FEATURE
AV Dawson looking to the future with launch of Leadership Academy
LEADING THE WAY
Taking the lead – Louise Croce has been appointed as AV Dawson ’ s people and culture director .
How AV Dawson ’ s appointment of a new people and culture director has led to the launch of an academy designed to identify and develop its leaders of the future .
104 | Tees Business
All companies , regardless of where they are in the business life-cycle , face challenges . Some of these problems are common , regardless of sector or company maturity , but some businesses face unique challenges .
For a start-up , cash flow , process and productivity may be key . However , as a business matures a number of issues can arise .
As a business develops and grows , it hopes to develop a loyal workforce , retaining and developing knowledge that is invaluable to progression , but this can pose a challenge in itself . Although a loyal workforce with high staff retention rates can be a goal , it can also pose some obstacles .
Who is there to replace those colleagues when they retire or move on to pastures new ? And how is that knowledge and experience passed down to other members of the team ?
AV Dawson , owner and operator of Port of Middlesbrough , is tackling this issue head on with an in-house initiative designed to support the leadership and development of its colleagues and equip them with skills for the future .
The AV Dawson Leadership Academy is the first initiative launched by Louise Croce following her promotion to become AV Dawson ’ s people and culture director . The academy is designed to identify and address skills gaps in the workforce while also setting out a clear path for succession .
Launched in February 2023 , the AV Dawson Leadership Academy aims to support the leadership and development of colleagues and to equip them with skills for future succession through a variety of training , masterclasses , one-to-one sessions and guest lectures .
The academy is split into a number of cohorts , firstly aiming to develop senior managers within the business . This knowledge acquired during the programme will allow these managers to then support other cohorts within the academy while sharing useful practical knowledge and tips .
Talking about her new role and the Leadership Academy , Louise says : “ The AV Dawson Leadership Academy is about investing in our colleagues now but also preparing them for the future and their next potential role .
“ Before launching the Leadership Academy , we offered an opportunity to all colleagues to complete an aspirations survey . This helped us identify each colleague ’ s ambitions and what they wanted to achieve . We understand that not every colleague may want to progress to new roles . They could be completely happy in their current role but they might want to develop certain skills .