YPN Spotlight: Max Rekowski
Meet Max Rekowski, a rising professional in the material handling industry.
We’re excited to share another YPN spotlight, this time featuring Max Rekowski, Business Development Consultant at Bastian Solutions. Max has been a part of the Young Professionals Network (YPN) for 2.5 years and has embraced the opportunity to connect, learn, and grow within the material handling industry.
For Max, joining YPN was a key step in navigating the industry as a newcomer. “YPN was a great way to meet others in the industry and learn about the companies in my space,” he explains. “It’s been a fantastic tool for both networking and learning.”
YPN offers young professionals a platform to connect with peers, gain industry insights, and develop leadership skills through coffee chats, book clubs, in-person events, webinars, and more. With the rapid advancements in technology and the ever-changing landscape of material handling, Max believes that groups like YPN are more important than ever for fostering collaboration and innovation.
YPN Spotlight Q&A
Max Rekowski, a Business Development Consultant at Bastian Solutions
How long have you been a part of YPN?
2.5 years
What motivated you to get involved in YPN?
I’m new to the industry and YPN was a great way to meet others in the industry. It was also a great way to learn the industry. I used it as a way to learn other companies in my space and the industry. Its been a great networking and learning tool, especially being new to the industry.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting involved in YPN?
Go all in. Sign up for the coffee chats and the book clubs. Join the in person events. It’s the best way to get to know people and for those people to get to know you. I love going to our events now because I get to see people I only get to chat with online!
What is special about the material handling industry that gets you excited about your future career?
The change and the growth is interesting to see. Having only been in the industry a couple of years, it’s insane how much it’s already changed. I can’t imagine what it will be like in 5-10 years. The technological advancements have made it a wild ride so far and I’m looking forward to seeing where we are heading.
Which topics – pertaining to our industry – are you especially passionate about and do you think we will all need to focus on in the future?
Everyone probably says this, but AI has a lot of potential to change up our industry. I think it’s absolutely something to keep an eye on and understand where it’s applicable. Of course AI can’t even make a picture of a hand right now, so I don’t think it’s fixing anything right now. But I’m keeping my eye on it.
What challenges has YPN faced? How could YPN improve your experience in the future?
Would love to hear from people that have been in the industry for a while. Hearing from our peers is great, but getting advice from those that have been doing this for 20 years is something we can’t necessarily offer each other.
Inspired by Max’s story? Connect with Chelsea Liston or visit the YPN website to join and learn more about how you can get involved. Take the next step in growing your career and connecting with peers across the industry.