PTDA honours its 2023 award winners Sylvia Silveira and Alex Vitou

The Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) honoured the recipients of the Wendy B. McDonald Woman of the Year Award and Robert K. Callahan Advancing Leaders Award Sylvia Silveira and Alex Vitou respectively at its industry summit.

Silveira is from NTN Canada. During Sylvia Silveira’s 13-year tenure at the company, she has steadily climbed the ranks from HR manager to HR director to vice-president of HR and operations. In the last year, she implemented a range of employee engagement strategies that were pivotal in improving the overall success of NTN Canada’s business. She led the development of a recruitment strategy to attract and retain top talent for NTN Canada’s inside sales roles. The program achieved 95 percent of its recruitment goals with its success attributed to the development of hybrid remote roles.

Silveria’s enthusiasm for the PT/MC industry is also reflected in her volunteer work on the PT WORK Force Education, Research and Knowledge committee. She’s also passionate in her continual quest to develop the knowledge and experience of her employees through mentoring, making Silveira a sought-out colleague.

The Wendy B. McDonald Woman of the Year Award recognizes a woman who has established herself as a critical contributor to her company’s success in the past year and has affected positive change in the power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) industry at any level in her career. The award was established by the PTDA Foundation in 2014 to honour its namesake – Wendy B. McDonald – a power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) industry pioneer.

Alex Vitou currently serves as plant manager at Dodge’s Belton, S.C. plant, a role he assumed in October 2022, and oversees the manufacturing of its standard duty gear boxes. Described by his industry peers as “an exceptional young professional whose accomplishments and progress are almost effortless,” Alex demonstrates a dedication and passion for raising awareness of the industry and improving it for those who currently work in it.

Vitou takes pleasure in connecting with his customers and learning about their issues and is committed to talent development, coaching and bringing more people into the industry.

The Robert K. Callahan Advancing Leaders Award was established in 2021 in honour of past PTDA Foundation president and 25-year PTDA Foundation Trustee Bob Callahan (formerly of SENQCIA MAXCO LLC) in recognition of his commitment to the advancement of new talent within the PT/MC industry. The first award was bestowed in October 2021.