Although she grew up part of a legacy family in the motorcoach industry, Julie Chalmers, Vice President and General Manager for Hotard Coaches, never thought she’d end up being part of the family business. 

“I grew up with the Hotard name, but my dad was not a part of the business. I lived in the city, and the company that my uncle (Callen Hotard) was running was outside of the city, so it just didn’t seem like it was in my cards — or so I thought,” she explains. “One day, my uncle called and said he was looking for an outside salesperson. I said yes and haven’t looked back.”

Since joining the company in 2007, Chalmers says she has experienced significant change, including a transition from Calco Travel to Hotard Coaches, which in 2012 joined the All Aboard America Holdings Inc. family. The company has since acquired several other operations along the way and is now part of the Kelsian Group, an Australian-based, publicly traded company.

“To go from family-owned to private equity to publicly traded has definitely kept things interesting,” she says. 

Making an Impact 

Chalmers says that coming in as an outside sales rep helped her take the time to learn all aspects of the company and slowly work her way up to director of sales and eventually General Manager. 

The time to grow also allowed Chalmers to find ways to truly make an impact at the operation, including bringing in new business.

“When I was first hired, I was tasked with trying to acquire all of our incoming NFL teams as customers — at the time we were transporting only one, so I had a real challenge in front of me,” says Chalmers. “By the second season, we had all but one team, and by the time the third season rolled around, we had them all and have maintained those contracts throughout the years since.”

Other highlights of Chalmers' career include helping to diversify the Hotard operations to grow its employee shuttle business, which has continued to expand, and securing a partnership to provide ground services for Viking Cruises. 

Outside of its headquarters in New Orleans, Hotard Coaches has also expanded to offices in Ocean Springs, Mississippi and Lafayette, Louisiana, and is set to reopen its offices in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

“It’s really neat to look back and realize how our footprint has changed over the years,” says Chalmers. “It’s rare that you really get to reflect on the work you do day in and day out, but when I look back at what we’ve done, we’ve really accomplished a lot.”

Mentorship, Support, and More

Aside from slowly getting to know the business as an outside sales representative, Chalmers says she also eased her way into getting to know the broader motorcoach industry, adding that she was fortunate to find mentorship from other women in the business.

“I remember being nervous on my first business trip, and Donna Edmonds from Young Transportation came up to me and immediately introduced herself and seemingly took me under her wing,” explains Chalmers. “She is such a great example of providing exemplary customer service and was everything I wanted to be as a salesperson in the industry. More importantly, she was an open book and was willing to help me in any way possible.”

Chalmers adds that she was also fortunate to watch and learn from her uncle Callen, and felt both supported and accepted in the industry, especially as she began to transition into roles that have traditionally not been held by women. 

Because she was able to grow at her job, Chalmers adds that she sees the importance of nurturing all of Hotard Coaches’ employees.

“Before getting here, I had been in situations where I didn’t really feel supported,” she says. “The experience I’ve had here is why I want people who come through Hotard to be able to learn, grow, and feel like they’ve gotten something valuable from their time here, which I hope in turn helps them stay a part of our family for a long time.”

Now with 18-plus years under her belt, Chalmers says she has seen quite a change in the once male-dominated world of the motorcoach industry. 

“When I started, organizations were extremely flat; you were typically the CEO and probably the driver, director of maintenance, and the safety person, and more times than not, you were probably a male,” she says. “Now, our organizations have job openings that are a little more attractive to women, and there are plenty of opportunities for growth in this career.”

When asked what advice she’d give to someone looking to join the motorcoach industry, Chalmers says gaining a working knowledge of the entire organization you are a part of, as well as the industry as a whole, is key. 

“This industry does not operate in silos, so the more familiar you are with every aspect of the business, the more valuable you will be,” she says. “I’d also grab a mentor and get really involved in groups like the International Motorcoach Group, the United Motorcoach Association, and the American Bus Association, because this industry is all about creating and cultivating relationships, which in the long run will help you be successful.”