GCCA announces recipient of first Global NexGen Award

The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) announced the recipient of its inaugural GCCA Global NexGen Award, which recognizes outstanding young professionals in the global cold chain industry. The 2015 award went to Joey Williams, warehouse manager of Nordic Logistics & Warehousing LLC.
Presentation took place at the closing general session of the 124th International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) and World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO) Convention & Expo held in Orlando FL recently.
Finalists for the NextGen Award are recipients of industry awards that recognize exceptional achievement by young professionals in the cold chain in a specific region or nation. Nominees for the 2015 NextGen Award were put forward by national refrigerated warehousing organizations to compete for the global award at the IARW-WFLO Convention & Expo.
Ivan Sutic, financial director at Chilleweni Cold Storage, represented South Africa as the first-ever recipient of the South African Refrigerated Distribution Association (SARDA) Peter Worthington-Smith Award, which recognizes achievement by a young person in the South African cold chain.
Jeffrey Tusa, project manager, Polar Fresh Cold Chain Services, was recipient of the Refrigerated Warehouse and Transportation Association of Australia (RWTA) 2014 Frank Vale Award acknowledging talented young people in the Australian cold chain industry.
Representing North America was Williams, the recipient of the 2015 IARW-WFLO Don Schlimme Future Leader Award.
“I am continuously impressed by the quality and dedication that our young professionals exhibit in this industry,” said Frank Plant, immediate past chairman of WFLO and president of San Diego Cold Storage. “This GCCA Global NextGen Award celebrates young professionals from around the world and the important role they and the entire cold storage industry play in providing safe and quality food to a growing global population.”
The NextGen Award was established in 2015 in order to annually acknowledge talented young professionals who have demonstrated to their employers their potential to become future leaders and make positive contributions to development of the industry. Among other eligibility requirements for the award, nominees had to demonstrate excellence in their work; the potential to excel further in the many facets of the industry; and possessing insight into their organization’s strategic values and direction, policies, and ways of working.
As part of the selection process, each nominee was interviewed and judged by a panel of industry leaders from around the world. Candidates were judged on their knowledge level of the industry, track record of excellence, communication skills, and leadership skills. In addition, each candidate delivered a five-minute presentation to the panel of judges and IARW-WFLO Convention attendees.
As winner of the GCCA Global NextGen award, Williams will receive a travel stipend of up to $2,500 to attend a GCCA or GCCA partner event anywhere in the world in 2015-2016. He also was presented with an engraved 2015 GCCA Global NextGen award.