Insights from Rugby Coach Turned Inspiring Campus Director for 20+ Years

Of Irish roots, with a keen passion for coaching rugby and 20+ years working in education, Gerry Slattery is a powerhouse of inspiration to students and his team, as campus director of Anderson College’s London campus. From reflecting on how a thriving campus operates and what makes Anderson’s college in London unique, to empowering stories and his advice for future students, Gerry offered incredible insights during our recent interview. With 17 years under his belt at this location, we have a lot to learn from his leadership style and skills. And who wouldn’t want to glean from this guy?

Canadian Beginnings and the Transferable Skills of Sport
After immigrating to Canada in 1987, Gerry has held progressive roles focused on helping others reach their potential. His successful coaching background and involvement in sports, managing and mentoring at the University level, has added to his success in the education sector. A seasoned rugby player himself, Gerry began coaching at age 17 in Ireland and then, once in Canada, with the varsity men’s rugby program at Western University for over 25 years. As head coach, he led his team to Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Gold in ’97, five consecutive finals, winning three golds and two silvers, and overseas tours in Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. After being awarded Coach of the Year times, he was inducted into the Western Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022. (No need to mention what for, for our audience.)

While Gerry started his educational career working at Oxford Learning as an enhanced performance coach, in 2006 he moved to Medix College which became Westervelt College, now Anderson College. Over these 17 years he’s been at the helm as campus director and his blended skills as coach and educational and community leader have made an immeasurable impact on those he works with and mentors. And he’s clear that his background in sport has made all the difference in his career.

“I found myself having lots of success, just by following my gut, based on the intuitive skills I developed over time, both in Ireland and here in Canada. I seem to have a knack for reading people. I read their personalities, select appropriate athletes and that transfers into business as well. At our college, it’s about hiring the right teacher to guide the students, the right staff, the right people to support each other.

“A lot of the work ethic is very similar to sport as well. You start early in the morning, and you do a lot of prep and planning. In sports, you start early in the morning, you have goals throughout the day, you have to perform and, of course, there are lots of highs and lows, and lots of celebrations. When it’s sincere and genuine and you work as a team, no one person is bigger than the team. All of those skills are transferable, and success depends on the same focus, determination, and building a team that works.”

The Bus Ride to Success and What This ‘Driver’ Loves Most
Gerry’s responsibilities as campus director include everything from admissions, financial aid and education, the hiring of staff to the training of students and training of staff as well.

“I’m responsible for outcomes, attracting students and good staff, and then I’m accountable for retaining those students and staff members. I’m also responsible for making sure that our students complete their program successfully and are motivated to get hired in the community. This affects the reputation of the college and I’m focused on maintaining that excellent reputation.

“The ability to succeed in all this comes back to my previous comments about the team. If I can build the right team, then they will help me manage it all. Together we focus on the right targets and achieve outcomes we can be proud of. So, I’m very passionate about outcomes and the results of helping people tap into their potential, not only the staff but also the students. We win together, we lose together and I’m really passionate about that. It’s not just the ‘Gerry show’; I want to make sure that it’s not just my bus but our bus, and everybody has a place, or a seat, on that bus.”

Gerry is known for his warmth, easy ability to connect with others and motivate people to want to be their best. What he finds most rewarding about his position is “meeting new students from all walks of life, from all over the world, watching them grow while they’re in school, and seeing them graduate and then get hired. This is sincerely what keeps me going as a director all these many years. It also makes me feel blessed, it doesn’t feel like work at all.”

The Keys to Team Success
Gerry has some clear ideas about what it takes to ensure his team is poised for the win.

Ensure They Are Informed, Included and Valued.
“It’s very important that everybody is informed about what’s going on day to day. We have a fair number of meetings and get-togethers during the week, some scheduled, and some spontaneous based on what’s happening. All our meetings encourage and allow people to have their say in an honest and genuine fashion, and to feel safe about asking questions, knowing they will receive the support they need. We ensure that everybody understands that each role is as important as the next. There’s no one department more important than another. We work as a team with an open-door policy, encouraging open dialogue, always.

I’m very conscious of the sporting analogies; we speak to them, and we work and live by them. You know, it’s not perfect, but we do strive for perfection, which is very difficult, obviously. But we come in with the right attitude, energy, passion, and an open mind, recognizing and promoting everybody’s talents and skills, understanding they all contribute to our collective success.”

Student Stories to Inspire 
“Over the years, you can imagine, I’ve got lots of stories. There is one particular story that comes to mind though. We had two students in our Massage Therapy program, both single moms who were friends, living outside the city. As it was a good 45-minute drive away, they came in together. This program is 22-months long, almost two years. During the second year of their program, I would be at the campus at 7:30 in the morning and although this class started at 8:00, these two students would come in at 7:30 every day, like clockwork. One day, I got a call from one of them. She was very upset and said, ‘Gerry, my dad just had a heart attack and he’s been rushed to University Hospital. I’m very upset that we can’t come to school.’

“Of course, I told her not to worry about coming to school and to go right to the hospital. And she said to me, ‘Well, I’m really concerned about my perfect attendance’. I assured her that she would receive perfect attendance; I was well aware of her amazing dedication.
“She was so concerned about it, so committed to excelling as a student, I realized we had set up an environment where we had expectations for students to be at school every day. Perhaps not surprisingly, she went on to have a very successful business.

“This story always sticks out in my mind. I share this example of commitment with other students when it comes to punctuality and attendance. In the end, this is what it takes to be successful.”

Why the London Campus is So Fantastic and What Students Appreciate
“Not only is the campus close to downtown and very accessible, but more importantly, we’re very focused on customer service and making sure we’re available for our students. It’s about the little things. We go above and beyond to follow up, not just with emails and texts, but to pick up the phone and connect and ensure someone is at the front desk and available to talk with.

“We do our best to set up appointments quickly, especially if a student needs support. We work to form a strong relationship with the students. And I do help facilitate all of the orientations, that’s one about every five weeks. I spend about an hour and a half to two hours in every orientation with our new students, to personally connect and to set the tone at an early stage.”

Gerry’s Advice and Final Thoughts
“My biggest advice is to go beyond just acting and behaving like a student. In whatever program you choose, say dental assistant, come on the first day and act and behave like you are already a dental assistant. Participate fully in your studies and your lab work with your colleagues and with the teachers. Time goes by quickly in these condensed programs and the goal is to get you into the real world and working as soon as possible. So, own the ‘new you’ on that first day, don’t wait for graduation. Take on the responsibility, work hard and be proud of the fact that you want to be the best, not just ‘another’, but the best dental assistant or the best massage therapist or the best PSW. If you believe it, you’ll become it.”

We’re not surprised that Gerry’s final thoughts focus on the fact that he feels working in a private career college is a “fascinating business” and that success is in direct proportion to how much you “enjoy helping people succeed.” Because Gerry doesn’t show up every day just wanting to be a campus director, he is obviously entirely focused on being the best campus director he can be. And we are thrilled to have you as a leader within Anderson College making such a powerful difference in the lives of our students!
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