ILTA Hosts Inaugural Young Terminals Industry Professionals Summit

In partnership with Saudi Aramco and Tank Storage Magazine, ILTA hosted its first ever Young Terminals Industry Professionals Summit on April 6. The event was aimed at both younger professionals just entering the industry and long-time terminal veterans looking to pass on their experience. At its core, the event was meant to strengthen cross-generational communications between millennial workers now taking on management roles and both Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers looking to pass the torch.

The day began with presentations from Abdulrahman Al Juraifani of Saudi Aramco, Nikki Thomas of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, and Caitlin Geisinger of law firm Burns & McDonnell.  All three offered their views on how their organization’s under-35 employees gain meaningful experience and discussed the tools their companies use to retain and engage emerging leaders. They stressed a need for cross-functional development, formal mentoring programs and opportunities to grow in the job. In all, the group stressed the importance of experienced leadership to guide the development of younger workers looking to bring the terminals industry into the future.

A panel discussion led by Tank Storage Magazine’s Margaret Dunn featured several finalists of the magazine's “40 under 40” nominees and winners. They discussed several topics, including mentorship, engaging with management and making your voice heard.

Warren Wright of Second Wave Learning rounded out the event with a presentation on the many generational differences between today’s younger leaders and their more experienced counterparts. Wright, a long-time friend of ILTA, has overviewed various communication styles at association events. He also explained that there were major differences in intrinsic goals and desires that drive different generations in today's workforce. The key to a successful dialogue between the generations is to understand what factors motivate each generation and where the group collectively wants to go as they look toward the future, Wright said.

More than 50 people virtually attended this fantastic event. A recording can be accessed on ILTA’s website after logging into your membership account here.