IILC 2014, July 30 August – "You are the CEO of your life ! " Workshops : Looking for our own potential

Today is the most intense, occupied and interesting moment of the seminar as it is composed of:

1.       Two general sessions during which we were lucky enough to hear the stories and experience from exceptional speakers such as:

-          Ken  Bouyer, America Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting

-          Natasha Stough, Midwest Campus Recruiting Leader

-      Kelly Grier, America Vice Chair Talent

-          Seshni Samuel,

-          Bin Wolfe,

-          Mark Weinberger, CEO of EY

-          Jim Knauss, Global Vice chair Business Development

-          Jay Nibble, Global Vice Chair Tax

-          Joe Maturando, Northeast Campus Recruiting Leader

-          Dan Black, America Director Recruiting



Dan and me again !

         

I was truly amazed by the speaches of the participants as they rivalized each other with their eloquency! However, I’d like to focus on Joe Maturando intervention. I have to say he really impressed me by the depth and the sincerity of his testimony.



Ken and me

Suffering  from a brain tumor, he struggled for months, without knowing if he would make it or not. This sickness, though terrific, helped him to put his life in perspective and realize what really mattered to him. He, thus, chose to deliver a speech on his family and of course his job in EY as the Northeast Campus Recruiting Leader. I voluntary skipped the passage on his family and focused on its career.

Let me synthetize in substance what he said:

``Is EY for you? That’s the question you have to answer should you want to make a successful and happy career. You are the CEO of your life and it belongs to you and only you to make the appropriate choice so as to have an accomplished and well-balanced life.  No matter what, focus on the next 4 pillars: Being you, being challenged, making an impact, surrounding yourself with people who care about you.’’

2.       Three workshops. Each intern was allowed to pick 3 out of the 9 possible workshops. As far as I’m concerned, I chose the following activities:

-          How to maximize the one thing you control?

-          Off the Box

-          Building a better working world

Each and every single workshop was very interesting and very different at the same time. Animated by managers from various service lines such as Advisory, Tax or Insurance, they aimed at developing very specific skills as teamwork, Excellence and of course Leadership.

I really had a good time if the first two workshops as me and my fellow interns were able to work together so as to get over our own limits but the most impressive one was definitely the ``Building a better Working World ’’ workshop.

The show was presented by Janelle Bechdol, an EY America Education Manager, who introduced us by way of videos or on the stage to some inspiring people such as:

Blake and me: I'm proud I can stand beside him !!!

-          Caine: a young boy who created at 12 years old his own business;

-          Julia Porter-Robinson, now Brand Leader EMEIA at EY but also a semi-professional pianist, and last but not least,

-          Blake Lipper. You may not know Blake but he is even though famous. Indeed, in 2013, he was sacred 200 m world champion on the 2013…..Paralympics Games in Lyon. Believe it or not, but Blake was born without legs. Thanks to science breakthrough and the help of generous donators such as EY, Blake was able to walk for the first time in his life and only four years later, he was one of the best runner in his category. The one thing I will always remember about Blake presentation is: Never give up! Or as he would say: ``If you can’t fly, run, if you can’t run, walk, if you can’t walk, crawl  ‘’