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• Governance Professionals of Canada Education Program (GPC-EP)

  • Start
    01 Feb 2020
  •  
    (EST)
  • End
    01 Feb 2022
  •  
    (EST)
  • Location
    Check Specific Module delivery location

  Register

  The GPC-EP delivers critical and relevant content for governance professionals in a condensed, rigorous program with key speakers from across Canada. It consists of three 2.5 day Course that are each at least offered twice a year, enabling busy professionals to complete the modules in a schedule that works for them.

  It is designed for anyone operating in a governance role, whether in public, private, not-for-profit or governmental organizations. Individuals new to these roles as well as seasoned professionals will find benefit in the GPC.D as it will not only provide them with the latest best practices, skills and tools in governance, but will enhance standard of their profession.

  Registration Fee:
  

  • GPC member price: $7,550 + HST
    
  • Non Member price: $8,250 + HST (includes the cost of a ONE YEAR GPC membership and processing fee)

  Please note that GPC members will be given priority on first come, first served basis.
  

  Read More!

  Show details
• Setting the Stage for Boardroom Success

  • When
    09 Jun 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar

  Register

  
  

  
  

  In the world of best practices and regulatory guidelines, we can easily lose sight of essential governance foundations — those touchstones we should use to construct our board, to design our governance practices and foster overall effectiveness in the boardroom.
  
  This session will equip participants with some essential concepts as well as some new perspectives that will provide needed boardroom focus and foster a more tangible contribution by directors.
  
  You will gain valuable insights and answers if you are:
  

  • questioning your current board practices,
  • concerned about how decisions are made about structural or process change,
  • wondering how to help enhance your board’s performance and contribution
  • and/or wishing to increase your Board framework effectiveness

  March 2020 Cancellation Policy

  Speaker

  

  John Dinner
  President, John T. Dinner Board Governance Services

  (Click on the speaker's name to see his biography.)

  Show details
• Secretariat Records Management - From Soup to Nuts

  • When
    11 Jun 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar (EST)

  Register

  
  

  
  

  In this session we will explore all aspects of an efficient records management program for the corporate secretary's department. Starting with the reasons a robust records management program is an essential requirement; moving on to the legal requirements for records creation and retention; generally accepted standards and best practices in records management; risk management considerations; litigation and investigation holds; access controls and restrictions and managing rights of access for directors, officers, auditors and others; solicitor-client privilege; the lifecycle for records; tracking, storing, retrieving and destroying records; integrating paper and paperless techniques into a seamless process; business continuity and disaster recovery considerations; and creating and managing a bottom-up system that allows each member of the corporate secretary's staff to manage the records for their area of expertise and responsibility while providing access for all team members.

  
  

  March 2020 Cancellation Policy

  Speaker

  

  David Masse
  Barrister and Solicitor, Caravel Law LLC. 

  (Click on the speaker's name to see his biography.)

  Show details
• Applied Governance (Toronto) - Two and Half day Course

  • Start
    12 Jun 2020
  •  
    8:00 AM (EDT)
  • End
    14 Jun 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    WEBCAST, EDT
  • Spaces left
    0

  Day 1

  Meeting Processes and AGMs

  The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for holding successful meetings – the ultimate decision-making process for all organizations including:

  • The legal and regulatory requirements for Board, committee and shareholder or member meetings
  • Tools and processes for organizing and holding successful and effective meetings
  • The special nature of shareholder and member meetings and best practices

  Financial Literacy for the Non-Financial Governance Professional

  The purpose of this module is to help give you an understanding of business finance, and the role of the Board, Audit Committee, Auditors and the Governance Professional in the preparation, presentation and analysis of financial information.

  Participants will develop an understanding with respect to:

  • Accounting terms and the significance and relevance of financial information
  • The budgeting process including the fundamentals of preparing and mastering budgets
  • Basic concepts underlying the preparation and presentation of financial statements
  • Controls and policies that help ensure accuracy and reliability of accounting systems

  Day 2

  Minutes and Minutes Management

  The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for preparing minutes that protect the organization and its directors – with the objective of evidencing the due-diligence of the Board in its decision-making processes.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • The legal and regulatory requirements for minutes
  • Tools and processes for implementing and maintaining effective minutes
  • Best practice minute taking, preparation and maintenance procedures
  • Records Management

  Day 3

  Carefully Crafting Bylaws to Enable Sound Governance

  In this session, the use of bylaws as an importance foundation of sound governance will be explained, including their sources of content and drafting considerations. Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • The direct role of bylaws in supporting many facets of governance
  • The typical topics found in bylaws and various approaches to deciding their content
  • How to research which sources of information when crafting bylaws

  
  Cancellation and Refund Policy:
  

  If canceling the program in its entirety outside of 2 months prior to taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $500. If canceling the program within 3 weeks of taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $1,000. If cancellation occurs during or after the first module has been started, there will be no further refunds. Companies or individuals may transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first course only or individuals may be able to transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first of the 3 courses only. All cancellations or transfer requests must be received by email to education@gpcanada.org.

