Our team members are the heartbeat of our company and are always inspiring us by their incredible actions.
As we approach our annual National Hiring Day and gear up to welcome more than 10,000 new team members to the Pilot Company family, we wanted to catch up with different team members from across the business to hear about their experience and what they do to fuel life’s journeys.
Meet Ivan: Travel Center General Manager
Flying J #853 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
How many years have you worked at Pilot?
Ivan: “I just celebrated my 7 year anniversary on March 17th!”
Tell us about being a General Manager. What does a day in your shoes look like?
Ivan: “As the Travel Center GM, I feel my role is to create a sustainable store environment that promotes positivity – a guest not just customer mentality – and to foster a strong sales culture that encourages guest loyalty because they want to do business with us. Then I become the ultimate backup player who can jump into any role to cover for, or support, my team as needed to achieve a visit that surpasses our guest’s expectations.”
What is the most exciting part of the work you do at Pilot?
Ivan: “Seeing a guest’s face when I deliver the best experience possible gives me actual goose bumps – an indication that I surprised even myself. I love when a team member pushes themselves to achieve things that they didn’t believe possible, and when they succeed, seeing the sense of pride on their face.”
What have you learned from the last year as an essential worker?
“I learned that although there may be resistance to change at first, that eventually people can learn to adapt and be successful through adversity.
I learned that the tough times show the true character of those around you: those who are united and find that next level in themselves, and those that shy away.
Finally, I learned to appreciate the people that are not typically celebrated as essential workers publicly, like the drive through worker at the local fast food window, the bus drivers that gets team members to work, the retail cashier that turns down social assistance to make minimum wage making sure that we can buy groceries, and of course, the Professional Drivers that deliver everything we need!” – Ivan
What would you tell potential team members about the work you do and Pilot?
Ivan: “If you want the opportunity to push yourself beyond your own expectations, to live a retail experience unlike any other, and to genuinely make a difference in someone’s life every day, then Pilot is the place for you!”
What did it mean to you to win the Travel Center Founder Award?
Ivan: “Winning the TC Founder Award was a huge accomplishment for me. This is the second year in a row that my team and I have celebrated receiving this honor! We work hard and every decision counts. It takes my entire team working together as one. Winning from a location that has lower traffic than some of our other stores proved that our Founders care equally about the people that work for them, and not just about how much revenue they generate.”
We’d like to thank Ivan for his amazing dedication to his team and our guests!
Are you interested in fueling life’s journeys like Ivan? We are seeking 10,000 people across the U.S. and Canada, including 200 experienced retail general managers to oversee our high-volume retail facilities and provide excellent service to our team members and guests. To learn more, visit https://jobs.pilotflyingj.com/national-hiring-day.
