Improving Operational Performance Through Strong Leadership
Discover how Valero Energy’s Jean-Gaulin Refinery boosted operational performance by strengthening leadership capabilities and management practices.
Valero Energy is a leading producer of liquid transportation fuels and products that are essential to modern life.
The challenge
Jean-Gaulin Refinery made significant investments to increase efficiency, diversify supply sources, maintain its facilities, optimise the work environment, and improve its environmental performance. To maximise the value of these investments and sustain ongoing improvements, the organisation sought to strengthen its teams’ behaviours, management practices, and leadership capabilities.
The approach
With support from our dss+ Humex team, Jean-Gaulin Refinery rolled out a leadership development programme for more than 130 frontline managers, combining training with individual coaching. The initiative aimed to strengthen their management skills, accountability, and ability to engage their teams through active supervision and structured follow-up. In addition, 20 internal coaches were trained to ensure the long-term sustainability of the approach. Management systems and key performance indicators were also implemented to improve and sustain operational performance.
Impact on the ground
supervision
management
effectiveness
The inflection point
“We now have a much more effective communication structure, with more engaged managers who take greater ownership of their leadership roles. This significantly supports the management and monitoring of operations.”
- Martine Péloquin, Vice President and General Manager, Valero Energy