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Chair Emeritus, Leeds Advisory Board 

Mentorship matters.

After a transformative mentorship experience of his own, Gordon Trafton was inspired to give back to the Leeds community. Now, as the Leeds Mentoring Programs celebrates their 15th anniversary, he’s been able to see the impact that this program has had on thousands of students.

“Fifteen years ago, the value of mentoring was not well understood in higher education,” he said. “There is now a better understanding and value of how mentoring can assist students in navigating their junior and senior years as they prepare for their job search and eventually, their career.”

Trafton attended the Leeds School of Business in 1974 and graduated with a degree in transportation management. Since then, he’s had a successful career in the railway industry and retired in 2010 after working as the Senior VP of Strategic Acquisitions and Integration at Canadian National Railroads.

He thanks his mentor, Jerry Foster, for helping him get his first job at Burlington Northern, and decided that he wanted to help Leeds students with the same opportunities of mentorship.

“Having a mentoring relationship with someone they can trust and who has experience in life and the business world can provide them additional support throughout their time at Leeds and prepare them for the future ahead,” he said.

Creating Connections

In 2009, the Professional Mentorship Program at Leeds was established to provide students with business professionals to help them become leaders in their careers. Trafton has been at the forefront of the mentoring effort, participating in the program himself and donating $500,000 in 2012 to help expand it. Since then, he’s been able to see the program grow and evolve over time. In recent years, he has seen a trend of continuing mentorship relationships, even after the mentee graduates.

Today, the Leeds Mentoring Programs partner with more than 1,400 students and over 1,000 professional mentors. In total, there have been more than 8,000 partnerships in the programs.

“Leeds has grown to become a national and world-recognized program,” Trafton said. “Seeing former students who have benefited from the mentoring program come back and mentor students at Leeds today, however, that’s a true measure of success.”

Trafton continues to pay it forward, both at Leeds and throughout the transportation industry. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for CPKC and Pacific National, and is on the Leeds Advisory Board. Even with the success of the mentoring program now, he strives to continue its progress.

“While I believe the mentoring program has already become part of the fabric and identity of a Leeds education, I’d like to see the day when every student at Leeds is enrolled in mentoring.”