Wilson’s Group named Royal Roads Internship Employer of the Year

The Wilson’s Group of Companies is known for getting people where they want to go – and in the case of Master of Global Management student, Alejandro Balarezo – they more than deliver on that promise. As an intern with the company, he worked as a junior dispatcher.  

"Alejandro handled a lot of our day-to-day, contacting drivers with their work assignments,” Chelsea Crowther, Victoria operations manager with The Wilson’s Group explains. “It was great because it helped him understand our operations and where the drivers were going each day.”  

After confirming a driver’s assignment, Balarezo manually entered the data into the system. But it wasn’t long before he suggested a new approach.  

"Alejandro came up with an idea to change it to a Google form, which would speed up some of the process," Crowther says. "Having his fresh perspective was really very helpful and opened our eyes to new ways of doing things."  

Internships offer the chance for students experience practical hands-on learning at an organization, but the benefits go both ways, with employer and student approaching business tasks in new and innovate ways.  

"It was good to have Alejandro ask us the why," Crowther says. "He would ask, 'Why do we do this?' and it made us think and rethink our processes. His questions were important for all of us, and the whole team learned from that."

Having Balarezo on board also allowed the full-time drivers and employees at Wilson’s Group to focus more on strategic planning. "Our operations team was able to plan ahead because Alejandro was present to deal with the day-to-day stuff," says Crowther. "This was especially crucial during the busier summer months when operational needs are at their peak. His work as a dispatcher allowed us to focus on what our needs were operationally and plan ahead without getting caught up in the daily tasks, knowing they were well taken care of by Alejandro."   

And while Balarezo’s completed his internship, the knowledge sharing will continue at The Wilson’s Group.   

"His questions and insights helped shape an updated training manual for new hires, ensuring that future drivers would have a comprehensive understanding of routes and processes," Crowther says.  

And will any new hires be internship positions for Royal Roads Students? The interest is definitely there.    

"It was great to have him as part of our team," Crowther says. "I would definitely be interested in having another intern work with us in the future. Alejandro's impact has shown us the value of fresh ideas and the importance of continuous improvement." 

The RRU Internship Employer of the Year is awarded annually in recognition of providing a valuable learning experience to one or more students.