The twice-yearly Classified Post Shadow a CEO programme offers successful candidates the opportunity to observe at close quarters a top-class executive. Those who make it through the selection process get to choose which of the four participating leaders they would like to work with, according to their own career aspirations.
The lucky applicants spend three days experiencing the world of business alongside someone who has made it all to the top, sitting in on high-level meetings, going on site visits and even being set small tasks, among other things.
Students and recent graduates are welcome to apply for the programme; they submit their CVs online, together with a short motivational essay. Shortlisted candidates are then interviewed at the Career Forum by consultants from the recruitment firm, Peoplebank. At the final interview stage, each participating company will interview six candidates, three of whom will be selected to take part in the programme, which takes place from the end of April through May.
The participating companies this year come from diverse industries. Gary Liu, CEO of the South China Morning Post, is being shadowed for the second time and he will show his charges how technology is revolutionising the world of news and how his company is rising to the formidable challenges it faces.
Stan Tang of the Stan Group, a conglomerate which encompasses a wide range of business interests, from real estate to hospitality and financial services, will show the candidates shadowing him how the company works and also, he hopes, instil in them a sense of the iron-willed innovative mindset that is the hallmark of his company. It will also be a unique opportunity to get a glimpse into the workings of a wide-ranging, multi-pronged organisation.
Stanley Yau, director of human resources and administration at the low-fare airline HK Express, will give his shadows a sense of the hard work behind the company’s recruitment strategy, and they will get the chance to sit in on important company meetings, as well as learn about the company’s unique leadership ethos.
Jonathan Hutt, director, commercial at HK Express, will show shadows the workings of the marketing end of things, and offer insights into the behind-the-scenes workings of flight operations, the mainstay of the company’s success.