  Show details
• Élaboration soignée de règlements : comment simplifier de manière proactive la gouvernance

  • When
    16 Jun 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webcast (HNE)

  (This event will be presented in French.)

  La gouvernance assure le respect des obligations législatives et réglementaires. Si la gouvernance est considérée comme la somme des processus et des structures mis en place pour maximiser le succès d’une organisation, alors les règlements devraient être un des le premiers endroits où soigneusement élaborer et intégrer sonles structures et processus de gouvernance. Les règlements, optimisés de façon continue, peuvent vraiment aider une organisation à prospérer et empêcher à prévenir les scénario où les problèmes de l’organisation peuvent devenir ingérables. Au cours de cette session, les participants examineront comment les règlements administratifs personnalisés ont été élaborés pour aider un nouvel organisme à but non lucratif, soit une organisation opérant dans un contexte international complexe qui se développe et prospère.

  Objectifs :

  1.       Comprendre les éléments clés desu règlements administratifscorporatif.

  2.       Distinguer les clauses spécifiques et les clauses générales pour la rédaction du règlement.

  3.       Interpréter le contenu concernant les administrateursen relation des directeurs, les officiers, les réunions et autres sujets.

  

  Patrick Cormier

  Conférencier

  (Cliquez sur le nom du onférencier pour lire sa biographie.)

  
  

  Politique d'annulation des événements de Professionnels en gouvernance du Canada

  Le program du jour

  
  
  

  Parrainé par :

  
  

  Show details
• A Guide for New CEOs: Getting Off on the Right Foot with Your Board

  • When
    14 Jul 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webcast (EST)

  Register

  
  

  
  

  One of the most challenging aspects of any executive’s ascension to the role of Chief Executive Officer is no longer having a boss, but rather a Board of Directors to report to.  This requires some different skills and a different approach to getting things done. Even if the new CEO has worked with the board for several years as a senior executive, the transition is critical. It should never be ignored or taken for granted. The first year after a new CEO’s appointment is an opportunity to start the CEO/Board relationship off on the right foot, avoiding pitfalls and setting a tone for a constructive board/ management relationship that can yield significant benefits for years to come.

  The corporate secretary is in a unique position to guide a new CEO on this important topic – and this Webcast will help you to offer constructive insights and helpful advice that can make a big difference.

  Key subjects will include:

  • One-on-one meetings with every director
  • • Why they’re important, what format should be used and what questions should be discussed.  Even if the CEO held director meetings during the CEO succession/selection process, these are entirely different: During the prior meetings he/she was the job applicant to become CEO.  This conversation in the foundation of the CEO/Board relationship.
  • Board engagement in strategy
  • • Typically strategy is any new CEO’s first major “test” in terms of how effectively he/she will interface and work with the board on a critical issue.  Far too many CEOs go into these sessions in ‘presentation mode’ only to discover their board is disappointed in their approach. Discover how to incorporate board input into the strategy process effectively without ceding the ultimate strategic decision to the board. 
  • Using the board evaluation as a constructive tool in
  • • If ever there was a time to consider a more robust approach to the board evaluation – away from the “tick the box forms” this is it.  Providing the new CEO with a snapshot of the board’s key strengths and potential areas for improvement is a critical first step in the new board/CEO relationship. 
    • A well-designed interview based board evaluation can also explore fundamental issues that set the tone of the relationship – including how the board may want to work differently with the new CEO, the CEO evaluation process, director expectations, board composition, board frustrations with pre-reading materials and management presentations (nearly 75% of boards are frustrated in this area – and this can be a big win for a new CEO to unearth and tackle).

  March 2020 Cancellation Policy

  Speaker

  

  Bev Behan
  President, Board Advisor, LLC. 

  (Click on the speaker's name to see her biography.)

  Show details
• Business Planning Boot Camp

  • When
    13 Aug 2020
  •  
    9:00 AM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar

  Register

  The Business Planning Boot Camp is an intensive full day program which provides an in-depth overview of strategy and planning across all sectors and industries. Peter Wright of the Planning Group will take you through a mix of business planning training and workshop discussions to assist in thinking about your own organization's situation, and in optimizing its business planning process.

  After attending the Boot Camp, you will be able to start applying what you learned immediately to drive real results with your board and within your organization. Without dumbing it down, the Boot Camp boils down business strategy and planning to a series of systematic, understandable concepts. More importantly, the concepts are presented in a dovetailed fashion to align with the integration that must be present in a successful business planning process.

  The program will cover the following:

  • The integrated planning model
  • Your role in strategy and planning
  • The practical vision
  • Strategic imperatives
  • The planning / execution gap
  • Dynamic business planning
  • Introduction to project and action planning

  March 2020 Cancellation Policy
  

  About the Speaker

  

  Peter Wright
  President, The Planning Group

  (Click on the speaker's name to see his biography.)

