Nurturing In-House Talent Helps Achieve Goals

In today’s competitive business landscape, fostering and developing in-house talent is a strategic advantage and crucial to achieving long-term organisational success. David Milne, the CEO of KC Group Shipping, exemplifies this principle through his remarkable career journey. David’s rise to leadership underscores the value of continuous learning and internal promotion within a company. His approach emphasises the importance of cultivating a culture of growth, adaptability, and commitment, ultimately driving the organisation towards its goals.

The article below, featured in The Herald, Business HQ Monthly, discusses David Milne’s philosophy on leadership, the benefits of nurturing internal talent, and the innovative practices at KC Group Shipping that contribute to its sustained growth and success.

Nurturing In-House Talent Helps Achieve Goals

There is no doubt living and working in multiple countries really does help to develop your skills.
David Milne, the CEO of KC Group Shipping, began his career with the company 30 years ago as a 15-year-old schoolboy on a work-experience placement scheme arranged by his school.

Did he have dreams back then of running the company he was just setting foot in?
“Probably not,” he concedes, “but from day one I was hooked. I wanted to develop my career and, yes, I always wanted one day to be one of the leaders of the business.”
“My advice to any young person starting out in business is simply this: learn as much as you can about the business you are in. Think about the various roles and positions that constitute that business.
“I was hugely fortunate in that in my time with the company I have held a wide range of positions, starting as a junior operator and progressing to operations manager, then agency director and commercial director, followed by my current role.”

In global logistics change never stops. This carries with it the obligation on everyone to stay current with the many different regulations, country-specific trade agreements, safety legislation and so on, that impacts everyone’s daily routine.
“I am a tremendous believer in the idea that learning never stops. In our sector that is mandated by the way change is a constant.
“We deal with multiple countries and trade regulations change all the time around the world.
“We handle some very dangerous cargoes and the handling regulations are updated constantly. I am proud of the fact we introduced our own unique online learning and development hub, which is accessed by everyone in the company. Attention to detail is critical. We need to constantly refresh our knowledge,” he comments.

In a knowledge-based company inculcating a culture of continuous learning and improvement is a key leadership task, he adds.
During the pandemic the company operated a work-from-home policy. Milne was impressed with the productivity people displayed.
So the company introduced a hybrid working regime that saw employees working three days a week in the office and two days from home. Those who want to work all five days in the office are free to do so.
“It was Steve Jobs who said: ‘You don’t employ good people then tell them what to do.’ I make a point of not micro-managing my people. We are fortunate to have a very strong management and leadership team in the company.
“I am passionate about hiring the right individuals. My motto here is that you can teach the skill, but you can’t teach the will. That has to be there from the start. Someone can be highly skilled but if they are not committed and fully engaged, that is a potential disaster.”

Unusually, for a successful company, KC Group Shipping has never been in the business of acquiring other companies.
“We have grown the revenues tenfold in recent years and all our growth has been organic. When you take on another company there are potential pitfalls and challenges, which we have chosen to avoid. Our recruitment process extends to both within the industry and outwith, as you have to when you are growing.
“However, we focus very heavily on promoting internally, which helps people to develop their careers and to see there is a real path ahead for them with the Group. Again, rewarding people properly is a part of leadership and it makes for a very cohesive, responsive organisation.
Milne points out when an organisation nurtures the talent it has, that pays huge dividends in the medium to long term. “As every employer knows, there is a huge battle for talent going on all the time. Creating opportunities internally for your team really does help the organisation to achieve its goals.”

ANTHONY HARRINGTON

Featured in The Herald - Business HQ Monthly, May 2024.