Savannah Graybill, 27, was selected from more than 2,000 applicants to be the "Intern CEO for One Month" atAdecco Group North America,a human resources solutions provider that employs about 5,000 people.She is being paid $10,000 for the month. Here's what she experienced in week four on the job. (Read about weeks one, two, and three here.)
This morning I presented my final presentation to the Adecco Group North America leadership team. I talked about my experience as the most coveted intern in America, and different ideas that I had for the company — you know, if I were the real CEO.
It's hard to believe my internship as CEO for One Month is finally coming to an end. The past four weeks have been a life-changing experience, and one that I will never forget. Though I've been traveling all over the country, this internship certainly hasn't just been gallivanting across America networking and meeting with clients.
At the beginning of the internship, I was assigned two business case studies to be completed by the end of my tenure as the CEO for One Month — one of which enters me into the a global CEO challenge.
The Adecco CEO for One Month experience is occurring globally; there are 33 other young adults like myself shadowing the Adecco CEO in their respective countries, and we were all assigned the same business case study to earn a spot in the boot camp for the global competition.
If we have one of the 10 best case studies, we'll be invited to the boot camp in Europe for a chance to become the global CEO for One Month and shadow the Adecco Group Global CEO in Switzerland.
My last week as CEO
Prior to the start of my final week as "CEO," I thought to myself how lucky I was that I hadn't really endured any travel issues considering I've been coast-to-coast and everywhere in between. Well, that sort of thinking got me into trouble.
I started off the week in Jacksonville, Florida, at the Adecco Group North America headquarters, getting down to business on my case studies. I drove myself to the airport Monday afternoon to catch a flight to Omaha, Nebraska, to visit Modis, Adecco's information technology staffing group.
My trip out to Omaha was a long one — travel delay upon travel delay got me there well after midnight. It really made me realize how hard Adecco Group NA CEO Bob Crouch works and the travel delays that he must endure on a continual basis in his position. Being CEO is about more than just making big decisions; it's about meeting with colleagues from across the country, in different positions, and trying to find the best way to create a culture where people love what they do.
Tuesday morning, I met Modis Senior Vice President Gregg Schmedding and President Jack Cullen to learn from the Omaha crew.
Here I learned the true ins and outs of a staffing company. I spent time with recruiters, business development managers, and the sales department; I watched morning huddles, sat in on an in-office interview with a candidate and shadowed a recruiter.
We met with associates from Kiewit and Lease Team and met with executive coach Liz Miller. For Liz, culture is key — CEOs and top executives must lead the way to create change and create a strong organization. I had a great time learning from her as well as the rest of the Omaha crew.
On Thursday I made the trip to Dubuque, Iowa, to the first of two Entegee offices, an engineering staffing company. I met Vice President Jim Kieffer at the office for a quick tour and then we were off to John Deere.
John Deere has been in the biz for over 175 years and takes pride in maintaining a strong culture throughout its business. John Deere's quote, "I will never put my name on a product that doesn't have in it the best that is in me," can even be found in large print in the factory.
Friday went by in a blur as I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to head to — you guessed it — the airport on my way to Minneapolis to meet with another Entegee group. Senior Vice President Tom Hentges greeted me at the airport and we were off to visit his branch. After a quick introduction and tour of the office, we spent the day visiting a client that truly exemplifies the huge ways in which science and technology are revolutionizing our day-to-day lives.
I found myself back in the airport Friday afternoon and in a similar situation as Monday. Both my initial flight and connection were delayed, and I didn't get into Jacksonville until about 2 a.m.
During the extra time I had between layovers, I began thinking back to all of the amazing experiences that I've had over the past month.
My journey started in San Francisco, then took me to Louisville, Kentucky, New York City, Omaha, and then, in the end, Minneapolis.
In just one month, I was able to travel the entire country, get to know the Adecco family and meet with Adecco colleagues who really do love their jobs. It has shown me what a positive impact one company can have on so many lives.
In talking with each leader that I met this week, a recurring theme became apparent; the most effective way to be a successful leader and CEO is truly to employ the best people underneath you. It seems like such a simple concept, but each leader stressed the same thing: Finding the right people is hard.
I am so grateful for the time and effort the Adecco associates, executives, and clients that I met over the course of this past month took to engage and educate me. It's an experience I'll never forget and will hopefully continue on to Switzerland — fingers crossed.
Savannah Graybill is a graduate from American University (2010) with a degree in broadcast journalism. She is a resident athlete at the United States Olympic Training Center and is training to compete for a spot in the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Follow her on Twitter (@savannahjane1) and Instagram (@sgraybill25).
SEE ALSO: Meet the intern who has been named CEO of a 5,000-person company for a month