McGill produces CEOs at the highest rate in Canada: study

McGill University campus is seen Tuesday, June 21, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

Montreal's McGill University produces future CEOs more than any other university in Canada, according to a new study.

The study, by British company Immerse Education, used LinkedIn data to find the proportions of alums who became CEOs after graduating from various universities worldwide. McGill topped all Canadian institutions with a rate of 4.26 per cent.

Second place on the list was Queen's University at a clip of 4.02 per cent.

Karl Moore, professor in the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill, attributes McGill's success to three things: the quality of students, the McGill brand, and how the university teaches students to think.

"It's the hardest school for undergraduate business students to get into across the country, and one of the hardest in the world," Moore said. "We can't mess them up."

Moore also feels that the large proportion of international students helps all students garner a more comprehensive range of experiences. He believes it transforms students into leaders and primes them for success later in life.

In one of Moore's courses, CEOs speak to the students -- roughly 30 throughout the course -- allowing students to hear first-hand accounts.

"It's a great chance to learn from people who are actually doing it," he said.

According to Moore, another critical factor is a course in which students travel to various cities worldwide. In recent years, they have visited multiple African countries to learn cross-cultural business strategies.

He also feels that McGill's lifespan of over two centuries contributes to its ability to attract top students and professors.