  
  

  Show details
• Applied Governance - Two and Half day Course

  • Start
    21 Aug 2020
  •  
    8:00 AM (EDT)
  • End
    23 Aug 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    WEBCAST, Ottawa

  Register

  Day 1

  Meeting Processes and AGMs

  The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for holding successful meetings – the ultimate decision-making process for all organizations including:

  • The legal and regulatory requirements for Board, committee and shareholder or member meetings
  • Tools and processes for organizing and holding successful and effective meetings
  • The special nature of shareholder and member meetings and best practices

  Financial Literacy for the Non-Financial Governance Professional

  The purpose of this module is to help give you an understanding of business finance, and the role of the Board, Audit Committee, Auditors and the Governance Professional in the preparation, presentation and analysis of financial information.

  Participants will develop an understanding with respect to:

  • Accounting terms and the significance and relevance of financial information
  • The budgeting process including the fundamentals of preparing and mastering budgets
  • Basic concepts underlying the preparation and presentation of financial statements
  • Controls and policies that help ensure accuracy and reliability of accounting systems

  Day 2 (Full Day)

  Minutes and Minutes Management

  The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for preparing minutes that protect the organization and its directors – with the objective of evidencing the due-diligence of the Board in its decision-making processes.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • The legal and regulatory requirements for minutes
  • Tools and processes for implementing and maintaining effective minutes
  • Best practice minute taking, preparation and maintenance procedures
  • Records Management

  Day 3

  Carefully Crafting Bylaws to Enable Sound Governance

  In this session, the use of bylaws as an importance foundation of sound governance will be explained, including their sources of content and drafting considerations. Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • The direct role of bylaws in supporting many facets of governance
  • The typical topics found in bylaws and various approaches to deciding their content
  • How to research which sources of information when crafting bylaws

  
  Cancellation and Refund Policy:
  

  If canceling the program in its entirety outside of 2 months prior to taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $500. If canceling the program within 3 weeks of taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $1,000. If cancellation occurs during or after the first module has been started, there will be no further refunds. Companies or individuals may transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prio

  r to taking the first course only or individuals may be able to transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first of the 3 courses only. All cancellations or transfer requests must be received by email to education@gpcanada.org.

  Show details
• GPC Not-for-Profit Governance Boot Camp

  • When
    27 Aug 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar

  Register

  The GPC Not-for-Profit Governance Boot Camp is designed to tackle the issues that have the greatest impact on overall board effectiveness and good governance for not-for-profit organizations. Providing you with tools to deal with shifting priorities, new risks and increased complexity in this sector, in order to help you keep pace with the speed of resulting governance changes.

  Rethinking your governance model to have your Board focus on its contribution is critical. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to create a new platform from which you and your Board can deliver greater value.

  Each participant will have the opportunity to identify their own governance priorities and challenges prior to the Boot Camp, and will leave having the opportunity to identify opportunities to address their own issues in practical and impactful ways.

  Who Should Attend

  All sessions are designed for and open to NFP Board leaders, Board members and their governance professionals. The program is formatted to be conducive to acquiring knowledge and tips that are immediately applicable in any organization.

  Agenda

  Participants will learn how to view the role and contribution of their boards differently from traditional models. The workshop will challenge conventional governance thinking and how the Board can play a more integral role in organizational success.

  1.       Introduction

  2.       Board Structure

  • A new governance framework
  • From Governance Inputs to Outcomes
  • Common Governance Challenges (and Solutions!)
  • Board accountabilities
  • Individual director responsibilities
  • Board make-up
  • Committees
  • Board leadership

  3. Board Processes

  • Board member life-cycle
  • Board and Committee
  • Effectiveness Effective Meetings
    

  4. Board Culture / Dynamics

  • Teamwork, director independence and conduct
  • Board / Director relationship with Staff
  • Meeting effectiveness

  5. Healthcare Governance Case Study

  • Application of session learning

  6. Re-cap of Issues / Adjournment 

  About the Speaker

  

  John Dinner
  President, John T. Dinner Board Governance Services

  (Click on the speaker's name to see his biography.)

  Show details
• CEO Succession Planning: How Directors Can Raise their Game on the Board’s Single Most Important Governance Decision

  • When
    10 Sep 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM - 2:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webcast (EST)

  Register

  
  

  
  

  Selection of the Chief Executive Officer is any board’s most important decision.  But most boards don’t have the practices and diligence in place that they know they should around CEO succession planning.  Some are even wary about raising the topic - for fear that it will create tensions with the sitting CEO.  Others are still using CEO succession practices that are dated and deficient.  Many are overly reliant on search firms to “run their process” - essentially “outsourcing” the board’s most important decision.  But CEO succession is a critical facet of governance that the board needs to firmly control.  The key is knowing how – which, as corporate secretary, you can empower your board to do after this session.

