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ATA and Daimler Truck and Bus announce 2018 Daimler Future Leaders

28 February 2018

The Australian Trucking Association and Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific are proud to announce the participants in the 2018 Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders’ Forum.  

The Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders’ Forum is a career-defining professional program for hand-picked trucking business owners and employees.

The leaders come from a range of backgrounds and roles, including logistics, business management, technology and innovation.

ATA Chair Geoff Crouch said the trucking industry needs to address the challenge of technological disruption, as well as the issues of today.

“To deal with these challenges, the industry needs a new generation of leaders,” Mr Crouch said.

“The Daimler Truck and Bus Future Leaders’ Forum will provide its participants with an opportunity to develop their potential as future leaders of the industry and the ATA’s network of member associations,” he said.

The participants will take part in two days of intensive workshops in Canberra on 27-28 March 2018, learning how government policy is developed and how businesses and industry associations can have an influence in an effective and ethical way.

The program also includes take-home leadership projects, which will be presented at Trucking Australia 2018.

Throughout the forum, participants will be supported by Wisdom Learning, a Canberra based RTO that specialises in leadership training.

Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific President and CEO, Daniel Whitehead, said that focusing on fresh talent was the key to building a stronger industry.

“Daimler Truck and Bus is excited to be part of an initiative that will help nurture the next generation of Australian transport industry leaders,” Mr Whitehead said.

“We want the transport industry to be a destination industry for the country’s finest,” he said.

 

MEET THE 2018 DAIMLER FUTURE LEADERS

Adam Woods

Adam is a Business Manager at JD Container Logistics. Passionate about transport, he first became involved as a forklift operator before progressing to his current role. Adam’s project is to improve the image of the industry, which also touches on trucking industry safety. He plans to improve education in order to achieve harmonisation between the community and road transport industry.

Angus McKenzie

Angus is General Business Manager at QMC Logistics. He oversees all commercial activities of the business, focusing on customer satisfaction and retention. Angus’ project is to improve and increase rest facilities for heavy vehicle drivers. This includes involving local communities and councils, greater policing of caravans and campers at truck stops, and a proposed trial between Melbourne and Sydney.

Brad McArdle

Brad is Manager of Supply and Distribution at Petro Diamond Australia. He has been a board member of the South Australian Road Transport Association since 2008, and is also closely affiliated with his parents’ small trucking operation on the Eyre Peninsula. Brad’s project is to set action and direction for seeking to reduce general motorist accidents with heavy vehicles across the country, but particularly South Australia. He plans to develop a strategy that will increase the awareness of safe heavy vehicle interactions amongst the general motorist population.

Coralie Chapman

Coralie is Transport Supervisor at Linfox Australia, and has worked in road transport for more than 18 years. She has been on the Transport Women Australia Limited board since 2016, and was made secretary last year. Coralie’s project is to expand the media strategies of stakeholders to raise awareness of safety and the image of the industry. The strategy will focus on safety from many aspects of the supply chain with a focus on highlighting positive examples of professional sub-contractors.

Craig Bridgman

Craig is a Business Development Officer for Exact Contracting Services in a shared arrangement with G&S Transport. He is actively involved in the road transport and civil construction industry, focusing on remote area work. Craig’s project is about technological change and innovation in the transport industry. It will explore cost effective and efficient systems that allow companies to get more from their data, and maintain competitiveness.

Jeff Johnston

Jeff is the General Manager and Director at Johnston Transport Industries Pty Ltd. Jeff has worked hard to build the family business, especially through education. He has completed a Bachelor of Commerce and a Masters in Business Administration. Jeff’s project centres on generational change and the new workforce. This involves succession planning and how it impacts the large proportion of family businesses that occupy the logistics sector.

Lyndon Watson

Lyndon is a Business Manager at Don Watson Transport, and has worked within the trucking industry from a young age. He enjoys working with trucking association committees, and assisting the development of the industry. Lyndon’s project focuses on operating a profitable business in a carbon neutral future. He will explore how the Australian trucking industry can manage the transition, and create a new standard of quality in the global market.

Robyn Zadow

Robyn is the director of Windy Creek Contractors since starting the business with her husband Shane in 2009. Robyn oversees the compliance and administrative requirements of the company, which is a state-wide operation based out of Geraldton WA. Robyn’s project is to improve the partnership between owner drivers and SME operators, and how they interact with industry and government. She plans to form a framework for collaboration and advocacy, and to identify practical ways to support increasing capacity at the small end of the industry.

Sam Lovatt

Sam is Branch Manager at SRT Logistics. Before starting with the company 8 years ago, he worked in a variety of transport and logistics roles, including freight clerk, assistant LCL and FCL fleet controller. Sam’s project will explore best practice peak demand scheduling for driver fatigue management with a standard hours model.

Stacey Davies

Stacey is a Program and Activation Lead, Elite Support at Daimler Truck and Bus. Elite Support is a joint initiative by Daimler Truck and Bus and the Daimler Truck dealer network that delivers new levels of service for customers of Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso in Australia. Stacey’s project will discuss workplace culture, recruiting and retaining staff, and improving the image of the industry. The focus of this discussion will explore how creating a positive workplace culture impacts morale, hiring and productivity.

Wade Lewis

Wade is an Intermodal Transport and Logistics Manager at Fletcher International Exports. He is the representative to the NHVR and a member of the NSW Freight Connectivity Committee, with 12 years of experience in driving, logistics, and intermodal management and training. Wade’s project is to improve training and development in the heavy vehicle industry, by identifying gaps and addressing them through best-practice and recognised training models.