Program to assist 14 trucking business owners and employees in their professional development
The participants for the 2019 Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders’ Forum, run by Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific, have been announced.
The leaders come from a range of backgrounds and roles, including business analysis, driver training, logistics, compliance and finance.
The first part of the 2019 forum will be held in Canberra on November 12-13. It will proceed with workshops and projects on industry issues, which will be presented at Trucking Australia 2019 in Perth from April 3-5.
“Our trucking industry needs a new generation of leaders to deal with change and the challenge of technological disruption,” ATA chair Geoff Crouch says.
“The inaugural Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders’ Forum was an incredible success, and I very much look forward to engaging our 2019 Future Leaders in this invaluable program.”
Daimler and ATA seek to build on success of initiative’s inaugural year. Read more, here
Participants will also be mentored by experts in leadership, media and political training.
“This type of initiative nurtures the development of Australia’s transport industry leaders and can make transport a destination industry for the country’s finest,” Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific president and CEO Daniel Whitehead says.
“We are excited to see the talent and vision of our 2019 Future Leaders and the projects they will undertake to build a stronger, safer and more productive industry,” he said.
FUTURE LEADERS
Matthew Allen: Daimler Truck and Bus
“Matthew is a Business Analyst at Daimler Truck and Bus. He has a passion for data analysis and creating insights to develop future strategies around sales planning, customer and competitor insights, future product strategies and operational process improvements,” the ATA says.
“Matthew’s leadership project will explore the projected rise of ecommerce and how it will lead to an increased need for truck drivers and increased demand of transport companies. The project will discuss future training pathways and the barriers of entering the transport industry.”
Daniel Brain: Victorian Transport Association
“Daniel is load restraint specialist at Toll’s road transport safety and compliance unit. Since starting with Toll in 2009, Daniel has worked as a truck driver, driver trainer, site HSE coordinator and regional HSE manager. Daniel’s leadership project focuses on managing the rollover risk of containerised loads. Daniel aims to raise awareness of compliant loading practices to reduce business risk,” the ATA says.
Athol Carter: Queensland Trucking Association
“Athol is compliance manager at Fraser’s Livestock Transport in Warwick, Queensland. Athol has worked in various roles in the transport industry, was recently appointed as a TruckSafe director and is passionate about animal welfare. Athol’s leadership project is to re-introduce an historical ‘offsider driver program’, designed for new entrants to learn the Livestock Transport Industry code of conduct/culture and driving skills in multi-combination vehicles,” the ATA says.
Christian Cornell: NT Road Transport Association
“Christian is director and operations manager of Darwin Container Services, a company specialising in container freight, OSOM and general freight movements. Christian is a qualified diesel fitter and completed his apprenticeship with Cummins South Pacific before re-joining the family businesses as managing director, responsible for company logistics,” the ATA says.
Kingsley Gordon: Australian Furniture Removers Association
“Kingsley is IT administrator of Conroy Removals in Dandenong, Victoria. Kingsley’s leadership project focuses on technological change and innovation in the transport industry, by automating administration systems. Kingsley believes an automated system would improve productivity by reducing staff involvement and the risk of human error,” the ATA says.
Bethany Magill: NatRoad
“Bethany Magill works for Magill Transport in Parkes, New South Wales, as administration and logistics assistant. Bethany’s leadership project is focused employee attraction and retention. Bethany will explore issues for new and existing drivers, employment pathways and portraying the transport industry as an attractive place of work,” the ATA says.
Kaine McEvoy: SA Road Transport Association
“Kaine works in operations at his family-owned and operated business McEvoy Transport in Dry Creek, South Australia. During his time at the business, Kaine has worked in various roles from driving and loading, administration duties and quoting, to the hiring of staff and day-to-day running of the company. Kaine’s leadership project focuses on how family-owned transport businesses can transition from one generation to the next, ensuring productivity, sustainability and viability,” ATA says.
Angela Mumma: Australian Livestock & Rural Transporters Association
“Angela is business development manager at Stockmaster in Tamworth, New South Wales. Angela has extensive experience in the transport and logistics industries, particularly in the heavy vehicle freight sector. Angela’s leadership project aims to innovate business operation performance through the development and implementation of a comprehensive system tailored specifically to the needs of livestock transporters,” the ATA says.
Gordon Smith-Gander: Western Roads Federation
“Gordon is chief commercial officer at Kwik Logistics, a company that has been operating in Western Australia’s construction and infrastructure sector for more than 30 years through crane hire, local transport and traffic management. Gordon’s leadership project focuses on how businesses can stay competitive while still operating compliantly. It will explore the improvement of industry standards and increased regulation and educating customers,” ATA says.
Troy Streefland: Tasmanian Transport Association
“Troy is managing director of Streefland’s Transport in Kings Meadows, Tasmania. Troy’s leadership project focuses on technology and specialised load restraint solutions. The project will explore the use of technology and the range of platforms that can be used to improve efficiency, productivity and compliance,” the ATA says.
Geoff Taylor: Transafe WA
“Geoff is the regional health, safety, environment and training manager at Rivet Mining Services in Port Hedland, Western Australia. Geoff has qualifications in the areas of management, training and assessment and workplace health and safety. Geoff believes that the implementation of technology and safety systems can significantly reduce business risk and cost,” the ATA says.
Riley Topping: TruckSafe
“Riley is a driver trainer and assessor at Divall’s Earthmoving and Bulk Haulage in Goulburn, New South Wales. Riley is also competent in the use of civil machinery, with his qualification giving him the opportunity to work within both the heavy vehicle and civil industries. Riley’s leadership project focuses on the recruitment and retention of staff and getting more young men and women interested in the transport industry,” ATA says.
Michelle Vella: Road Freight NSW
“Michelle is workplace health and safety officer at Vellex. Michelle has been at Vellex for 13 years and has worked in a variety of roles that have given her an in-depth knowledge of the transport industry. Michelle’s leadership project focuses on improving internal safety communication, by utilising communications techniques that are traditionally used in the marketing and advertising fields,” the ATA says.
Luke Vesey: Daimler Truck and Bus
“Luke is chief financial officer at Ron Finemore Transport, based in Albury/Wodonga, New South Wales. Luke’s leadership project outlines how road user charging is relative to productive and road classification. The project will demonstrate that although refinement to existing framework is desired, migration to the proposed framework is unnecessary, creates ambiguity and bureaucracy and leads to reduced levels of future transport industry productivity, as well as imposing addition costs to operators,” the ATA says.