As her year as Trent’s inaugural CEO-in-Residence comes to an end, Dr. Katie Taylor shared her career experience and insight with small groups of students in mentorship sessions that encouraged them to ask the chair of the board of the Royal Bank of Canada anything – from university courses to work to personal responsibilities.

In collaboration with Gzowski College, the Trent School of Business and Life After Trent, the Mentorship Meet-ups gave students an opportunity to connect with their peers and Dr. Taylor as they consider their next steps in life.

“Dr. Taylor was a wonderful mentor,” shares Angela Tao, fourth-year Business Administration student specializing in Accounting, who attended one of the meet-ups. “The session made me very motivated to continue searching for an opportunity that would “light-up my eyes” for a life after I’m done my degree at Trent.”

Mentorship is a valuable experience for students as they prepare for their lives outside of higher education and is an opportunity that Dr. Taylor she wishes she had when she was a student.

“As the first member of my family to go to university, I often think about how valuable it would have been for me have a conversation with my older self back then,” shares Dr. Taylor. “Being a mentor is important to me also because it helps me stay connected with the younger generation.”

Dr. Taylor’s best piece of advice for students? “Gather as many experiences as you can at as young an age as possible. This period of your life is one of exploration. Try to learn what excites and motivates you. The intersection of what you love to do and what you’re good at is a great place to start.”

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Dr. Katie Taylor is the chair of the board of the Royal Bank of Canada, the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the former Chair of the Sick Kids Foundation, Trustee of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, the Vice-Chair of the Adecco Group in Zurich, and a Director of CPPIB and Air Canada. We are honoured to host Katie as the current CEO-in-residence with the School of Business at Trent University.  

The CEO-in-Residence program is a new program for the Trent School of Business that gives students at both the Peterborough and Durham campuses unparalleled access, inspiration and opportunities to learn from business leaders.

Learn more about the Trent School of Business.