CEO for a Day Offers Students a Remarkable Opportunity

Few people know what it is like to run a multi-billion dollar enterprise. But this February, a group of undergraduate students will be given a taste of what it feels like when they spend a day with some of the nation’s top CEOs.

Open to third and fourth year university students in Ontario and Quebec, the CEO for a Day program will select 10 to 15 successful applicants to shadow a CEO in Toronto or Montreal for an entire day. Concordia will be participating in the program which is an initiative of the global executive search firm, Odgers Berndtson. The list of firms that have signed on in Montreal is still being finalized but is already impressive. It includes Hydro Québec, Videotron, Ubisoft and Mega Brands.

Through a rigorous selection process, Odgers Berndtson will identify students with outstanding leadership potential and match them with a CEO from a leading Canadian organization. The program will provide the finalists with the very rare opportunity to learn first-hand about the background, career path and managerial style of some of the country’s most successful senior executives.

There are also benefits for students who are not selected as finalists. Simply participating in the recruitment process will provide them with valuable skills and experience for future job searches. Two out of three applicants will have the opportunity to complete an online leadership assessment and receive a personalized report from Hogan Assessments, a global leader in the field. The report will provide feedback on aspects of their leadership skills like relationship building, goal-setting and strategic thinking which will help them in choosing a career path.

Semi-finalists will spend half a day participating in group exercises and one-on-one interviews which will strengthen their presentation and interviewing skills. They will also have an opportunity to review their personalized leadership assessment report with a consultant from Odgers Berndtson.

Interested students may apply online at ceox1day.ca, the deadline has been extended to Wednesday, November 6, 2013.