Phupinder Gill – CME Group

It’s not easy to predict much about the future. But Phupinder Gill, CEO of CME Group, is looking forward to see just where the next generation, the so-called Generation Y group, fits into his business.

“Ten years from now, we don’t count anymore,” Gill said of himself and most others in the C-suites. “In 10 years from now, the people who will be running this world are you folks. The people who will be influencing the world in the direction that we’ll be in 10 years from now are, again, you folks.”

In 2021, because of the workforce when today’s graduates are firmly embedded into the workforce, opportunities will be far more global, than just local or even national. Gen Y, according to studies, is going to be one of the largest generations in modern times to hit the workforce. An estimated 80 million to 90 million Generation Yers in the United States are now aged 20 to 35, according to research by Towers Watson, and by 2020 they will represent for 75 percent of the workforce.

“As an employer, we need to understand you in a way that makes sense to us and a way that makes sense to the businesses not just as we currently run, but the businesses we want to continue to run as the world evolves.”

Gill said that the mindset for Gen Yers is classified as group oriented, idealistic and socially conscious. On top of that, he said that Gen Y is the best educated generation in history, “in an environment that does not have enough jobs to support every one of you.” The key to success in this competitive landscape, he said, is one’s approach to work and life.

“Certain things are very key for you, first and foremost is mindset, have a positive mindset, a growth mindset, understand that the world is not always bad,” he said. “Be mindful. Many of these statistics indicate that you are going to make the world a better place in the work that you guys do.”