Mike Cormier, Englobe's president, welcoming a future CEO for the day through CEOx1Day program

Virtually every industry recognizes the importance of developing and mentoring the leaders of tomorrow. CEOx1Day is a student leadership development program which offers top students worldwide an opportunity to learn business and leadership skills directly from senior executives in a broad range of industries. In Canada alone, over 160 organizations have participated in this program since its inception.

This spring, Englobe took part in the CEOx1Day program for the first time, and welcomed Nai Barghout to our Laval head office for a day of leadership skill-building and networking. Nai recently completed a Bachelor of Engineering at Montreal’s École Polytechnique and will begin her Master’s in Artificial Intelligence (AI) this fall. 

Nai’s day at Englobe included meetings with President Mike Cormier and Vice President of Information Technology Ian Troup, a tour of the Laval offices and lab, and attendance at the monthly Senior Management Leadership meeting. She was excited to come to Englobe, noting that she was especially eager to meet Mike. She shares some of her impressions with us below.

Englobe: Why did you decide to go into engineering? 

Nai: At the beginning, I pursued my engineering degree due to my deep love of mathematics and my keen interest in practical applications. Through engineering, I was able to sharpen my critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills. I also love having direct contact with clients and working in a team. 

I think there's always something that motivates us to move forward. For me, it’s learning. Learning is an endless horizon and I think that even though I'm currently graduating, my learning curve will never stop.

Englobe: What qualities do you value most in the leaders you look up to? 

Nai: I deeply value three different qualities:

1) Visionary leaders inspire others with their clear vision and their capacity to build a path forward for the team. 

2) Next, empathy is crucial because it enables leaders to connect with their team. On a personal level, it helps them build trust and it encourages collaboration. 

3) And lastly, integrity is something I value a lot, as it impacts effective communication, adaptability and even commitment to continuous improvement. 

I think these three qualities must work together for a leader to be truly successful.

Englobe: What surprised you the most during your CEOx1Day experience? 

Nai: My day at Englobe left me amazed by the remarkable culture. As soon as I entered, I felt this strong sense of belonging. I would say the leadership team, especially Mike, have really created this sense of comfort and familiarity. You can see there’s a united environment where people feel comfortable working. 

There’s also a dedication by employees to continuously improve and excel in their fields and be the leaders in their industry.

Englobe: Would you ever want to come back and do this again? 

Nai: I would love to do a second day because it was one of the best days of my life. I love the way Mike has created this sense of comfort on the team. I learned so much as a young leader myself, who aspires to become the CEO of my own company one day.

Thank you to Nai for joining Mike at Englobe’s Laval office for a day. Our leadership team was inspired to welcome Nai, helping her learn about our business operations and the future of our company. We’re thrilled to foster the next generation of leaders through this program and wish Nai the best in her career! 

CEOx1Day is a student leadership development program, providing career insights and executive networking opportunities to high potential talent. To learn more about this program, visit the CEOx1Day website. 

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