  Key subjects will include:

  • Emergency CEO and Executive Succession Planning
  • • A “top of mind issue” for most boards amidst COVID-19, this can be the gateway a long-term CEO succession planning discussion that many boards need to have but often put off, if their current CEO is top-notch.  However, making that happen requires the right approach on the development of an emergency succession plan – not just a name that people agree on.
  • Components of an Effective Long-Term CEO Succession Plan
  • • Creating a workable CEO profile consistent with corporate strategy.  BTW, if that profile includes the term “leadership” it isn’t workable……..
    • Using third party executive assessments in due diligence on CEO candidates – including approaches other boards have used to select the best assessor to work with. Can these be used with both internal and external candidates – and if so, how?
    • Candidate interviews – designing the interview process to yield more useful insights.
    • CEO Succession Planning Roadmaps – the most useful tool any board can deploy to develop a comprehensive plan and then keep that plan largely on track, often for 2-3 years!

  March 2020 Cancellation Policy
  

  Speaker

  

  Bev Behan
  President, Board Advisor, LLC. 

  (Click on the speaker's name to see her biography.)

  Show details
• Applied Governance (Vancouver) - Two and Half day Course

  • Start
    18 Sep 2020
  •  
    8:00 AM (PDT)
  • End
    20 Sep 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM (PDT)
  • Location
    Coast Coal Harbour Vancouver Hotel by APA, 1180 W Hastings St. Vancouver, BC V6E4R5

  Register

  Day 1

  Meeting Processes and AGMs

  The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for holding successful meetings – the ultimate decision-making process for all organizations including:

  • The legal and regulatory requirements for Board, committee and shareholder or member meetings
  • Tools and processes for organizing and holding successful and effective meetings
  • The special nature of shareholder and member meetings and best practices

  Financial Literacy for the Non-Financial Governance Professional

  The purpose of this module is to help give you an understanding of business finance, and the role of the Board, Audit Committee, Auditors and the Governance Professional in the preparation, presentation and analysis of financial information.

  Participants will develop an understanding with respect to:

  • Accounting terms and the significance and relevance of financial information
  • The budgeting process including the fundamentals of preparing and mastering budgets
  • Basic concepts underlying the preparation and presentation of financial statements
  • Controls and policies that help ensure accuracy and reliability of accounting systems

  Day 2

  Minutes and Minutes Management

  The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for preparing minutes that protect the organization and its directors – with the objective of evidencing the due-diligence of the Board in its decision-making processes.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • The legal and regulatory requirements for minutes
  • Tools and processes for implementing and maintaining effective minutes
  • Best practice minute taking, preparation and maintenance procedures

  Records Management

  This course covers one of the governance professional’s key skills. The governance professional is often responsible for managing the organization’s collective memory, and certainly the core memory related to the Board of Directors and the subject matters most often entrusted to the governance professional, ranging from Board meeting records, to records pertaining to directors, subsidiaries, compliance, and ranging to insider reporting, securities compliance, acquisitions due diligence, ethics matters, and many, many other critical areas of responsibility. Unless there is a robust records management process, things can get messy fast.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • Canada Business Corporations Act
  • Provincial business corporations, legislation
  • Confidentiality and longevity
  • Succession and seniority records
  • Board evaluation records

  Day 3

  Board Committees Framework

  The purpose of this session is to provide information on the tools and framework for the purpose of committees, relationship to the board, roles and responsibilities, board delegation along with committee rights and authority.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  Committee focus and work

  • Types of Committees
  • Committee mandate template
  • Committee reporting process and template
  • Structuring the Committee

  
  Cancellation and Refund Policy:
  

  If canceling the program in its entirety outside of 2 months prior to taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $500. If canceling the program within 3 weeks of taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $1,000. If cancellation occurs during or after the first module has been started, there will be no further refunds. Companies or individuals may transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first course only or individuals may be able to transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first of the 3 courses only. All cancellations or transfer requests must be received by email to education@gpcanada.org.

  Show details
• Strategic Governance (Toronto) - Two and Half day Course

  • Start
    02 Oct 2020
  •  
    8:00 AM (EDT)
  • End
    04 Oct 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Ivey Donald K. Johnson Centre, 130 King Street West, Exchange Tower, Toronto, ON M5X 1A9

  Register

  Day 1

  Risk and the Governance Professional

  The purpose of the session is to provide the introductory basics, with selected corresponding tools, to introduce the Governance Professional to two key elements of Risk Management:

  • Enterprise Risk Management- An introduction to the “Mechanics of ERM”
  • Commercial Insurance to protect the Organization and its Directors & Officers

   The role of the Governance Professional in Board Strategy

  • Governing Principles
  • Best Practices
  • Practical Tools
  • Implementation Skills

  Day 2
  

  CSR, Sustainability and ESG and the role of the Board

  • Governing Principles
  • Best Practices
  • Practical Tools
  • Implementation Skill

  Advanced Financial Fundamentals

  • Governing Principles
  • Best Practices
  • Practical Tools
  • Implementation Skills 
    

  Day 3

  Ethics
  

  • Governing Principles
  • Best Practices
  • Practical Tools
  • Implementation Skills 

  Cancellation and Refund Policy:

  If canceling the program in its entirety outside of 2 months prior to taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $500. If canceling the program within 3 weeks of taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $1,000. If cancellation occurs during or after the first module has been started, there will be no further refunds. Companies or individuals may transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first course only or individuals may be able to transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first of the 3 courses only. All cancellations or transfer requests must be received by email to education@gpcanada.org.

