How did Julie land the job?
During the selection process, she impressed the jury with her creative approach. She set out to discover what makes people great leaders. She spoke to people with life experience, asked thoughtful questions and listened carefully.
Curiosity, enthusiasm and empathy. That’s what makes a great leader, the jury concluded. And so Julie became Gumption’s CEO for a day.
Friday 3 July: the day Julie was in charge
Friday 3 July: the day Julie was in charge
Julie got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Gumption. She met business leaders and colleagues from across the group. She also interviewed CEO Bart Embrechts about his job. How do you make decisions? What does a CEO actually do all day? What’s something hardly anyone knows about the company? Bart didn’t dodge a single question.
As it should be. One CEO talking to another.
The conversation continued over lunch. They talked about entrepreneurship, taking responsibility and working together. Over fries or pasta? We honestly don’t know. Our sources revealed that the conversation struck the perfect balance between business and ease. Never flavourless. Always unfiltered. After lunch, Julie met the other companies in the Gumption community and discovered how all those specialists come together to form one powerful ecosystem. Epic.
Why does Gumption organise this CEO for a Day initiative?
Why does Gumption organise this CEO for a Day initiative?
Because children look at the world differently. They ask questions without assumptions or preconceptions. The kind of questions adults often stop asking. And sometimes, those questions contain exactly the answer you were looking for. Julie proved that once again, just as Norah did before her. Their honest observations and fresh perspective bring a breath of fresh air into every boardroom.
From a fun experiment to an annual tradition
After Norah’s edition in 2025, we already knew one thing: this was simply too much fun to do only once. With Julie, the experiment officially became a tradition. It also perfectly reflects what Gumption stands for: encouraging entrepreneurship, giving talent opportunities and learning from one another, regardless of age, role or experience.
Sometimes the best advice doesn’t come from a meeting room. It comes from a nine-year-old who simply asks: “But… why do you actually do it that way?”
Wondering who will take the helm next year? So are we.