Sean Sefsik recently accepted a position as superintendent of transportation for the Quebec Gatineau Railway – Genesee & Wyoming Canada. Not quite where you’d expect a microbiologist to end up, so how did he get here?
After completing a bachelor’s degree in applied science, with specialization in biology from McGill University, Sean spent some time working as a researcher for the university, where he focused on isolating genetic mutations in mice. While he didn’t want to spend his career in a lab, he does credit this experience with helping him sharpen his analytical abilities.
After two years as a researcher, he returned to his native Côte-Nord to work as a locomotive operator for Rio Tinto IOC – QNS&L Railway. Over a period of nine years, he built his skills in rail transportation, and then took on different management positions in the company. In 2013, he moved to Tata Steel Minerals Canada where he was in charge of railway operations for the new mine, and recently made the move to Quebec Gatineau Railway. This railway provides rail transportation services to the major industrial regions and ports in the Province of Québec such as Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Gatineau and Boisbriand.
In the fall of 2015, Sean joined the McGill-HEC Montreal EMBA program. The program has been a catalyst for Sean, solidifying and complementing the management knowledge he had developed in recent years, and he’s anxious to use what he’s been learning in his new role with the Quebec Gatineau Railway. Indeed, he thinks that “The past 9 months in the EMBA program have already made me a better manager. My only regret is not having done this sooner!”
