Congratulations to Poonam Poonam, Polaris’ first Larry Cox Academy graduate!

In September 2022, Polaris President & CEO, Dave Cox, our CHRO, Laura Muir and COO, Richard Kunow launched the Larry Cox Academy (LCA), an intensive 15-month training program aimed to accelerate our team’s professional development. Its framework is inspired by the legacy of Polaris Founder, Larry Cox (2017).

“We have the resources, mentors and of course, the talent for this program to make a huge impact not only on the future of our company – but our industry. This is an incredible way to promote career growth for people who want to lead, elevate and innovate.” Dave Cox reflects, “Larry would be thrilled to see how we are continuing his mission to make Polaris a place where passionate employees can reach their full potential and find professional fulfillment.”

Poonam joined Polaris in November 2019 as a Customs Clerk. By showcasing an exceptional work ethic, she progressed to a team leader position. As the first LCA student, her passion for expanding her knowledge and enhancing her leadership skills played a large role in shaping the program’s foundations.

To graduate, LCA students must pass several milestones dedicated to acquiring deeper insights about Polaris’ functional areas of business. This involves working in each department for an allotted time. Before moving on, they undergo a performance evaluation by the department leader and their dedicated sponsor from our Executive Leadership Team. The results are hoped to leave students with the comprehensive knowledge and transferrable skills to position them for managerial excellence.

With an enthusiasm to learn, Poonam excelled while gaining hands-on experience in the 3 mandatory courses: Finance, Dock Operations and Polaris Commercial Warehousing (PCW) and 2 electives: Network Planning and Customer Service. She also successfully completed the required Six-sigma, Dale Carnegie and Myers-Brigg evaluations/programs.

“Congratulations, Poonam on being our first LCA graduate!” Comments Richard Kunow, her program sponsor and mentor, “Thank you for your hard work and for setting the bar high for the future applicants.”

Poonam demonstrated great diligence during her time in the Larry Cox Academy and today is working as a Network Controller for our Planning department. She shares, “It has been an honour to be a part of the LCA,” adding, “I want to thank my sponsor, Richard Kunow along with Dave Cox, Laura Muir and Shan Kumar for all their guidance throughout my learning journey.”

Since completing the LCA, Poonam has also become an ambassador for the program, speaking to future applicants about her rewarding experience. “We’re so proud to have Poonam as our first candidate for the LCA program,” states Laura Muir, “Her continued dedication after graduating has been vital to helping us improve the program for the next classes to follow. We are thrilled to celebrate with Poonam on her major accomplishment!”