Q&A with George D. Schindler, 2024 Winter Commencement Speaker

George D. Schindler, former president and chief executive officer of business and information technology company CGI, will be the featured speaker at George Mason University’s Winter Commencement on Dec. 19 at EagleBank Arena on the Fairfax Campus.

Can you share one piece of personal or professional advice you received that has influenced your life or career and that you would like to impart to this George Mason Class of 2024?

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned throughout my 40-year career is to be curious and embrace continuous learning. Change is constant, and our ability to adapt and thrive in rapidly evolving environments depends on maintaining a learning mindset.

Another piece of advice I’ve carried with me is about how to approach advice itself. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to receive guidance from incredible mentors and colleagues. But I’ve also learned that advice can be a double-edged sword. It’s crucial to listen intently to advice, but equally important to know when to set it aside. To be authentic both personally and professionally, you need to filter advice through your own values and experiences. Advice can guide you, but blindly following it can lead you away from what makes you uniquely effective.

You began your career as a coder and worked your way up to CEO. But there were detours on your path. Is there a lesson in that for graduates as they begin their careers?

Absolutely. Career paths are rarely linear, and that’s a reality to embrace, rather than fear. Detours and unexpected turns present opportunities to gain new perspectives, develop resilience, and learn new skills.

Looking back, the moments where I adjusted course often ended up being the most formative and rewarding. My advice: Stay open to opportunities and remember that some of the most meaningful growth in your life and in your career can happen in the unplanned moments.

How would you say that George Mason’s perspective of “All Together Different” helps prepare students for the workforce?

Diversity in all forms is an essential component of thriving institutions and societies, especially in its ability to spur innovation and progress. At CGI, we often saw that bringing together people with unique perspectives and backgrounds led to better solutions and greater outcomes for our company and for our clients. George Mason’s commitment to inclusivity prepares graduates to thrive in an interconnected and dynamic workforce. By cultivating collaboration and respect for different ideas, graduates are well-positioned to navigate and shape the future.

As a leading provider of tech talent, how does George Mason drive innovation and economic prosperity in Northern Virginia and throughout the state?

George Mason is a vital partner in cultivating talent that drives regional innovation and economic growth. We saw this firsthand when I was CEO at CGI as we relied on the skilled professionals emerging from programs at institutions like George Mason to deliver trusted business solutions for our clients. This partnership between academia and industry not only fuels local economic prosperity but also strengthens the foundation for future growth in technology and innovation.

President Washington believes companies and corporations need to offer more internships to better prepare graduates with the skills and experiences employers need. How does CGI succeed in this area, and how can that kind of mentorship be achieved on a large scale in our region?

I agree with President Washington. Done right, internships benefit both students and companies alike. Beyond simply gaining experience, mentorship during an internship helps students bridge the gap between theory and practice while learning from the perspectives of those with more experience, and companies gain fresh ideas and perspectives that students bring. To achieve this on a broader scale, collaboration is key. At CGI, we have seen that the greatest success is achieved when universities and companies work together to create programs that allow students and companies to engage with each other over longer periods of time with appropriate commitments on both sides. These programs create the opportunities that are both accessible and most meaningful.

Many George Mason graduates define career success not only by financial reward or job satisfaction but by bettering society through their work. What are some ways that students might be able to accomplish this goal?

At CGI, our consultants and technical experts are certainly motivated by the opportunity to use their skills to drive positive change for our clients, but also for our clients’ customers. We talk about our role in bettering society as being “two steps away” as it’s our role to partner with our clients to enable this positive change. For example, our direct client might be the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but by assisting the EPA, we are also contributing to helping citizens across the country live in a healthier environment. Likewise, when working for a large financial institution on a program to assist the unbanked—those people living in our communities who do not have bank accounts—we indirectly help this underserved population of people gain access to services that will make a difference in their lives and those of their families.

We also encourage all of our employees to lend their expertise to charitable organizations or individuals through STEM-focused programs, doing our part to enable a digitally inclusive society for everyone in our communities. I encourage you to challenge yourself and your places of employment to find ways for you to accomplish your goals to better society—our society needs your contributions.

Forty years ago, George Mason partnered with area businesses to develop an engineering program geared toward the emerging information technology (IT) field. Given the prominence of IT in our regional economy today, what does this say about the impact of partnerships between George Mason and local industry?

It is clear that the partnership George Mason initiated at that time was a visionary one in terms of how collaboration between academia and industry can help shape regional economies. By aligning educational programs with the emerging needs of the IT field, George Mason and its partners certainly contributed to the role of Northern Virginia becoming the hub of technological innovation that it is today.

Such partnerships are critical in today’s world, where rapid technological change is accelerating faster than ever before. Preparing students to thrive in this environment requires a continuous dialogue between academia and industry to ensure that curricula and the experiential learning opportunities that companies can provide keep pace with real-world demands. When this collaboration aligns, it can enable future generations to not just respond to change but actively shape the future.