Developed by industry experts to advance expertise and best practices in temperature-controlled logistics, the Institute is back in-person!
This year marks the 59th anniversary of the very first WFLO Institute held in Norman, Oklahoma – the home of The University of Oklahoma. This three-year, industry-specific program for professionals engaged in temperature-controlled logistics offers more than 40 classes taught by leading experts in the industry. The curriculum takes students through cold chain management, customer service, employee safety, food safety, warehouse operations, transportation operations and professional development.
By 2009, the WFLO Institute had outgrown Norman and moved to a new home at the Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center in Atlanta, Georgia. This new facility allowed for more students to participate in the Institute and offered a connection to Georgia Tech’s renowned Logistics and Supply Chain program. In recent years, WFLO has provided opportunities for Georgia Tech students to participate in the Institute as way to generate broader interest in a career in the Cold Chain. In 2014, due to interest from members in the region, WFLO launched the first Latin America Institute, which was held in CostaRica. The WFLO Latin America Institute now takes place each year in Mexico City. And while the 2020 Year 1 and Year 2 program had to be postponed to 2021, WFLO was able to run the Year 3 program virtually and graduate 12 individuals from the program. Over the years the growth of the program continued. By 2017, the Institute had grown so much that the WFLO Board decided to hold two Institutes in the United States to allow for a valuable onsite experience while accommodating more participation. This was the beginning of the East and West Institutes. The WFLO Institute East is continuing on at Georgia Tech. The West Coast Institute is now held at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and Conference Center adjacent to the campus of Arizona State University, where the top ranked W. P. Carey School of Business in located. The East and West Institutes now host well over 500 students in total each year.
In 2019, the first ever WFLO Institute was held in Melbourne, Australia, with over 35 students participating in Year 1 courses. WFLO planned to hold Year 1 and Year 2 of the Institute in Melbourne in 2020, however the program had to be canceled due to COVID-19. The Institute anticipates offering Year 1 and 2 courses in Melbourne in May 2023. The WFLO Institute classroom experience continues to grow with these four global locations and more planned for the future. It is the world’s best cold chain logistics training program to develop your company’s most important asset – talent.
WFLO Institute East and West Keynote Presentation
“#NoMatterWhat,” the keynote presentation for the East and West WFLO Institutes this year, will be conducted by Sterling Hawkins, CEO and Founder of the Sterling Hawkins Group, Founder of the #NoMatterWhat movement, and author of the best seller “Hunting Discomfort.” The Sterling Hawkins Group is a research, training and development company focused on human and organizational growth. Hawkins has been featured in publications like Inc., Fast Company, The New York Times and Forbes. Based in Colorado, Sterling is a proud uncle of three and a passionate adventurer that can often be found skydiving, climbing mountains, shark diving or even trekking the Sahara. Maybe you’ll even join him for the next adventure – and discover the breakthrough results you’re looking for. He’ll have your back #NoMatterWhat. Sterling Hawkins is out to break the status quo. He believes that we can all unlock incredible potential within ourselves, and he’s on a mission to support people, businesses, and communities to realize that potential, regardless of the circumstances. Having invested in and grown more than 50 companies, Sterling takes that experience to work with C-level teams from some of the largest organizations on the planet and speaks on stages around the world.
Source: Cold Facts November/December 2022 issue