Overview
From parking to president, Jason’s Burns Sr’s success started at St. Augustine High School graduating with a “Purple Knight” award for best all around student. He went on to play football at Vanderbilt University, received the Head Coach’s Dedication Award, and graduated with a degree in Communication Studies. After completing his Executive-In-Training Program at Central Parking Systems he returned to his hometown to lead his family’s business enterprises, including Burns Management Group (BMG), Global Parking Systems (GPS) and QCS Logistics. Today we sit with Jason as he shares how he got started, what the future looks like in the delivery and logistics industry, and why he feels those that incorporate data and predictive analytics will have the advantage going forward.
Today we get into:
- How starting in the entry level role made him a better leader.
- His commitment to good technology for his Drivers.
- How he pivoted his company’s offerings and broke into different business segments.
- How Jason’s technology is creating more margin and efficiency for drivers.
- The quarantine and how it increased the demand for delivery and what Mr. Burns did to take advantage.
- And more!
Jason’s Bio
Jason Burns is a passionate business leader in the Greater New Orleans community and the final mile transportation industry. He is a native New Orleanian and a proud graduate of St. Augustine High School, receiving the distinguished “Purple Knight” Award, which is given to the best all-around student. Mr. Burns later became a student-athlete (football) at Vanderbilt University where he was a member of the SEC Honor Roll Team, selected as the recipient of the Head Coach’s Dedication Award and he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies in 2006.
Upon graduation, he was the youngest of only six candidates selected to Central Parking System’s (now SP+) elite “Executive In Training” (E.I.T.) program. As an E.I.T. for the world’s largest parking operator, he gained hands-on management experience in operations, business development and finance.
Jason later returned to his hometown to assume a leadership role in his family’s business enterprises, including Burns Management Group (BMG), Global Parking Systems (GPS) and QCS Logistics (formerly Quick Courier Services, Inc). As a second-generation owner and now President of QCS, Mr. Burns led the rebirth of the company by expanding its service offerings to include warehousing/fulfillment solutions and implemented a new technology platform. These initiatives resulted in record growth and QCS has been selected to the Inc. 5000 list as one of America’s fastest growing companies in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. QCS was also recognized as a Top 100 Icon of Industry by ICIC (Initiative for a Competitive Inner City) in 2014.
Mr. Burns is also the managing partner of a boutique investment firm that focuses on commercial real-estate and private equity investments. He recently founded a startup company, InPacity, a digital freight brokerage platform that connects final mile carriers to less than truckload (LTL) freight shipments throughout the US.
Mr. Burns also takes pride in being an active participant in re-building New Orleans through his community & civic endeavors. He is a former board member of the Urban League of Louisiana and was a founding member and the former Treasurer for the Urban League of Greater New Orleans Young Professionals chapter. His other civic involvement include being a former member of the World Trade Center’s Transportation committee and a former member of Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s Transition team (economic development task force). Jason was selected to participate in the nationally recognized Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, the Ortique Leadership Institute, the inaugural class of the Norman J Francis (Former President of Xavier University) Leadership Institute and selected to attend the Aspen Institute Action Forum in Aspen, Colorado. At the age of twenty-seven (27), Mr. Burns became the youngest person to be elected to the board of directors for the Customized Logistics & Delivery Association (CLDA), the industry’s leading national trade association, where he now serves as Vice President on the executive committee.
Jason and his wife, Bridget, are the proud parents of their six-year-old twins, Jason Jr (“JJ”) and Jordyn (“JoJo”) Burns.
Links
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