CEO for a day
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When Computer Science student stepped into the ICTSA Industry Expo, little did he know he would end up CEO of a creative agency.
It was a random Saturday afternoon at the University of Malta. The ICT Faculty was transformed into a platform where top employers in the industry could stage their work and scout for talent.
As one of the companies participating in the expo, we did our best to give students attending a taste of our culture - an idea of what it would be like to be a Wagoneer.
“Since our motto at BRND WGN is ‘challenge everything’, we challenged students to an arcade-inspired game we had developed for a client as a social media app two summers ago. We felt this was the perfect opportunity for us to showcase our work as well as reach out to potential Wagoneers,” said our Digital Lead, André.
Our DEV team went prepared. They reconstructed the Cisk claw-machine so lucky participants could win prizes that reflected more of who we are as an agency. These included, free business card design, a photoshoot, an invite to the official launch party of our new offices or even the chance to be CEO for the day.
And that’s how the 21-year-old Daniel Formosa became part of our story…
The date was set to two Fridays before Christmas when Daniel, a Computer Science final year student at the University of Malta, took over Pete’s office to fulfil all of his activities.
“I couldn't have asked for a better replacement. Daniel fit right in to the role taking all in his stride - approaching each issue with confidence whilst listening to the team’s advice. I must say looking at things from the outside in was a great ‘out-of-body’ experience,” said Peter.
A day in the life of BRND WGN CEO.
6.00am - Daniel’s alarm rings in a house in Sliema. He hits snooze, and jumps out of bed fifteen minutes later.
6.27am - Daniel meets Wagoneers Peter, Michael and Jeremy at the LOVE moment in St Julian’s for a forty-minute jog across the Sliema promenade. Jeremy films the entire activity while running backwards, with a GoPro strapped across his forehead.
7.20am - Back home. Breakfast, quick shower and off to work!
8.57am - The doorbell rings. BRND WGN’s new CEO walks into the office. The entire WGN welcomes him with greetings of ‘Mornin’ Boss!’ The fun had just started.
9.00am - Pete introduces Daniel to each and every Wagoneer in the office.
9.13am - Meeting with Knights, business-partner and Head of Digital. Daniel gathers insight into the processes involved to make things happen and discuss deployment of a client’s new website.
10.12am - Meeting with Kat, who heads up the creative team. She walks him through entire creative process and shows him how the magic happens.
11.11am - Steps into Gareth’s office to learn how the administrative part of the company works. Daniel sees how all the company’s financial statements are carried out and also learns more about work/life balance from our CFO’s experience.
12.23pm - Lunch time! Daniel sits in for a BBQ on our terrace. Jeremy carefully prepared some meat and chicken kebabs, couscous and salad for us. The Wagoneers entertain their new CEO with gossip and small-talk. Meanwhile, Daniel gets a chance to get to know us a bit better.
When I met the team at the expo, I immediately felt that the people here are friendly. Now that I have spent the morning with you at the office, I confirmed how welcoming you all are. You guys were very approachable from the start, and made it easy for me to feel a part of the team. I felt very comfortable stepping in
says Daniel
1.40pm - Meeting with the activation team to discuss implementing a digital campaign.
3.06pm - Meeting with the content team. Daniel is interviewed about his experience as BRND WGN CEO.
4.10pm - Daniel experiences what it’s like to be a model during a photoshoot for a social media post.
4.57pm - Casual chat with Mike and André about a book that they’ve just ordered for the team. It’s called: "Growing Object-Oriented Software, Guided by Tests”. It turns out they’re teaching automated testing and test-driven design at university and discussed how that is currently the best way to develop and spoke about some examples.
5.30pm - Daniel’s 7-hour reign ends with a celebration. Drinks and music on the terrace. A typical WGN-style gathering, featuring Kat’s dog, Mr Henry.
7.00pm - Home.
“Looking back, this is not only what I expected it would be, but better. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget, from the morning run to the evening's drinks. Cheers!”
