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Leadership GOLD Series

Hosted by the Greater Baton Rouge American Society of Safety Professionals Chapter

Description:
The Leadership GOLD Series is a 4-part virtual leadership development experience designed for safety professionals and operational leaders who want to increase their influence, effectiveness, and impact in creating safer workplaces. Using the acronym G.O.L.D.—Growth, Ownership, Legacy, and Discipline—this series equips participants with practical strategies and leadership insights that directly apply to their day-to-day roles in safety and operations.

Each session is led by a different expert speaker, bringing pointed, relevant topics to life—from contractor safety and safety management systems to personal development and behavioral leadership. Join us every Wednesday in March to sharpen your leadership edge and add lasting value to your safety efforts.

✅ Week 2 – OWNERSHIP & OPPORTUNITY

Webinar Title: “The Contractor Challenge: Creating a Culture of Shared Ownership”
🗓 Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 · 1-Hour Virtual Session
Hosted by the Greater Baton Rouge Chapter of ASSP

Description:
Safety isn’t just the responsibility of one group—it’s a shared mission across contractors, clients, and crews. In Week 2 of the Leadership GOLD Series, we’ll take a close look at how true leadership creates ownership and opens the door for proactive engagement at every level of the workforce.

This session will highlight:

• What ownership looks like in contractor-led environments
• Common barriers to engagement between clients and contractors—and how to overcome them
• Practical strategies to create alignment and shared accountability
• Real-world examples of opportunity-driven leadership in safety

Whether you’re managing contractors or are one yourself, this session will help you turn compliance into commitment by building a culture where everyone owns the outcome—and sees safety as an opportunity, not just a rule.

Week 2 Speaker:

Brian Blades is the Safety, Security, Health, and Environmental Division Manager with more than three decades of experience supporting complex operations across refining, upstream, and global energy environments. A mechanical engineering graduate of Louisiana State University, Brian has spent his career working at the intersection of operations, engineering, projects, and safety, giving him a practical, field-tested perspective on managing risk and leading high-hazard work.

Throughout his career, Brian has held leadership roles spanning operations, mechanical engineering, project management, and major startup initiatives in the U.S. and internationally, including work in West Africa, Russia, Canada, and Kazakhstan. He has led large capital projects, managed major unit startups, and supported both refining and upstream operations, bringing a systems-level understanding of how safety, reliability, and performance are connected.

Today, Brian serves as the Safety, Security, Health, and Environmental Division Manager for the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Complex, where he applies decades of operational and leadership experience to strengthen culture, improve execution, and support safe, reliable operations.