2027 Executive Program
Leading through an uncertain world
Six full days with a small group of senior leaders in Vancouver, with AI tools that help you use what you learn.
Two cohorts of twelve launch in Q1 2027, and seats are offered by application.
- Former COO of Demonware (Activision)
- Ten years in CEO forums, five as a chair
- Million Dollar Consulting Hall of Fame
Who the program is for and what changes
This program is for you if
you run a business, a division or a function, and the last year was harder to lead than the one before
you are the person everyone leans on, and you want a group of senior peers of your own
you have attended leadership training before and want this year to change how you work
you are prepared to do the work between sessions as well as in them
After twelve months, you will be the leader who
makes the hard call with incomplete information and explains it clearly
keeps people aligned when the plan changes
spends their week on the work only they can do
has a team that can carry more without everything running through them
knows how to use the AI tools now changing their field, at whatever depth suits them
leads at a pace they can keep up for years
It is probably not the right year for you if
you are looking for a program you can attend without practicing
you cannot commit to at least five of the six days
you are looking for a technical course on how to use AI tools
Leading has become harder to plan for
Most leaders I work with describe the same year. A plan gets set in January and rewritten by April. The leaders who handle that well can decide with incomplete information, keep people aligned while the details change, and protect their own attention for the work that matters.
Most leaders can name a program they attended, and very few can name something they still do differently because of it. I designed the 2027 program around the skills that matter most when the year is uncertain, and the follow-through that makes them stick.
Six days on leading well when things keep changing
Each session works on one capability that matters more when the year is uncertain and fast-moving. Both cohorts cover the same six sessions on different days.
Starts Q1 2027
Session 1
What only you can do
When everything feels urgent, the work that only you can do is usually the first thing to slip. This session helps you take back your calendar and spend your best hours on the decisions, relationships and thinking that nobody else on your team can do for you.
In the room
You sort a real month of your own work, decide what to cut, delegate or redesign, and leave with hours back each week and a clear picture of where your attention belongs this year.
Session 2
Making the hard calls
Most of the decisions that keep you up at night have to be made before you have all the information. This session gives you a way to make those calls with confidence, explain them so people commit to them, and change course when you need to without losing credibility.
In the room
You take a live decision of your own through a pre-mortem and a test of how reversible it is, then make the call and practice explaining it to the people it affects.
Session 3
Leading up and across
Your results depend on people you do not manage, whether that is a board, owners, investors, a CEO, peers or partners. This session helps you keep them aligned with you while plans change, so they hear about changes from you first and stay with you when the plan shifts.
In the room
You brief a skeptical audience on a real issue of your own, played first by me and then by a rehearsal partner, and you leave with a plan for the relationship that matters most to your year. This session also includes the cohort's dedicated peer session, where each member brings a live issue to the group.
Session 4
Leading with AI
AI is changing how work gets done in almost every field, and your people are looking to you to make sense of it, whatever your own comfort with the technology. This session helps you lead that change with a clear view of what it means for your team and how to bring people with you.
In the room
You see what AI can and cannot do for a team like yours, work through the concerns your people are likely to raise, and rebuild one real piece of your team's work, hands on.
Session 5
Building the next layer
When everything runs through you, your team slows down whenever you are busy, and you never get the time to step back and lead. This session helps you develop the people who can carry more, so your team keeps moving without you in every decision.
In the room
You review the strengths and gaps across your own team, identify who could step up, and rehearse the hard talent conversation you have been putting off.
Session 6
The long game
A demanding year can wear down the leader who is carrying it. This session helps you build a way of leading that you can sustain, so you finish the year with energy and a clear sense of what you changed.
In the room
You build an energy and capacity plan for the year ahead and present to the cohort what you changed over the year and what it made possible.
Year end: a written record of what you changed
A year of development designed so you use what you learn
“This is not about creating AI slop. One of the hardest parts of learning and development is applying what you learn, so we designed the 2027 program from the ground up with tools that help you put each session into practice, using whatever AI tools you already have.”
At least 40 percent of every session day is spent practicing on your own real situations, in pairs and small groups. You leave every session with a written commitment and a date, and thirty days later we check whether it happened. By the end of the year you have a written record of what you changed.
Every session comes with its own set of AI tools, written to work in Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. You use them in the room while you practice, and between sessions they help you carry out the commitment you made. Before a difficult conversation with your board, your boss or a peer, a rehearsal partner plays the skeptic and asks the questions you are hoping nobody asks.