  Show details
• Brutal Prioritization in Times of Turbulence

  • When
    07 Oct 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Webinar

  Register

  After all the strategizing and planning, no one really wants to stop doing anything. Too many priorities and too little focus is a menace for most organizations today. Yet, organizations with fewer priorities are much more effective and actually accomplish more. With hilarious anecdotes and tested and proven solutions, Peter makes the case for brutal prioritization and maps out the steps for real change, real courage and the liberation that comes from doing less.
  

  March 2020 Cancellation Policy

  About the Speaker

  
  

  

  Peter Wright
  President, The Planning Group

  (Click on the speaker's name to see his biography.)

  Show details
• Applied Governance (Edmonton) - Two and Half day Course

  • Start
    23 Oct 2020
  •  
    8:00 AM (EDT)
  • End
    25 Oct 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    TBC, Edmonton

  Register

  Day 1

  Meeting Processes and AGMs

  The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for holding successful meetings – the ultimate decision-making process for all organizations including:

  • The legal and regulatory requirements for Board, committee and shareholder or member meetings
  • Tools and processes for organizing and holding successful and effective meetings
  • The special nature of shareholder and member meetings and best practices

  Financial Literacy for the Non-Financial Governance Professional

  The purpose of this module is to help give you an understanding of business finance, and the role of the Board, Audit Committee, Auditors and the Governance Professional in the preparation, presentation and analysis of financial information.

  Participants will develop an understanding with respect to:

  • Accounting terms and the significance and relevance of financial information
  • The budgeting process including the fundamentals of preparing and mastering budgets
  • Basic concepts underlying the preparation and presentation of financial statements
  • Controls and policies that help ensure accuracy and reliability of accounting systems

  Day 2

  Minutes and Minutes Management

  The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for preparing minutes that protect the organization and its directors – with the objective of evidencing the due-diligence of the Board in its decision-making processes.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • The legal and regulatory requirements for minutes
  • Tools and processes for implementing and maintaining effective minutes
  • Best practice minute taking, preparation and maintenance procedures

  Records Management

  This course covers one of the governance professional’s key skills. The governance professional is often responsible for managing the organization’s collective memory, and certainly the core memory related to the Board of Directors and the subject matters most often entrusted to the governance professional, ranging from Board meeting records, to records pertaining to directors, subsidiaries, compliance, and ranging to insider reporting, securities compliance, acquisitions due diligence, ethics matters, and many, many other critical areas of responsibility. Unless there is a robust records management process, things can get messy fast.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • Canada Business Corporations Act
  • Provincial business corporations, legislation
  • Confidentiality and longevity
  • Succession and seniority records
  • Board evaluation records

  Day 3

  Board Committees Framework

  The purpose of this session is to provide information on the tools and framework for the purpose of committees, relationship to the board, roles and responsibilities, board delegation along with committee rights and authority.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  Committee focus and work

  • Types of Committees
  • Committee mandate template
  • Committee reporting process and template
  • Structuring the Committee

  
  Cancellation and Refund Policy:
  

  If canceling the program in its entirety outside of 2 months prior to taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $500. If canceling the program within 3 weeks of taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $1,000. If cancellation occurs during or after the first module has been started, there will be no further refunds. Companies or individuals may transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first course only or individuals may be able to transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first of the 3 courses only. All cancellations or transfer requests must be received by email to education@gpcanada.org.

  Show details
• Meetings, Minutes and Running Effective Board Meetings - Toronto

  • When
    05 Nov 2020
  •  
    8:30 AM - 12:00 PM (EST)
  • Location
    Webinar (EST)

  Register

  Meetings, Minutes and Running Effective Board Meetings is brought to you by Diligent. This session outlines statutory and common law rules in relation to meetings of directors, members, managed investment schemes, class meetings and meetings of creditors. This workshop provides guidance on good governance practices for the notice, planning and conduct of meetings and examines legal and regulatory requirements for procedures in relation to minutes and running effective board meetings.

  This workshop is an interactive half-day gaining insight on both the practical and legal requirements you need to be aware of when holding meetings, taking minutes, recording procedures, guiding directors, preparing resolutions and managing circumstances such as conflicts of interest.

