In early October the southern Californian city of San Diego played host to the 2022 Gases and Welding Distributors Association (GAWDA) Annual Convention, under the banner ‘Building a Bridge for Future Leaders’. Over 900 delegates took part over the course of four days of largely fine weather.
Perhaps the highest-profile speaker at the event, which also sees GAWDA confirm its committees and leadership for the year ahead, was Jillian Evanko, President and CEO of the NYSE-listed liquefaction and cryogenic equipment business Chart Industries. She spoke to a packed audience on the morning of the conference’s second day.
Evanko picked up on the theme of the wider event by exploring the idea of bridging the gap, but not just in terms of the leadership gap that has opened up in some parts of the industry, with many leaders contemplating retirement and handing on the baton to the next generation. Evanko also reflected on all the gaps that need addressing across business today, including her status as a female CEO in an industry with mostly male leaders, and she explored the idea of filling markets gaps through innovation and judicious risk-taking.
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