Life at PWT: Fernando De Sousa is a Student Line Success Story

Fernando De Sousa’s journey in the transportation industry began 18 years ago at Southland Calgary when he joined the Highfield shop as a technician. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, Fernando made his way to Toronto in the early 90s before settling in Alberta a decade later. He was only in Calgary for a year before launching his career at PWT in 2004.

Before working on school buses, Fernando possessed a wide variety of experience dealing with all things mechanical.

“I did my apprenticeship with Volkswagen back in South Africa, and when I moved to Toronto, I worked on pretty much everything, mechanically. I worked in a shop that serviced everything from cement mixers to lawnmowers.”

After making the move west, it didn’t take long for Fernando to get noticed at PWT. After only six months on the job, he received his first promotion. He then excelled in multiple roles within PWT’s Student Line - including Southland Calgary shop foreman, Southern Alberta Maintenance Manager, and most recently, Student Line Maintenance Process Manager.

Ron Baas, Vice President, Maintenance Excellence, says Fernando has the perfect mix of skills to bring consistency and excellence to PWT’s maintenance effort.

“Fernando was promoted for his impressive knowledge of maintenance practices and ability to recognize what a practical, safe maintenance program looks like. He brings a strong background in inventory and procurement practices and has a natural propensity for training. His excellent judgement, good nature and positive attitude opens doors in all our locations, as our employees enjoy working with him.”

Fernando, a Journeyman Red Seal automotive technician, joins the PWT corporate maintenance team in his new role as Director, Maintenance Compliance. As a veteran employee of the company, he feels that the opportunity for advancement at PWT is available to anyone with dedication and a strong work ethic.

“The opportunity is there - you just need to want it. But it’s a long-term development plan and not a get-rich-quick scheme. There’s an old saying – ‘the only time you start at the top is when you’re digging a hole’. You need to start somewhere, but you have to stay the course. There is sacrifice in the beginning, but it pays off in the end.”

Fernando’s new role will support Canada-wide locations with maintenance compliance in PWT’s shops, fleet, and the entire maintenance system. He will also play a key role in procurement and inventory strategies. After working exclusively with the Student Line for 18 years, Fernando is more than excited to learn more about PWT’s business as a whole.

“Coming from Student, you really just know the Student Line, and this will give me a base of knowledge in transit and employee and how they do things. That’s what I’m very excited about – learning more about the other lines. These are definitely exciting times, with plenty of growth opportunities for the company.”

The new position will report directly to the VP Maintenance Excellence and will also see Fernando have a spot on the newly formed North American Maintenance Council. Congratulations, Fernando on the new role from everyone at PWT!