I need to compile a pool of interview questions to ask CEOs of small and medium companies...any ideas?

Question

The goal of the interviews would be to bring out the positive aspects of their personality and their company.

I intend to structure the questiions into categories, e.g. Personal, Business, etc and choose questions from the pool depending on the particular interviewee.

Example - Personal Questions:
What do you consider to be your greatest personal achievement?

How do you unwind after a stressful day or week at the office?

Business Questions:

What can you tell us about [company name]?

What sets your company / products / services apart from (those of) your competitors?

How do you see the future of your company in the light of new advances in technology?

Any other ideas for questions or categories? I am trying to compile as generic a list as possible. Thanks

Thanks for your answer jcpdsgn.

The goal of these interviews would be to spotlight the CEOs as business professionals and people, hence teh ned for personal questions.

Also, the target audience for the interviews are potential customers first and potential business partners second.

Answer 1

Hmmm... I would not ask the personal questions at all - they are, well, personal. If you want to know about the business and their practices, ask those questions, not about the CEO's personal life. If you want to know how they got the job, ask, but I think that's as personal as you should go.

Other catagories/questions:
Recession: How has your company faced economic slow periods? How have you set the company up to be impervious to recession?

Benefits: How does the company compare with competitors as to the number of holidays and vacation days? Would you like to see more?

Flexibility: Does the company support means for employees to work from home, if applicable? Do you support working parents with more flexible hours?