[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/MARS_eclipse_fusion.jpg” caption=”The candidates of this year’s MARS Apprentice at the DeGroote School of Business.”]What will it take to be a successful leader in the year 2020? Ask people to name notable CEOs of the present day and you'll probably hear Bill Gates, Martha Stewart, Mike Lazaridis, Donald Trump, Conrad Black. These people have become household names, but not always in a good way.

Can the leaders of tomorrow correct the mistakes of the past and move forward to future success?

The DeGroote School of Business will seek to answer that question on Thursday, March 9 at Leadership Vision 2020. Keynote speakers Bob Hedley, vice president of leadership at Maple Leaf Foods, and Richard Glover, Ontario area vice president for Frito Lay Canada, will share their insights with students, industry guests and faculty at this student organized event.

Hedley and Glover will focus on what it will take to be a successful leader of the future and the key attributes and characteristics that will differentiate such leaders. They will highlight how the leader of 2020 will have a bias for action, be transparent, and most importantly do what's right for all stakeholders.

“Due to the rapidly changing nature of today's business environment, DeGroote has focused on experiential education, giving students the skills they need to be leaders tomorrow,” says professor Mandeep Malik. “To become successful leaders, these students must be willing to risk the unusual and not settle for the ordinary. These leaders will not only give us dreams, they will help us attain them.”

Leadership Vision 2020 will also cap off the second season of the highly successful MARS Apprentice Program – closing just as Donald Trump's television series begins a new season. Over the course of last four weeks, 10 of DeGroote's best and brightest have competed for internship positions. The winning Apprentice contestants will be announced and will be welcomed into their new roles at Frito Lay, JAN Kelley Marketing, Xerox and RBC Royal Bank.

Join today's students as they begin the evolution to tomorrow's business leaders. Leadership Vision 2020 will take place Thursday, March 9 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in CIBC Hall on the third floor of the Student Centre.