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WEO's Young Egg Leaders program fosters next generation of egg industry leaders
261 Plays3 days ago
Julian Madeley, director general of the World Egg Organisation (WEO), and Mary Spicer, its head of communications, join Mark Clements to discuss the WEO’s program to foster the next generation of egg industry leaders.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Future of Poultry Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Future of Poultry podcast series.
00:00:12
Speaker
Welcome to the Future of Poultry podcast. I'm Mark Clements. Today on the podcast, I'm joined by the World Egg Organization's Director General, Julian Maidley, and Head of Communications, Mary Spicer, to look at one of the organization's many initiatives, the Young Egg Leaders Programme.
00:00:29
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The Young Egg Leaders Programme was set up in 2016 and since then has seen five cohorts through, gaining industry knowledge and expertise, business contacts and of course friendships, setting participants up to manage their businesses and careers successfully and sustainably into the future.
00:00:46
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Mary and Julian, thank you so much for joining us today to talk about the Young Egg Leaders Programme.
Introduction to the Young Egg Leaders Programme
00:00:52
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Thank you very much for having Mark. Yes, thank you, Mark. And thank you for your interest in Young Egg Leaders and for this opportunity to talk to you today.
00:00:59
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Julian, if I could turn to you first, I'm sure that most of our listeners will be familiar with the World Egg Organisation. But for those who aren't, could you give us a brief
Overview of the World Egg Organization
00:01:09
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overview? Certainly, Mark.
00:01:10
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The World Egg Organisation is the only organisation that represents egg producers and egg farmers at a global level. We're led by egg farmers and everything we do is for the benefit of egg farmers.
00:01:26
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That's everything that we're about. In terms of the history, of the organisation set up in 1964, originally as the International Egg Commission and became World Egg Organisation at the beginning of this year.
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We thought that communicated who we are and what we were doing in a much clearer way. And we exist to connect people across the globe, to share information, develop relationships,
00:01:54
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supporting the growth of the egg industry and importantly the businesses within it as well as promoting eggs as sustainable, inexpensive and a nutritious food for everyone.
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As part of this work we actively engage with international bodies that impact the egg industry and egg businesses in some ways.
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These include the World Health Organization. And interestingly, we're one of only two organizations globally that's got a permanent representative to the WHO in
Goals and Benefits of the Programme
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Geneva.
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The other one being the cruise line industry. So it's a really important role. And of course, the other important organization for the egg industry is the World Organization for Animal Health, formerly OIE.
00:02:43
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So World Egg Organization ensures that eggs are recognized for their vital role in global nutrition and food security and recognized at the highest level.
00:02:55
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So amongst the WEO's various initiatives is the Young Egg Leaders Programme, which is what we're going to look at in detail today. Who is it aimed at exactly and what should anyone expect from it?
00:03:09
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Yeah, so our Young Egg Leaders Programme has really become one of our flagship initiatives. We're really proud of what it offers and excited about what its future holds.
00:03:21
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As you mentioned earlier, it was launched in 2016 and its purpose is to develop, inspire and equip the next generation of egg industry leaders with a view to ultimately supporting the continual growth of the global egg industry.
00:03:38
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Over the years and with each new cohort, This programme has really evolved and grown. We think, and we are told by past participants and current participants, that it provides real meaningful value in terms of professional development, access to unique experiences and opportunities to connect with like-minded peers.
00:04:02
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Each new intake runs for two years with four key in-person visits or activities which take place to coincide with our global conferences.
Participant Experience and Networking
00:04:12
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And tell me, who's the programme designed to help exactly? Who can apply?
00:04:17
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So the programme is aimed at the next generation within egg producing and processing companies on a clear trajectory to a senior leadership position.
00:04:28
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So individuals who have an ambition to develop their leadership skills and broaden their global perspectives. It is a member-only initiative, however, any non-members can be part of it, providing they also register as a member for at least the duration of the two-year programme.
00:04:46
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And the programme is called the Young Egg Leaders. How young do you have to be to take part? Yeah, so this is a question that we get quite frequently. The selection process is actually more based on role and generational positioning than it is age exactly.
00:05:03
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Typically, participants can range from around 25 to 45 years old. So the programme is intended for people who already have industry experience under their belt, but are still early enough in their leadership journey to benefit from accelerated development and international exposure.
00:05:22
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But it's not just industry exposure that participants gain. Exactly, Mark. ah Along with industry visits and becoming part of the WEO, vast network of egg business leaders, YELS get to engage with senior officials at international organizations like WHO.
00:05:41
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And it gives them firsthand insight how decisions are made that have a significant influence on their business and our sector. In the years we've been running this programme, we've found that these visits to the international organisations spark some really dynamic and sometimes quite challenging discussions between the young egg leaders and representatives from these global bodies.
00:06:07
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The feedbacks from both sides is that it's really useful to one each other understand each other's perspective, each one learning something valuable and important. from a very open dialogue behind closed doors and it's quite unusual for this to happen in that the egg industry is the only industry that does this and it's the only one that takes real producers to talk to these organizations and it's the only one that does this type of young egg leader young leadership program with them so that they're quite excited about it too
00:06:40
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As we face shared global challenges, like the current HPAI outbreaks, we think it's critically important that we come together to solve that problem and other problems and use our collective knowledge and experience to find the solution with the best outcomes.
00:07:00
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Importantly, we also have specific elements of professional development within the programme, particularly succession planning, which of course is a key issue in the multi-generational businesses which are typically found in the egg industry.
00:07:14
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That's great, but could we dig a little bit deeper? Perhaps you could give me some examples of particularly valuable experience that those who've completed the programme may have shared with you.