  Topic Covered:

  • Minutes Fundamentals
  • Briefing Materials
  • Legalities; Rules & Regulations
  • Actions & Resolutions
  • In-Camera Meetings
  • ... and more

  Session Agenda

  • 8:00 am - 8:30 am Welcome
  • 8:30 am - 1:00 pm Presentation (working BREAK at 10:30 am)
  • 1:00 pm - Workshop Concludes

  March 2020 Cancellation Policy

  Speaker

  

  John Dinner
  President, John T. Dinner Board Governance Services

  (Click on the speaker's name to see his biography.)

  Event Sponsor:

  

  
  

  Show details
• Strategic Governance (Ottawa) - Two and Half day Course

  • Start
    13 Nov 2020
  •  
    8:00 AM (EST)
  • End
    15 Nov 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM (EST)
  • Location
    TBD

  Register

  Day 1*

  Risk and the Governance Professional

  The purpose of the session is to provide the introductory basics, with selected corresponding tools, to introduce the Governance Professional to two key elements of Risk Management.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:
  

  • Enterprise Risk Management- An introduction to the “Mechanics of ERM”
  • Commercial Insurance to protect the Organization and its Directors & Officers

           

  
  

   The role of the Governance Professional in Board Strategy
  

  In the session, you will understand the range of your potential role in board strategy and to gain skills to map out your role with your board.

  
  

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:
  

  • Background and guidelines for learning
  • Board role in strategy
  • Governance professional continuum of involvement in strategy

  
  

  Day 2*
  

  CSR, Sustainability and ESG and the role of the Board

  This session will equip governance professionals to ensure boards have effective practices in sustainability oversight.

  
  

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • Sustainability drivers, trends, risks and opportunities for organizational success
  • Board best practices in sustainability oversight and the role of the governance professional

  
  

  Advanced Financial Fundamentals

  The purpose of this session will be t provide an overview of annual financial reporting cycle.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  Financial decision making – including financing decisions, investment decisions, liquidity and working capital decisions and dividend decisions (liquidity test etc.) How finance touches the various functional groups in the organization, HR, IT etc. Key performance indicators A deep dive on internal auditing - exploring the work of internal audit and how it can benefit the organization MD&A (requirement for Boards to review, general disclosure principles) Overview on ratio and financial analysis - how it can be used to monitor performance/liquidity especially when compared to prior periods Overview on materiality New auditor's report – significant

  
  

  Day 3*

  Ethics

  The purpose of this course is to ensure that governance professionals provide effective governance in their organization. This cannot exist unless Board members fulfil their roles and responsibilities with the highest standards of conduct.

  Participants will explore the following key points in depth:
  

  • Ethics, Dignity and Loyalty
  • Practical Tools
  • Code of Conduct
  • Whistleblower Policies and Programs
  • Conflicts of Interest
  • Entertainment, Gifts, Preferential Treatment
  • Implementation Skills: Case Studies

  *  Goverance Professionals of Canada (GPC) reserves the right to switch sessions, change start/end times and change faculty. 

  Cancellation and Refund Policy:

   If canceling the program within 3 weeks of taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $1,000. If cancellation occurs during or after the first module has been started, there will be no further refunds. Companies or individuals may transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first course only or individuals may be able to transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first of the 3 courses only. All cancellations or transfer requests must be received by email to education@gpcanada.org.

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• Subsidiary Governance: Creating an Effective Framework

  • When
    17 Nov 2020
  •  
    8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (EST)
  • Location
    The Albany Club 91 King Street East, Main Dining Room Toronto, ON M5C 1G3

  Register

  UPDATE: Due to the evolving situation surrounding COVID-19, we will be rescheduling our Subsidiary Governance: Creating an Effective Framework event. The new date is currently pending, but will likely be in November 2020. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 
  

  Subsidiary governance has moved from an emerging area to one of increased global focus. Courts worldwide are demonstrating a willingness to entertain the idea of piercing the corporate veil for an evolving tort of human rights abuse.  Regulators are showing an increasing interest in parent company accountability and management liability for subsidiary oversight.  Parent company boards must find the right balance between the parent company’s need to set group strategy and coordinate group oversight, while respecting the legal duties of subsidiary directors. As businesses become more complex, a thoughtful and effective subsidiary governance framework is critical.

  Join some of the leading practitioners and academics for this important one day event, and learn more about how to build an effective subsidiary governance framework in your organization.

  Who should attend

  This one day conference will be of interest to you if you are a:

  • General counsel of a parent company  with subsidiaries
  • Legal counsel to a subsidiary entity
  • Compliance officer in a multi-entity organization
  • Executive on the board of a subsidiary company
  • Corporate secretary of a parent or subsidiary board
  • Comptroller or CFO responsible for inter-company transfers
  • Accountant responsible for tax planning
  • Internal or external auditor reviewing the internal controls of a multi-layered enterprise

  Click here for the event flyer.

