Schulich ExecEd and OTA Leadership Program Shapes Future of Trucking
Schulich ExecEd’s OTA-Schulich ExecEd Leadership Education & Development (LEAD) The program imparts essential skills to up-and-coming leaders in the trucking sector, enabling them to guide the industry towards a more sustainable future.
“The partnership between Schulich ExecEd and the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is a testament to our shared commitment to shaping the future of the trucking industry. The OTA-Schulich ExecEd Leadership Education & Development (LEAD) program creates a solid path for emerging leaders in the trucking sector to follow for success. Since 2017, this partnership has thrived, with the LEAD Certificate Program earning recognition as the most prestigious in the industry,” says Rami Mayer, Executive Director of Schulich ExecEd. “Our collaboration with the OTA has been instrumental in graduating over 100 trucking leaders, empowering them with the critical skills necessary to navigate the challenges of the industry. This partnership provides a transformative learning experience, combining top-tier professional development with the latest industry expertise, unlocking new frontiers of leadership excellence for the next generation of trucking professionals.”
The program addresses significant challenges in the industry, such as resistance to change, why innovation is essential, and how to leverage cognitive diversity and problem-solving frameworks for better outcomes. The program introduces specific tools and techniques needed to creatively solve complex problems in collaboration with others. Participants are organized into diverse teams to thoroughly examine challenges within the trucking industry and propose solutions for consideration to OTA Board members.
“Through the program, participants learn to think better, solve challenges systematically, collaborate, and consider issues beyond their normal scope of work. Importantly, they can dream up better solutions for the industry as a whole. You can see the shift from the beginning of the program to the end, and in the years that follow. The capstone action learning project has a way of solidifying the learning while creating lasting friendships,” shares Megan Mitchell, Program Director of the OTA-Schulich ExecEd LEAD Certificate Program.