00:07:25
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Certainly, Mark. And there's several elements here, three perhaps. and The first and most importantly is the network, not just with the peers on that program and the previous partners,
00:07:38
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programme and the next programme and we link them all together, but also with other WO members who, of course, are the leading decision makers for the global egg industry.
00:07:49
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We've got a classic example where one of our tours, unfortunately, a motorway was blocked and we spent eight hours on the bus. talking to each other. And the feedback, I was quite worried about this, but the feedback was that some of the best eight hours that they've spent.
00:08:04
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And it all feeds into this concept that the most important aspect of the course is providing them with an international network for life. And so I think that's the key part.
00:08:16
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ah The second aspect is understanding the international organisations, and we've already discussed
Memorable Experiences and Diversity
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that. Young egg leaders get to find out exactly what these organisations are doing, how it impacts them, and how to talk to them and who to communicate with.
00:08:31
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The Yale program gives them incredibly high access to these organizations and their leaders. The last piece is really about professional development. And there's some very personal stories come out of this.
00:08:44
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We've got a very small group size, somewhere between six and 10 participants. and This allows unrivaled access, very in depth. intimate conversations with leading business owners, both inside and outside the egg industry. The one piece that really sticks in my mind is course that we ran last year at Oxford University and also with outside business owners on how to handle succession planning.
00:09:10
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This was just incredibly intimate, incredibly emotional, and that's something that no one of the group will ever forget. Thank you for that, Julian. Mary, could you tell us about your current group of young egg leaders?
00:09:23
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Yeah, I actually think that our latest cohort is perhaps someone most diverse yet. We have participants from five continents, from China, US, Cyprus, Australia, Peru, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, India, and Canada.
00:09:41
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It's a real joy. to bring this group of exceptional individuals together from all over the world. They're like-minded in many ways, but also inspire each other and generate different ways of thinking among themselves because of this diversity.
00:09:58
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They share these core family values, which I guess are at the heart of a lot of egg businesses. And yet there's always something new to discuss and learn from each other.
00:10:10
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One of the participants in the scheme commented, learning alongside such a diverse group of industry professionals offered fresh perspective that helped me rethink strategies.
00:10:21
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Is this diversity part of the strength of the programme, would you say? Yes, absolutely. And I actually think that the strength of diversity is at the heart of the World Egg Organisation as a whole and definitely plays a huge role in the power and value of this particular programme.
00:10:39
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When you bring people together from different countries and also different market sizes and production systems, you inevitably challenge assumptions.
00:10:50
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It encourages creative thinking and problem solving and helps participants see the bigger picture of the global egg industry rather than just their own market.
Application Process and Costs
00:11:01
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And you're currently looking for a new intake of young egg leaders to start the programme this autumn. How do you access the programme? How can anyone who wants to enrol in it so?
00:11:12
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Well, Mark, the application process is pretty straightforward and applications are open on our website and we ask for a short statement about your experience, your role and why you want to join the programme.
00:11:24
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Of course, you can also just contact any member of the WEO team or any WEO member. We'll be pleased to help you. We do also request an endorsement from a member of World Egg Organisation. That's not absolutely critical, but that's helpful in the process.
00:11:40
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You've got until 25th of October to apply. Existing WA members cannot propose anybody they think would find value in the programme. Admission to the programme is selective, but an important point is that it's not selective on size of business.
00:11:58
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We're looking for people who are going to be leaders, who are dynamic. We're also looking for people who want to take on very senior leadership roles in the egg industry in the future.
00:12:10
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But places are limited and we do want to have a good geographic balance of people on the Yale program. I encourage anybody to apply, but it's not about scale of business. It's about the way you think, the way you want to progress.
00:12:24
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Successful candidates start the new Yale program in April next year. And this coincides with our WRO business conference in April. And we will absolutely start with the key issue of succession planning, which is runs throughout our industry.
00:12:39
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What about the cost? How much does the program cost and who finances it? There is a cost to the program and and the cost is split between the World Egg Organization and the participants.
00:12:51
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There's a one-off fee at the start, which is £6,800 per participant, around $9,000. This covers the full two-year program and it also includes registration at the four WEO conferences during the course.
00:13:05
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Yales do need to cover their own travel and accommodation. But when we look at the feedback from the existing previous young egg leaders, the yale program provides exceptional value and and it's a really worthwhile investment in three areas.
Encouragement and Closing Remarks
00:13:22
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It's an investment in themselves, it's an investment in their business, and it's an investment in the future of the egg industry as a whole.
00:13:28
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Julie and Mary, we should probably wrap up, but Mary, would you like to give us the web address where anyone interested in joining the programme can find the application form and perhaps offer offer us any closing thoughts about the programme?
00:13:40
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Yeah, of course. Thank you. So you can find full details and the application form at worldeggorganisation.com under our work and young egg leaders.
00:13:53
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In terms of closing thoughts, I just reiterate how proud we are of the reception of this programme over the years and excited we are to see where the next few years takes the programme.
00:14:06
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It's really all about creating a generation of leaders who understand the value of collaboration, who can navigate the global challenges our industry faces, and who are ready to seize the opportunities ahead.
00:14:19
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And if that sounds like you or somebody you know, we'd love to hear from you. Mary and Julian, thank you so much for joining us today and detailing the Young Egg Leaders training program. Thank you both very much indeed.
00:14:31
Speaker
Thank you, Mark. It's been absolutely great to talk to you. Young Egg Leaders is one of the most exciting and inspiring things that we do. Thanks very much, Mark, for the opportunity. Listeners, thank you for joining us today.
00:14:43
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Do follow the link that Mary's just given us if you're interested in joining the programme or visit the main World Egg Organisation website, www.worldegorganisation.com to learn more about the wide-ranging work that the organisation is involved in.
00:15:00
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Don't forget to look out for future editions of the Future of Poultry podcast. Until next time, goodbye.