  GPC Cancellation Policy

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• Foundations of Governance (EDT) - Two and Half day Course

  • Start
    27 Nov 2020
  •  
    8:00 AM (EST)
  • End
    29 Nov 2020
  •  
    12:00 PM (EST)
  • Location
    Toronto, WEBCAST

  Register

  The Foundations of Governance Course consists of two and a half days covering key areas of governance, which include: the role of the governance professional, director management, advising the board, board dynamics, effectiveness, culture, relationships and conflicts.

  Within each of these areas, practitioners in governance will take a thorough look at central elements of practice and how to navigate difficult situations, apply best practices and important tools in the day to day running of a governance office. This course is a comprehensive view of the key foundations and practice of governance, and essential for professionals both seasoned and new to the role. 

  Program:

  Day 1 - Core of Governance and the role of the governance professional

  This session sets out the expectations and growing role and responsibilities of the Governance Professional.  It will examine the legal commonalities and differences among various kinds of organizations and how they impact oversight, strategic and operational functions.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • What is a Governance Professional – Job description
  • The legal, regulatory and public policy basis of governance for not-for-profits, state-owned organizations, private and public corporations;
  • How the principles of accountability, transparency and independence can be practiced effectively in different organizational contexts;
  • Practical tools for developing effective governance practices under different organizational cultures
  • Legal Entities/structures (differences and similarities)
  • Duty of the corporate secretary
  • Director responsibilities, Mandate and fiduciary duties
  • Regulators and Laws
  • NFPs, Crowns, Co-ops, partnerships
  • Officers (role of CEO, Directors, CO), D&O Liability and Integrity agreements
  • Ethics, confidentiality , privacy, Conflicts of Interest, up-the-ladder reporting duties
  • Accountability, Transparency, Independence
  • Policy Management
  • Monitoring governance best practices sponsored by stakeholders

  Day 2 – Director Management – Driving Board Effectiveness throughout the Director Life Cycle

  The purpose of the session is to provide the tools for developing critical processes to enhance Board effectiveness from before directors join the Board, through their tenure and until they leave – with the objective of improving the Board’s decision-making processes

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  • The legal, regulatory and best practice requirements for key director processes
  • The role of the Governance Professional in supporting and encouraging good governance practices with regard to recruiting, orienting, education, evaluating and removing directors

  Board Committees Framework

  The purpose of this session is to provide information on the tools and framework for the purpose of committees, relationship to the board, roles and responsibilities, board delegation along with committee rights and authority.

  Participants will explore the following topics in depth:

  Committee focus and work

  • Types of Committees
  • Committee mandate template
  • Committee reporting process and template
  • Structuring the Committee

  Day 3 – Soft Skills – Managing and Influencing Board Dynamics, Culture, Relationships & Conflicts

  Boardroom dynamics have a significant yet largely unrecognized impact on good governance.  The governance professional has a critical role in supporting their board in fostering a more conducive boardroom culture by mastering the required soft skills to do so.

  Faculty:

  • Janis Riven, BCL, LLB, MBA, FCIS, Acc.Dir (bio)

  • Heather Laxton, Chief Governance Officer & Corporate Secretary, Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (bio)

  • John Dinner, President, John T. Dinner Board Governance Services (bio)

  Important Note:

  This Event is one of three courses that make up the full GPC-EP education program and which leads to the GPC.D (Governance Professionals of Canada Designation). 

  You have the option to register and attend this event without committing to the full Education program, however, you will not be eligible to the professional designation (GPC.D), unless you complete all 3 modules as well as their individual exams and the final evaluation. 
  

  Participants who are registered for the Education program (GPC-EP) will be required to write an exam after the completion of this module. 
  

  If you wish to enroll in the entire designation program to obtain the GPC.D designation (and save on the cost of the entire program), you can change your registration here: Education program on this link.

  
  Cancellation and Refund Policy:
  

  If canceling the program in its entirety outside of 2 months prior to taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $500. If canceling the program within 3 weeks of taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $1,000. If cancellation occurs during or after the first module has been started, there will be no further refunds. Companies or individuals may transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first course only or individuals may be able to transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first of the 3 courses only. All cancellations or transfer requests must be received by email to education@gpcanada.org.

  .

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• ESG and Climate Governance in the New Decade

  • When
    01 Mar 2021
  •  
    8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (PST)
  • Location
    Terminal City Club, 837 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 1B6

  Register

  UPDATE: As a result of the rapidly evolving situation and concerns surrounding the Covid-19 virus, we will be rescheduling our ESG and Climate Governance in the New Decade event. The rescheduled date is currently pending, but will likely be in March 2021. 

  March 1, 2021 has been set as a placeholder date, however, this date is NOT yet finalized. We hope to share more information and details as they become available.

  We apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused. 
  

  Trends, Best Practices and Insights on ESG, Sustainability and Climate Governance and the Role of the Board and Governance Professional

  The governance field of sustainability, corporate social responsibility and climate change is evolving rapidly and all organizations need to sit up and take notice of the key issues.

