BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
METHOD:PUBLISH
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//WordPress - MECv7.37.0//EN
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://mpfglobal.com/
X-WR-CALNAME:Managing Partners' Forum
X-WR-CALDESC:
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/London
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/London
X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20260329T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=03;BYDAY=-1SU
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20261025T010000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=4SU
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
X-MS-OLK-FORCEINSPECTOROPEN:TRUE
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-11ab8d1653073d047c16ede5947fc64d@mpfglobal.com
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261201T080000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261201T180000
DTSTAMP:20261104T144152Z
CREATED:20261104
LAST-MODIFIED:20261104
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:2
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:The CEO Calendar Challenge 2027
DESCRIPTION:PM Forum and Managing Partners’ Forum | Free international team challenge\nCould you plan the CEO’s week?\nFive days. One CEO or managing partner. Decisions that drive growth.\nYou know what it takes to develop client relationships, build a firm’s reputation and spot commercial opportunities. But what does that look like from the CEO’s desk?\nThe CEO Calendar Challenge 2027 invites teams of three to five colleagues from the same professional services firm to plan a realistic five-day working diary for the CEO or managing partner of a fictional, fast-growing firm. You’ll decide what matters, what can wait and what should be delegated. Then an unexpected development on Wednesday morning of the fictional week will test your decisions.\nThe challenge is free to enter and open to eligible teams from professional services firms in any country. The competition opens on 1 December 2026. You can start putting your team together now.\nWhy take part?\n\nThink beyond your role.Explore how client insight, marketing, business development, talent, finance and strategy combine to create growth.\nStrengthen commercial judgement.Make convincing choices about competing priorities rather than simply filling a diary with meetings.\nWork across functions.Compare perspectives with colleagues you may not normally work with on strategic decisions.\nLearn from senior leadership.You are encouraged to consult your own senior management, while keeping the team’s ideas and final entry your own.\nGain meaningful recognition.Four teams will be shortlisted, with opportunities to learn directly from a real CEO or managing partner.\n\nHow the challenge works\nStep 1 – Form your team\nChoose three to five people from the same firm. Bring together colleagues from different functions and career stages if possible. Board members and people who report directly to their firm’s CEO or managing partner are not eligible to join teams.\nStep 2 – Create a fictional firm\nImagine a fast-growing professional services business operating in a different sub-sector from your own firm. Describe the market it serves, its size, growth ambitions and main commercial and organisational challenges, in no more than 150 words.\nStep 3 – Plan the CEO’s week\nFrom 1 to 31 December 2026, use the online day planner to create a Monday-to-Friday diary. Show how the CEO/MP spends time with clients, understands the market, takes decisions, develops people, delegates work and makes space to think. Add a leadership rationale of up to 500 words explaining the commercial value of your choices. Your original entry is locked at the end of 31 December (UK time).\nStep 4 – Respond to the unexpected\nOn 1 January 2027, registered teams receive a surprise scenario. Revise the CEO/MP’s diary from Wednesday morning to Friday, explain the impact and trade-offs in up to 200 words, and share three lessons learned in a team reflection of up to 150 words. The final entry is due by the end of 31 January 2027 (UK time).\nWhat could your team gain?\nFour teams will be shortlisted. Two people from each shortlisted team receive complimentary places at the Professional Services Management Excellence Awards dinner and ceremony in the City of London on 18 March 2027, where the winner and runner-up will be announced.\nOne member of each shortlisted team will also have an opportunity to shadow a CEO or managing partner from another professional services sub-sector, with a full-team debrief afterwards. These shadowing days are planned for April–May 2027, subject to arrangements and confidentiality. Shortlisted teams may also be invited to share their insights at a Forum roundtable.\nKey dates\n\n\n\n\nDate\n\n\nMilestone\n\n\n\n4 November 2026\nChallenge announced: start forming a team\n\n\n1 December 2026\nCompetition opens; begin the original entry\n\n\n31 December 2026\nOriginal entry locked at the end of the day, UK time\n\n\n1 January 2027\nSurprise scenario emailed to registered teams\n\n\n31 January 2027\nFinal entry due at the end of the day, UK time\n\n\n19 February 2027\nFour shortlisted teams announced\n\n\n18 March 2027\nAwards dinner and ceremony in the City of London\n\n\nApril–May 2027\nPlanned CEO/MP shadowing days and full-team debriefs\n\n\n\n\nReady to take on the challenge?\nBring together your colleagues, test your leadership thinking and discover what it takes to make decisions that drive commercial growth.\nParticipation is complimentary.\nRegister your team and take on The CEO Calendar Challenge 2027.