Wills Transfer & Ontario Trucking Association~LEAD Grads to 2019 Trucking Leaders

(Nov. 11, 2019) — Each and every interaction is an opportunity to lead. The more in tune we are with having the mind-set of a leader, the greater the impact we’ll have on those around us.

Those were the words of Bonnie Parkinson from XTL Transport Inc. as she described the influence of the Next Generation Certificate Program on her development as a leader to a packed room of trucking industry executives at OTA’s annual executive conference last week.

Bonnie also enlightened those in attendance about the value the Next Generation program brought, not only through its challenging course content, but also the ability to network and build peer connections in the industry which can often be difficult to do.

“Each module pushed us outside our comfort zones and made us confront the things that were holding us back. Now that we understand what it takes to be an effective leader, we can put these skills into practice and seek out new challenges,” she said. “Engaging with peers from different backgrounds sheds valuable insight into the entire supply chain…while providing support from the day-to-day stress of our lives.”

The Next Generation Certificate program is an intensive leadership development initiative for the industry’s future leaders, and delivered by the highly esteemed Humphrey Group. The objective of the four-part certificate program is to strengthen a new leader’s ability to inspire action in others – from drivers, to customers, to executive teams.

After completing the Next Generation program, graduates were left asking themselves – “what’s next?” Based on the demand for another program, OTA’s LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) committee partnered with the Schulich School of Business, York University to create the highly successful OTA-SEEC Leaders Certificate program (Ontario Trucking Association – Schulich Executive Education Centre).

Designed to build on the skills in the Next Generation program, the OTA-SEEC Leaders Certificate program focuses on the theme of innovation, with the intention of creating an innovative mindset within leaders and using that mindset to drive innovation in the workplace.

Ryan King from Bison Transport delivered an engaging speech to the audience on behalf of his fellow classmates, praising his experiences in the program, the lasting friendships he has made, and lessons learned from his experience.

“The last, but not least, valuable piece of this course is the relationships built throughout the process. Working with each other inside and outside the classroom over the last two years…laughing together, learning together, getting to know each other builds a bond that could last years or even a lifetime.”
He also encouraged the trucking industry leaders to consider putting Next Generation grads into the program, because it provides individuals an opportunity to learn and grow, with tangible benefits applicable to their everyday lives.

“The big benefit of the program is the structured approach taught in the course. It equips us to take lead roles on projects in our day to day lives and allows us to grow as leaders in our businesses and in the industry.”

Both graduating classes comprised over 50 up-and-coming industry managers and executives (both carriers and suppliers). This format offered graduates an opportunity to learn, network, and meet professionals experiencing similar career growth opportunities and challenges. (See list of graduates below).

Wills Transfer & OTA extends its congratulations to the class of 2019:

Next Generation Certificate Program:

OTA-SEEC Leaders Certificate Program: