Robert K. Callahan Advancing Leaders Award
A Drive for Excellence Earns Vitou Recognition as the 2023 Robert K. Callahan Advancing Leaders Award Recipient
In the past 12 years, Alex Vitou’s ambition and passion for the power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) industry has led him to push boundaries, and he shows no sign of slowing. It’s this tenacity which earned him recognition as the 2023 Robert K. Callahan Advancing Leaders Award recipient.
Colleagues at Dodge Industrial, Inc. describe Alex as an extraordinary young professional who demonstrates maturity and leadership skills that are ahead of his time, as evident from his career with the company, which has been far from lackluster.
Vitou is deeply invested in the PT/MC industry and believes the most pivotal component of his job is management. He places emphasis on transparency in strategy and fostering a culture where people can speak freely with members of leadership. Having enjoyed great mentorship throughout his career at Dodge, Vitou is eager to pass the same experience on to his team. He’s committed to ensuring his employees feel safe, understand their roles, are equipped with the right tools and remain happy. This same sentiment extends to customers with whom Alex takes pleasure in connecting, learning about their struggles and collaborating on finding solutions. Throughout this on-the-job learning, Vitou also continued his academic pursuits, earning an MBA from Anderson University in South Carolina.
Additionally, Alex is passionate about talent development, coaching, and bringing new people into the industry. Vitou shares that Dodge has done a great job creating pipelines with colleges and universities for faster, easier hiring and to get more people in the field.
“Getting information about the PT/MC industry into the hands of the younger generation is imperative,” Alex said. “We have been working on introducing STEM to grade school students to pique their interest right from the start.”
In his outreach to the younger generation, Alex promotes moving outside one’s comfort zone. He knows the value of networking, both inside and outside of the organization, and believes building as many relationships as possible is essential.
“Establish those connections and don't be afraid to seek help. Allowing people to be of assistance to you is equally beneficial to them. Don’t be afraid to take a risk and try.
About the Award
The power transmission/motion control industry lost a true champion when Bob Callahan passed away in January 2021. A past president and 25+ year PTDA Foundation Trustee, Bob was passionate about the mission of the PTDA Foundation. When asked in a volunteer profile why he volunteers with the PTDA Foundation, Bob's response was "I strongly believe one must leave our industry better than we found it. The PTDA Foundation allows this to happen for me."
In recognition of Bob's commitment to and passion for the advancement of new talent within the industry, the PTDA Foundation created the Robert K. Callahan Future Leaders Award.
Read about past award recipients.
To support this award, we invite you to make a contribution to the Robert K. Callahan Future Leaders Fund.