NewCold’s Stacey Cook Named 2023 Global Cold Chain NextGen Award Winner
Stacey Cook, center, receives the 2023 NextGen Award at the GCCA Convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. Courtesy GCCA.
In early 2026, the legacy International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW) and the International Refrigerated Transportation Association (IRTA) formally merged under the GCCA banner, creating one cohesive alliance focused squarely on delivering value to every member across the global cold chain and allowing GCCA to sharpen its mandate and deepen its impact.
Stacey Cook of NewCold Advanced Logistics in Australia, was awarded the 2023 Global NextGen Award from the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA). The Global NextGen Award recognizes outstanding young professionals in the world’s cold chain industry.
“It has been a privilege to see cold chain leaders rise up to the challenge and come up with innovative solutions to their companies' most pressing issues,” says Adam Thocher, senior vice president, Global Programs & Insights and executive director, Global Cold Chain Foundation. “Congratulations to Stacey for her exceptional leadership and problem-solving skills, and for this win in one of the most contended competitions I have seen.”
Among other eligibility requirements for the award, finalists demonstrate excellence in their work; the potential to excel further in many facets within the industry; and insight into their organizations’ strategic values, direction, policies and ways of working.
“The Global NextGen Award Competition showcases the talent of our industry’s rising stars on a global stage," said Greg Laurin, chairman of the Global Cold Chain Foundation. “This competition proved to be exceptionally challenging due to the high level of talent showcased on stage. They all exhibited dedication and talent by playing a role in advancing the global temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics industry.”
Candidates for the 2023 GCCA Global NextGen Award were nominated by national refrigerated warehousing organizations to compete in-person for the global award. Other finalists included:
North America | 2023 North America Future Leader Award Recipient
Jared Argabright, InterChange Group
Latin America | 2023 Latin America Future Leader Recipient
Gonzalo García Calderon, Emergent Cold Latin America, Peru
Africa| 2023 Africa Future Leader Recipient
Megan Graaf, Vector Logistics
Brazil | 2023 Brazil Future Leader Recipient
Bruno Nahas, Refrio Armazéns Gerais
As part of the selection process each finalist was interviewed and judged by a panel of industry leaders. Candidates were evaluated on their knowledge level of the industry, track record of excellence, communication skills and leadership skills. In addition, each candidate delivered a presentation from the convention general session stage.
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