Each tool comes with a plain note on what is safe to put into it, and every exercise also works on paper.
What participants say
“Colin is an outstanding coach. His program takes a practical, real-world approach and covers a wide range of topics relevant to leaders from every background and industry. It was absolutely worth the time investment.”
Omar AlHarras
Principal, Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers
“Colin was able to create a really engaging group format with his deep knowledge, balanced content, sharing of experiences, and humour. I loved the way the group connected and learned from each other. The course upped my skills and generated lots of deeper reflection on career and leadership.”
Ellie Griffith
Assistant VP Research Programs, Michael Smith Health Research BC
“This program offers expertly curated content designed to build knowledge, awareness and confidence. The teaching environment is engaging and provides ample opportunity to put learnings into practice. Would highly recommend for emerging or intermediate leaders.”
Sarah Austin
Executive Brand Director, Will Creative
Your facilitator
I spent seven years as COO of Demonware, Activision's online services studio, and ten years in CEO forums, five of them as a chair. Most of what I teach comes from what worked when I was the one making the calls in a fast-changing industry, and from the CEOs and leadership teams I have worked with since, who were facing the same problems you are facing now.
Today I run Cox Consulting, which works with CEOs and leadership teams, and The Work Smarter Company, which helps organizations adopt AI. The 2027 program is the first one built on both.
Two cohorts of twelve for 2027
Both cohorts cover the same six sessions on different days, and each is limited to twelve leaders. I talk with every applicant before offering a seat, because the people in the room are a large part of what you get from the year.
2027 Executive Program
Everything included in your seat
- Six full-day sessions in downtown Vancouver
- AI tools for every session, used in the room and between sessions, with paper versions of every exercise
- Written commitments with a 30-day check after every session
- A year-end record of what you changed
- A small cohort of senior leaders from across industries
Enrollment bonuses, $1,000 in additional value
1:1 coaching session $500 value
A private session with me to work through your most pressing leadership challenge.
Private strategy call $500 value
Before the program begins, we talk through your goals for the year so the sessions work on what matters most to you.
The First Session Guarantee
If you attend the first session and decide the program is not the right fit for you, I will refund your full investment.
How to join
- 1You send your name and email, which takes under a minute.
- 2We talk for twenty minutes about your year and what you want from the program.
- 3If it is a fit for both of us, I offer you a seat in the cohort that suits your schedule.
Launching Q1 2027 in downtown Vancouver. Session dates are set around the availability of the leaders who join each cohort.
Common questions
Is this new if I attended in 2025 or 2026?
Yes, the 2027 sessions are new, and the year stands on its own, so it works equally well for someone joining for the first time. If you were in the 2026 cohort, the session that sounds most familiar is Leading with AI. The 2026 AI day was about using AI as an executive, and the 2027 session is about leading your team through the change, including rebuilding one real piece of your team's work together. If you attended in 2025 or 2026, you do not need to apply, and you can confirm your seat by replying to my email or writing to me at colin@colincox.com.
Do I need to be into AI?
No, the AI tools are there to help you apply each session, and every exercise also works on paper. The program is about how you lead in an uncertain year, and the AI support is there for anyone who wants it.
Which AI tools do I need?
Whichever one your organization already provides, if any. The tools are written to work in Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, and we make sure yours works before the first session.
What if my company restricts what I can put into AI?
Each tool comes with a note on what is safe to use with it, and the exercises work with information you are allowed to share. If your organization's rules are strict, we will set you up with a version that fits them.
What if I can't make every session?
We ask everyone to commit to at least five of the six days, because the practice and the cohort both depend on people being in the room. Sessions are not recorded, and if you miss one, you receive the materials and the tools for that session.
Can I bring a colleague?
Yes, and each additional leader from the same organization receives 5 percent off. When I offer seats, I will place colleagues in the cohorts that work best for them.
Is lunch included?
Lunch is not included in the program. There is a break in the middle of each day, and the venue is in downtown Vancouver with plenty of options nearby.
Who else is in the cohort?
Senior leaders from across industries, from executives and directors to owners and CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses, in fields such as technology, healthcare, finance, engineering, creative agencies and distribution. Leadership problems are similar across industries, and the variety gives you perspectives your own organization cannot.
How is this different from an MBA or a leadership certificate?
Those programs are built around case studies of other companies. This program is built around your own decisions, your own team and your own calendar, and it checks whether you changed how you work.
Is it in person or virtual?
All six sessions are in person in downtown Vancouver. Between sessions you have the tools for each session and a channel for the cohort.