\n\n				#wpforms-17444 {\n				--wpforms-field-size-input-height: 43px;\n--wpforms-field-size-input-spacing: 15px;\n--wpforms-field-size-font-size: 16px;\n--wpforms-field-size-line-height: 19px;\n--wpforms-field-size-padding-h: 14px;\n--wpforms-field-size-checkbox-size: 16px;\n--wpforms-field-size-sublabel-spacing: 5px;\n--wpforms-field-size-icon-size: 1;\n--wpforms-label-size-font-size: 16px;\n--wpforms-label-size-line-height: 19px;\n--wpforms-label-size-sublabel-font-size: 14px;\n--wpforms-label-size-sublabel-line-height: 17px;\n--wpforms-button-size-font-size: 17px;\n--wpforms-button-size-height: 41px;\n--wpforms-button-size-padding-h: 15px;\n--wpforms-button-size-margin-top: 10px;\n--wpforms-container-shadow-size-box-shadow: none;\n			}\n			Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.Name *FirstLastEmail *Company name *		\n			Contact Company number\n			\n		\n		Contact number *\n				( function() {\n					const style = document.createElement( 'style' );\n					style.appendChild( document.createTextNode( '#wpforms-17444-field_3-container { position: absolute !important; overflow: hidden !important; display: inline !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important; z-index: -1000 !important; padding: 0 !important; } #wpforms-17444-field_3-container input { visibility: hidden; } #wpforms-conversational-form-page #wpforms-17444-field_3-container label { counter-increment: none; }' ) );\n					document.head.appendChild( style );\n					document.currentScript?.remove();\n				} )();\n			Submit  \nFrequently asked questions\nWho can enter?\nTeams of three to five colleagues from a single professional services firm, based in any country. Cross-functional teams and people at different career stages are welcome. Previous management experience is not required.\nDo I need to work in marketing or business development?\nNo. The challenge is open across professional services functions. Bringing different perspectives together is encouraged.\nCan I enter on my own?\nNo. Entries must come from a team of three to five people working at the same firm.\nAre CEOs, partners or Board members eligible?\nBoard members and anyone who reports directly to their firm’s CEO or managing partner cannot join an entry team. Other participants should check the full eligibility rules.\nIs this only for PM Forum members?\nNo. The published rules allow eligible teams from professional services firms anywhere in the world. PM Forum is encouraging its members and their colleagues to take part.\nCan our firm enter more than one team?\nYes. More than one team from the same firm may enter, although only one team per firm can be shortlisted. Each team may make only one entry, covering both stages.\nDo we need to use information about our actual firm?\nNo. You must invent a firm in a professional services sub-sector different from your own. Do not include confidential client or firm information.\nCan we ask our CEO or senior leaders for advice?\nYes. Consultation with your firm’s senior management is encouraged, but your team must develop its own ideas and final entry.\nHow do we register and submit?\nThe guidelines require teams to register for access through the PMI platform before using the online day planner. The competition opens on 1 December 2026. Follow the registration and planner instructions provided for the challenge. Registration alone is not the completed entry.\nWhat exactly do we submit?\nIn Stage 1: a fictional firm profile (up to 150 words), a Monday-to-Friday online day planner and a leadership rationale (up to 500 words). In Stage 2: the revised Wednesday-to-Friday planner, an impact explanation (up to 200 words) and a team reflection (up to 150 words).\nWhat is the Wednesday surprise?\nA new scenario that tests the priorities and choices in your original diary. It will be emailed to registered teams on 1 January 2027, after the original entries have been locked.\nCan we use AI tools?\nYes, for research, brainstorming or editing. The organisers value the team’s independent judgement over machine-generated polish. The entry form includes an AI-use checkbox and, if selected, a short explanation of how AI was used.\nWhat makes a strong entry?\nOne that connects the CEO/MP’s time to client value and commercial growth, draws on market evidence and colleagues’ expertise, explains delegation and trade-offs, and responds thoughtfully to the surprise. Judges value sound reasoning rather than a packed diary.\nHow are entries judged?\nStrategic understanding (25%), commercial judgement (25%), value creation (25%), realism and adaptability (15%), and creativity and clarity (10%). Judging is undertaken by members of the Growth Champions Club.\nIs there an entry fee?\nNo. Participation is free.\nWhat happens if we are shortlisted?\nTwo representatives from each of the four shortlisted teams receive complimentary places at the awards dinner. One member from each team will have a planned CEO/MP shadowing opportunity, followed by a debrief for the whole team. The winner and runner-up are announced at the ceremony on 18 March 2027.\nWhere can we read the full rules?\nPlease read the official guidelines and terms ( https://pmforum.co.uk/events/the-ceo-calendar-challenge-2027/GUIDELINES_PDF_URL_REPLACE_BEFORE_PUBLICATION ) before entering. They also explain publication rights, confidentiality, personal data and the organisers’ conditions.\n
URL:https://mpfglobal.com/events/the-ceo-calendar-challenge-2027/
ORGANIZER;CN=PM Forum and Managing Partners' Forum:MAILTO:
LOCATION:Boodle Hatfield LLP 240 Blackfriars Road London SE1 8NW
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://mpfglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/The-CEO-Calendar-Challenge-2027-2.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR