associates spend their first twelve months with the Company working in a region supported by a local mentor, general manager and program manager, to advance their skill set and knowledge base through various on-the-job activities, project-based work, and training, preparing them for placement in a full-time role following the program.

Recruiting Dates:
Recruiting for LEAD begins in each fall with a program start date of July

Who We Hire:
Candidates with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering or Supply Chain

Program Length:
12 months
Must be willing to travel

Hear what LEAD graduates have to say about the program:

Olivia Cantamessa (Operations Project Manager) 

I have been with Linde for three years. I joined the company as a part of the LEAD (formerly COLP) program immediately following my college graduation. I received my BS in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where I was extremely involved in the society of women engineers. Networking with other women in STEM & Linde is one of my passions. I enjoy attending conferences on behalf of the company and participate as a core member of our employee resource group, Women in Technology (WIT). In my free time I love to cook, and I’ve recently begun dog walking!

How has the LEAD program help you in your career thus far? 

Being a part of the LEAD program has made my career what it is today. The network I made has been invaluable. I was encouraged to ask questions and get involved in projects outside of my comfort zone by all, which has given me the confidence to tackle new experiences head on. The LEAD Program enabled me to develop a strong understanding of the different areas of the LG&E business. Through one on one shadowing and informative presentations by upper management, I was exposed to areas of the business many new hires rarely see.

What was the best part of the program? 

Networking is the best and most valuable part of the program. Going through the curriculum at the same time as my classmates developed a strong bond that will last a lifetime. Shadowing and working with employees in all areas of the business not only allowed me to expand my understanding, but develop relationships that I could call upon later in my career.

What lessons did you learn from being a LEAD associate? 

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Find the right mentors, these relationships can last you whole career. You are not expected to know everything.

What attracted you to Linde? 

Linde’s presence as a global company with diverse business units initially attracted me to the company.

What do you like about working at Linde? 

I enjoy the diverse group of people I interact with daily. No two days are the same and that keeps work interesting.  I am constantly challenged with new problems and projects, which helps me to learn and grow.

What advice would you give to future LEAD associates? 

Be a sponge. Learn as much as you can and get involved with anything that seems interesting. Mostly, have fun and enjoy the program. This is such a unique way to start your career, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of it.

Oscar A Del Bosque (Senior Plant Manager)

I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from The University of Texas at Austin. My first job after graduation was as a lab analyst in the Samsung Semiconductor plant in Austin where I worked the nightshift for three years. I learned there was an opportunity in Linde for a program for training future leaders, and the opportunity was a great fit because the position was based in the Geismar, LA plant where they specialize in blending hydrocarbons, so I was very interested in the technical knowledge that I could learn. There were very experienced blenders and analysts that took time out of their day to work with me to help me make improvements to the processes in the plant. The leadership was very supportive of the improvement ideas and projects that developed from Six Sigma training. After completing the program, I managed the lab in Geismar for about a year and a half and then moved to Houston, TX, to be the production supervisor in Portagas. I learned a great deal in Portagas about managing a bigger, more complicated process and to value the importance of data for many aspects of production. I became the plant manager in Portagas after about two years. I am now the plant manager in Fairless Hills, PA, which is a larger operation which combines many aspects of the business including industrial, specialty gases, medical, distribution, and more.

How has the LEAD program help you in your career thus far?

Having the opportunity to work mostly on projects that helped make a change in the productivity, safety, and profitability of the plant was instrumental in learning the business quickly. The connections made during the program to other participants and leadership have lasted years after the program.

What was the best part of the program?

The best part of the program was visiting other locations after learning the process in the plant where I was based in. This gave me the opportunity to see how other locations operate and learned how different each plant is, providing me some perspective on tackling problems that seemed challenging back in the plant.

What lessons did you learn from being a LEAD associate?

I learned to manage projects along daily production responsibilities.

What attracted you to Linde?

When I was little, I went to a safety event for family members of Linde employees and got to see the plant from the inside. They had kid friendly science experiment demonstrations that captured my imagination. This was one of the reasons why I chose Chemistry as a career path in college.

What do you like about working at Linde?

I like working with the people. I still keep in contact with people in every location I have worked in, and we help each other when we need a hand.

What advice would you give to future LEAD associates?

I would advise future associates to learn as much as you can from the people around you. Listen to experience. Be proactive in identifying potential deficiencies in the process and propose improvements.

Tony Ruppel (General Manager)

I graduated from Ferris State University in 2014 with a bachelors in Corporate Finance. Upon graduation I started in the LEAD (formerly COLP) program. I then spent three years as a Territory Manager within the St. Louis, MO market and progressed into management as the General Sales Manager of the St. Louis LAC . Most recently, in April of 2022 I became the General Manager for the Central Regin’s South area.
Since I am originally from Michigan, I am a big Redwings, Tigers and (unfortunately) Lions fan. Outside of work I enjoy traveling, attending sporting events, visiting the lake, and spending time with friends and family.

How has the LEAD program help you in your career thus far?

I think so many of us get tied up in our specific roles that we forget to appreciate and understand how important the rest of the business is. For example, in a sales role we tend to forget how important our plant and distribution team is. The largest benefit of the LEAD program, for me, was the time spent physically working with our plant folks, delivery drivers, safety team, customer service and support people. Literally working in the plant and taking on that physical work, sweating in the summer, and freezing in the winter opened my eyes to the business, how it works, what the rest of our folks do and gain a massive appreciation for them.

What was the best part of the program?

The best part for me was the relationships made. Eight years later I still keep in close contact with others from our LEAD group. I also enjoy travel and learning new things. The opportunity to travel across the country within the program, give back to the community everywhere we went and learn something new was extremely valuable to me. 

What lessons did you learn from being a LEAD associate?

For me, this was my first professional job and I moved to a new city/state without any family or friends. Therefore, I learned quite a bit about the company, different roles, and what future opportunities could look like. But, most importantly, the biggest lesson was learning to be independent, humble, and open-minded. 

What attracted you to Linde?

In today’s world so many people jump from company to company seeking opportunities to advance their career. My goal was to work for a company that had a great reputation, took care of their employees, the community, and was large enough for me to advance my career and never leave. I like to say Linde is the smallest, largest company I have ever seen. There are so many opportunities to advance in your career, relocate world-wide or even completely change roles and your responsibilities, but never have to leave Linde!

What do you like about working at Linde?

Every day is a new challenge and an opportunity to learn. At Linde, you won’t be bored! I enjoy the high pace work environment, challenging projects, and amazing co-workers. Every role at Linde is important and I always go home knowing I accomplished something that made a difference!

What advice would you give to future LEAD associates?

Be humble, open-minded and willing to think outside the box. Every opinion matters and Linde does a great job recognizing that, so don’t be afraid to share yours. Throughout your 12 months work hard, show up on time, ask questions and don’t forget to have some fun!