Most executives inherit their vantage point of a company from above. Sean Griffin built his from below.
"When I started as a driver 22 years ago, business looked very different."
He'd know. When Griffin started his career at UPS, most of the people he delivered for were focused on their own neighbourhood, not the world beyond it.
Today, he's President of the company, one that has operated in the region for more than 50 years, with strategic hubs in Ajax, Caledon, Barrie and Kingston connecting Toronto businesses to markets across the country and around the world.
It's given him a unique perspective on both an industry and a city all at once.
The business environment around shipping was a lot simpler when Griffin began delivering packages for UPS in 2004.
As he puts it, e-commerce changed everything.
"Most small businesses I worked with were focused on serving local customers. They weren't thinking about international growth. Global demand wasn't knocking at their door in the same way," he says.
"Now, even small businesses are being asked to serve customers across the country and around the world.”
Another major change Griffin has seen is the complexity. He highlights customs requirements, duties, and taxes, and evolving regulations as daily realities for companies that never had to think about crossing a border before.
That complexity hasn't slowed things down. Across the GTA, UPS now supports tens of thousands of SMB shipping accounts and moves millions of export shipments annually, helping local businesses reach customers well beyond their home markets.
Customer expectations have shifted too.
"Consumers want speed, full visibility, and no surprises. They expect to know when their package will arrive, and to have control over the delivery."
Companies don't have to solve this alone. The benefit of working with UPS, Griffin says, is not having to build an in-house trade team or navigate compliance systems from scratch.
"Businesses need partners who understand how they operate and what they're up against, making sure we're solving the right problems in a practical way," he says.
For Griffin, the right partnership starts with certainty. When costs, timelines, and compliance requirements are clear from the outset, decision-makers can stop hesitating and start moving.
"When businesses can rely on one logistics partner to handle the full trade journey, they can plan more easily and invest more confidently," Griffin says.
That simplicity gives a small business the confidence to say yes to an order it might have otherwise turned down.
"Growth accelerates when businesses can plan around trade with certainty," he says. "When businesses don't have to second-guess costs, timing, or compliance, they can move faster on opportunities."
"And when it's done right, it opens new markets and improves customer experience."
The impact doesn't stop at any one business. As more companies expand beyond their local markets, Griffin believes the benefits extend across the GTA.
"When trade works efficiently, it creates a ripple effect: businesses invest sooner, supply chains strengthen, and local economies benefit. That's the broader impact we're focused on enabling."
That confidence compounds as one business's growth becomes another's opportunity, and Griffin expects that momentum to build.
"The future is more connected and more data-driven, but the goal is simple: make shipping easier and more predictable. That means using technology to give businesses better visibility, more accurate timelines, and fewer disruptions, so they can plan ahead and grow without hesitation."
Griffin has watched this market evolve, from the driver's seat to the boardroom. Few people get that range of experience.
"I've seen this market from the ground up. Toronto businesses are resilient and quick to adapt. The ones that invest in the right tools, understand their customers, and are willing to change how they operate can go much further than they think, well beyond the local market and onto a global stage."
It's a big claim but coming from someone who's lived every part of it, it's hard to argue with.
