'As a leader, when you care about people, you also have to have accountability' says BGIS Safety Leader of the Year
When Larry Jones stepped onto the stage at Canada’s Safest Employer’s Awards earlier this month to accept the BGIS Award for Safety Leader of the Year, he was genuinely surprised. “I actually went there thinking I wasn’t going to win,” Jones recalls. “When they announced it, I was just shocked. I had no preparation—I actually had to wing it on the stage.”
From operations to safety leadership
For Jones, vice president of corporate health, safety and environment at Ledcor, the journey to this recognition has been anything but conventional. His path began not in safety, but in operations at a pulp mill in northern Alberta. “I was responsible for the wood processing department. One day the human resources manager came and visited me and said, ‘we’ve been observing the way you run your department, and we’ve been kind of struggling in safety. Would you be interested in moving into a safety role?”
Accepting the challenge, Jones quickly made an impact. Within a few years, his department was recognized as the safest mill in Canada. His approach was rooted in a simple but powerful philosophy: “You’ve got to care for your people. As a leader, when you care about people, you also have to have accountability.”
Jones’s leadership style focuses on connection, especially with injured workers, rather than relegating or ignoring them. “We would make a point of, if somebody did get injured, we want you to make sure you maintain that relationship. This is your team member,” he says.
Building competency and mentorship
After 18 years with Daishowa-Marubeni International in Peace River at the pulp mill, Jones transitioned to the Alberta Forest Products Association as director of health and safety, representing the forest industry across the province. The move from a small town to Edmonton was a challenge for his family, but it offered new opportunities to influence industry-wide safety standards. “I was the representative of the Certificate of Recognition Program for the forest industry in Alberta,” Jones notes, describing the role as a period of “great experiences” despite the sector’s struggles.
Jones’ career continued to evolve as he moved into the construction industry, first with Pyramid Corporation, and then, in 2011, joining Ledcor. He credits his professional certification as a turning point: “Getting my BCRSP was an affirmation that I knew what I was talking about. It also gives credibility for others when they see that certification.”
At Ledcor, Jones has been instrumental in developing a competency-based career path for safety professionals. “I built a series of competency measures for each level so that people can clearly see where they can go in their career and be recognized by title, promotion, and compensation,” he explains. “It’s not just taking training and getting a pay increase—you have to actually be able to demonstrate the knowledge and utilize it.”
Jones also values mentorship, requiring senior staff to guide new team members. “Once you get to that more senior level, we start looking for all of our team to become mentors for those people we bring into the organization,” he says.
Recognition and impact
His nomination for Safety Leader of the Year came from his own team—an honor that speaks volumes about his impact. “One was a senior director. The other one is my director. They’re both people I brought into the organization and had a hand in growing their careers as well,” Jones shares.
The recognition has been deeply meaningful. “It’s wonderful to see internally in our organization, plus our companies put something on LinkedIn. To see those people that I’ve either worked with or we’ve crossed paths in their career journeys, to provide the positive recognition is just… it’s heartwarming. It really is.”
For Jones, the Safety Leader of the Year award is not just a personal milestone, but a testament to the power of caring leadership, continuous learning, and the importance of building strong, accountable teams. His journey offers a blueprint for health and safety professionals striving to make a lasting difference in their organizations.
