John Burrows, CEO DeWitt Move Worldwide, took over as chairman of IAM (International Association of Movers), the world’s biggest moving association, in 2023 following the IAM Annual Meeting & Expo in Toronto, Canada.
Steve Jordan talked to him about his approach to the job.
It can be tricky, taking on a major voluntary position while retaining a high-level management role. So how does John Burrows intend to balance his new role, guiding IAM as chairman of the IAM Executive Committee, with his day job running major moving companies in Guam, Hawaii, Alaska and freight forwarding in California?
“It’s not like I am doing something completely different, it’s what we do every day,” he explained. “While there is extra work, it’s not necessarily overwhelming. As chairman I am not doing the work, just guiding the staff and agreeing to the direction they need to get things done. There might be some extra time on the weekends needed to catch up on things, but it’s all helpful and relevant to the business. It makes you aware of different issues that maybe we, as a company, don’t see.”
Is it true that the Executive Committee gets an ‘inside track’ on issues that affect the industry? “I think that’s a misperception because the second we know something, we push it back out to the industry. But I do think it provides an insight into problems that don’t affect us now, but might in the future.”
John said that most of the initiatives are driven by the IAM Strategic Plan, which the IAM Executive Committee published in 2021. The IAM Staff is charged with making progress on those initiatives and provides ongoing updates to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee then discusses them and perhaps makes suggestions based on their industry knowledge. “It’s a very collaborative relationship. That’s what I enjoy. Everybody knows what their role is and is very respectful of the opinions of others.”
He said that the Executive Committee functions in an advisory capacity and it’s rare for it and the IAM Staff not to agree on the overall direction. He said it’s also a misconception that people on the Executive Committee are directing things for their own companies’ benefit. “That’s not my experience. Executive Committee members are concerned with what’s best for the Association, but approach that with the knowledge of the issues that affect them. People on the Executive Committee have many different specialties so there’s always someone who’s familiar with each topic. Making sure that the Executive Committee includes all these different viewpoints is critical.”
John has already served on the IAM Executive Committee for nine years, but does sitting in the chairman’s seat feel different? ...
Photo: John Burrows.