years, as well as being a privately held compa-
ny that focuses on the process of management
rather than the outcome. “How you do strate-
gic planning and build the next generation of
leaders is our focus.”
As well as christening business savants in the
corporate world, the program also provides
value to those who are not designated as one
of the best managed companies, and, win or
lose, participants gain an unparalleled experi-
ence. Those who wish to enter the program are
provided with networking opportunities and a
community of mentorship, and before applying
they are assigned coaches from Deloitte and
CIBC to help guide them through the process.
Hughes and the rest of the Deloitte team
look for four key qualifiers that determine who
is awarded the title. The first attribute each
company must showcase is its business strat-
egy and must articulate how they plan to ‘win’
and with what means. As well as delivering a
crisp and succinct application, the corporation
must identify how it leverages its technologies
and retains its customers.
Also of importance is the company’s financial
health. They must have a strong pecuniary per-
formance, though the program does take into
SEPT/OCT 2014
H
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