  Get up to speed in this one-day deep dive with global thought leaders, experts and practitioners representing the full ecosystem around the board and governance professionals, in Canada and internationally.

  This program features a full day of expert panels and discussion designed for executives and professionals of all levels and organizations, and will address the following:

  • What is ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) and Climate Governance and how does this relate to the board’s role?
  • What is rising to the board agenda? What new issues are boards facing and why? What can we expect in the coming decade?
  • What are the legal, investor and business cases driving boards to adopt best practices in ESG and climate governance and oversight?
  • What should sustainability practitioners, governance professionals and corporate directors know about ESG and Climate Governance?
  • What practices should competent boards have in place to build ESG and Climate Governance in their organizations from the perspective of directors and corporate secretaries?
  • How is the rest of the world responding? What are international developments and perspectives on ESG Governance and the implications for Canadian governance?
  • How are capital markets making use of ESG information and how does it affect investor decision-making?
  • What do governance professionals need to know about climate change governance?

  Click here for the event flyer.

  Who should attend:

  This session is appropriate for any governance professional, board member or leader who has (or would like to have) a key role vis a vis their board’s oversight and accountability of ESG and climate risks. It is also relevant for investors, owners, and professionals involved in sustainability, CSR, risk, strategy, investor relations, or capital markets who seek to better understand and be on top of this trend.

  Speaker line-up includes:

  • Kim Baird, Owner, Kim Baird Strategic Consulting
  • Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO & Founder, Competent Boards Inc.
  • Ravipal Bains, Associate, McMillan LLP
  • Stephanie Bertels, Director, Centre for Corporate Governance and SFU Beedie School of Business and Founder, Embedding Projects
  • Jamie Bonham, Director, Corporate Engagement, NEI Investments
  • Blythe Clark, Engagement & Stewardship Analyst, Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group Ltd.
  • Jennifer Coulson, Vice President, ESG, Public Markets, BCI
  • Roopa Davé, Partner, Sustainability Services, KPMG
    
  • Michelle De Cordova, Principal, ESG Global Advisors
  • Monika Freyman, Director of Investor Initiatives, CERES
  • Gary Hawton, Senior Director of Client Relations, Sustainalytics
  • Argiro Kotsalis, Vice President, Legal and Chief Governance Officer, Vancouver Airport Authority
  • Carol Liao, Assistant Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law, UBC Sauder Distinguished Scholar, Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, UBC Sauder School of Business, The University of British Columbia
    
  • Margie Parikh, Principal, On Governance Consulting, and Board Director
  • Ian Robertson, Vice President, Director, Portfolio Manager, Odlum Brown Limited and Chair of the Board, Responsible Investment Association
  • Shannon Rohan, Chief Strategy Officer, Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE)
  • Christie Stephenson, Executive Director, Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, UBC Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia
    
  • Coro Strandberg, President, Strandberg Consulting and GPC advisor on Sustainability Governance
  • Andrew Sweeney, Vice President & Portfolio Manager, PH&N Institutional, RBC Global Asset Management
  • Bob Walker, ICGN
  • ... and more!

  
  

  Event Sponsor:

  

  
  
  

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• Strategic Governance (Vancouver) - Two and Half day Course

  • Start
    05 Mar 2021
  •  
    8:00 AM (EST)
  • End
    07 Mar 2021
  •  
    12:00 PM (EST)
  • Location
    Coast Coal Harbour Vancouver Hotel by APA, 1180 W Hastings St. Vancouver, BC V6E4R5

  Register

  Day 1

  Risk and the Governance Professional

  The purpose of the session is to provide the introductory basics, with selected corresponding tools, to introduce the Governance Professional to two key elements of Risk Management:

  • Enterprise Risk Management- An introduction to the “Mechanics of ERM”
  • Commercial Insurance to protect the Organization and its Directors & Officers

   The role of the Governance Professional in Board Strategy

  • Governing Principles
  • Best Practices
  • Practical Tools
  • Implementation Skills

  Day 2
  

  CSR, Sustainability and ESG and the role of the Board

  • Governing Principles
  • Best Practices
  • Practical Tools
  • Implementation Skill

  Advanced Financial Fundamentals

  • Governing Principles
  • Best Practices
  • Practical Tools
  • Implementation Skills 
    

  Day 3

  Ethics
  

  • Governing Principles
  • Best Practices
  • Practical Tools
  • Implementation Skills 

  Cancellation and Refund Policy:

  If canceling the program in its entirety outside of 2 months prior to taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $500. If canceling the program within 3 weeks of taking your first course, the program fee will be refunded with a cancellation penalty of $1,000. If cancellation occurs during or after the first module has been started, there will be no further refunds. Companies or individuals may transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first course only or individuals may be able to transfer their registration to another individual only if cancellation occurs prior to taking the first of the 3 courses only. All cancellations or transfer requests must be received by email to education@gpcanada.org.

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