Mentoring Champions - Q&A with Tran Mah-Paulson
Tran Mah-Paulson is the President and CEO of the Young Pipeliners Association of Canada (YPAC) and a Senior Welding/Project Engineer at T.D. Williamson. We chatted with him recently about his experience with the CEPA Foundation’s Mentoring Program.
Why did you decide to sign up for the mentoring program?
I’m a subject matter expert in my field and have a lot of technical experience but I wanted to develop my leadership skills and learn how to take my career to the next level.
How have you benefited?
My mentor has shown me different ways of approaching situations and we’ve had a number of good conversations about self-awareness and the importance of understanding myself — both of which are essential qualities of an effective leader.
Why should someone sign up for the mentoring program?
The whole reason for the mentorship program is to share knowledge. We have all these young pipeliners just starting out and there’s so much we can learn from those already in the industry. The Baby Boomers have skills and abilities that will go with them when they retire if we don’t learn from them now.
What advice would you give to other young pipeliners?
There’s a lot of value in being able to talk to a mentor and learn from a mentor. It’s a great way for young pipeliners to take the next step in their careers.
