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Press Release

The Adecco Group Names University of Southern California Graduate as CEO for One Month

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – June 29, 2021 – The Adecco Group, the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company, today named Catherine Liang as its 2021 U.S. CEO for One Month.

Founded in 2014, the CEO for One Month Program is a paid internship opportunity that focuses on building the next generation of leaders by providing opportunities to gain unparalleled career experience through highly effective work-based learning. During the month of July, Liang will work virtually alongside the Adecco Group’s senior leadership, participating in client meetings, and learning what it takes to lead a Fortune Global 500 company in today’s post-pandemic world.

“Being named the U.S. CEO for One Month is a humbling honor,” said Liang. “This is an exciting and truly unique way to explore the crossovers between beginning my career and leadership development in a manner I never thought possible. I firmly believe that business is about building relationships. I look forward to learning and working side-by-side with an extraordinary group of mentors at the Adecco Group and applying the skills I acquire throughout this upcoming month in the rest of my career.”

Liang is a 2021 graduate from the University of Southern California (USC) with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Global Business and a minor in piano performance. She has served as a local, state, and international ambassador for equity & financial inclusion, human rights and the AAPI community.

“At the Adecco Group, we’re driven by a powerful purpose of making the future work for everyone and are proud to offer a unique internship program to the next generation of leaders,” said Corinne Ripoche, Regional President of the Adecco Group Americas. “Through our global CEO for One Month programs, rising talent in more than 40 countries gain executive-level experience and skills that set a strong foundation for their careers. I’m energized by the ambition and talent we’ve seen from our finalists in the U.S., and I look forward to working alongside Catherine and mentoring her throughout her journey.”

As part of the CEO for One Month selection process, ten finalists from across the nation participated in a week-long virtual boot camp, which took them through a series of assessments and exercises to test their abilities and develop their leadership potential. At the close of the bootcamp, Liang was selected as the U.S. CEO for One Month.

The 10 finalists were selected from a pool of over 14,000 competitive applications:

  • Sudona Barton (University of Southern California)
  • Molly Chandler (Florida Institute of Technology)
  • Emmanuel Childs (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University)
  • Marin Grillo (Syracuse University)
  • Tiffany Henry (Boston University)
  • Jarrett Lash (New York University)
  • Catherine Liang (University of Southern California)
  • J Shelly (IE Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
  • Lucy Svetec (University of Pennsylvania)
  • May Wang (Yale – NUS, Singapore)

Later this year, Liang will also have the chance to be one of 10 country-specific finalists who will compete for the opportunity to become the Adecco Group’s 2021 Global CEO for One Month. For updates on Liang’s U.S. CEO for One Month journey, follow @AdeccoGroupNA, @AdeccoGoupUSFoundation, and #CEOforOneMonth on social media.


About the Adecco Group U.S. Foundation

The Adecco Group US Foundation was created in 2019 to serve as a home of social value creation activities, focused on making the world of work a fairer, more accessible and better place through targeted innovation projects. Our vision is of a world where all people are enabled to reach their full potential. Our mission is to leverage our know-how, resources and partnerships to accelerate new solutions and collaboration in the field of employment and skills. Visit adeccogroupusfoundation.org for more information.

About the Adecco Group

The Adecco Group is the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company. We believe in making the future work for everyone, and every day enable more than 3.5 million careers.

We skill, develop, and hire talent in 60 countries, enabling organisations to embrace the future of work. As a Fortune Global 500 company, we lead by example, creating shared value that fuels economies and builds better societies.

Our culture of inclusivity, entrepreneurship and teamwork empowers our 30,000 employees. We are proud to have been consistently ranked one of the ‘World’s Best Workplaces’ by Great Place to Work¼.

The Adecco Group AG is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN). The Group is powered by three global business units: Adecco, Talent Solutions and Modis.