The pace at which governance practices are moving has never been this fast. Governance professionals need to keep up with ever-changing expectations regarding diversity and inclusion, purpose, and climate from investors, management, the Board of Directors, stakeholders, customers, and the general public. Being fluent in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is no longer something that just brings added value to the company, but rather an imperative to thrive in the business world.

Join GPC and our line up of leading speakers to enhance your understanding of how governance practices have changed in the past year during this one-day conference. You will hear from Canadian and international thought leaders, experts, and practitioners in Indigenous, purpose, EDI, and climate governance, and learn how these topics are likely to evolve further in the years to come. This is your chance to keep up and keep ahead.

The program will explore the following themes:

INDIGENOUS GOVERNANCE:

Using an Indigenous lens, panelists will discuss multiple governance systems within Indigenous communities and organizations and how they evolved. The panelists will discuss questions like how can centering Indigenous governance help drive reconciliation? What can we learn from Indigenous governance systems and practices? How can we be active supporters of Indigenous communities in the context of governance?

PURPOSE GOVERNANCE:

Purpose governance is gaining support from businesses in various industries as investors, customers and stakeholders expect corporations to create value beyond profit. Purpose governance will be explored from the investor, director, and corporate secretary perspective. How can purpose governance help address society’s challenges and foster the long-term viability of a corporation? What should boards pay attention to in purpose governance? How do boards govern with purpose and how do governance professionals help them?

EDI GOVERNANCE:

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) governance is about more than just having a diverse board. It encompasses how diversity can enhance board governance and organizational performance. Panelists will discuss: how can EDI governance be fully integrated at the boardroom table? How can you use diversity to power decision-making? How has EDI governance changed in the past year and what lies ahead?

CLIMATE GOVERNANCE:

With extreme weather disrupting operations, communities and supply chains, and in a post-COP26 world that includes the new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and growing climate-related disclosure requirements, companies and boards are under pressure to rewire their organizations to act on the climate emergency. A group of experts and practitioners will discuss how to add climate governance to the board agenda and the legal necessity of doing it. They will address questions like: how is climate affecting the fiduciary duties of corporate directors? How do we get to net-zero from a board standpoint? What is the role of a governance professional at the boardroom table in a context of a climate emergency?

 AGENDA

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
GOVERNANCE REDEFINED: THE ROLE OF PURPOSE, SUSTAINABILITYAND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE MODERN BOARDROOM

Dr. Hurth will challenge the old orthodoxy of corporate governance with fresh insights into the emerging governance narrative around purpose, sustainability and stake holders. She will share her first-hand account of developing the world’s first governance standard, ISO 37000, and the central role that purpose plays within it. Dr. Hurth has unparalleled knowledge of global trends in purpose, ESG and stakeholder governance and you will come away equipped to bring these ideas to your own organization.

Dr. Victoria Hurth,
Global Expert and Thought Leader in Sustainability, ESG, and Purpose Governance Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Fellow. Convenor of ISO 37000, the first global governance standard

THOUGHT LEADER PANEL RETURNS:
WHAT IF THE FUTURE IS NOW? PREPARING YOUR BOARDROOM TO FACE ESG CHALLENGES

This session will provide an overview of the dramatic changes in the past year as ESG standards and expectations for boards have evolved. Gain insights into the legal, investor and governance trends driving boards to adopt best practices in ESG.

Moderator: 
Coro Strandberg, President, Strandberg Consulting and GPC advisor on Sustainability Governance 

Panel:
Carol Liao, Associate Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia;  Christie Stephenson, Executive Director, Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business; Ian Robertson, Vice President, Director, Portfolio Manager, Odlum Brown Limited

INDIGENOUS GOVERNANCE PANEL:
FROM WORDS TO ACTION: INDIGENOUS RIGHTS, RECONCILIATION AND LEARNING FROM INDIGENOUS GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS

Using an Indigenous lens, panelists will discuss multiple governance systems within Indigenous communities and organizations and how they evolved. The panelists will discuss questions like how can centering Indigenous governance help drivere conciliation? What can we learn from Indigenous governance systems and practices? How can we be active supporters of Indigenous communities in the context of governance?

Moderator: 
Shannon Rohan, Chief Strategy Officer, Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) 

Panel:
Geordie Hungerford, Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Financial Management Board; Mark Podlasly, Director, Economic Policy and Initiatives, First Nations Major Project Coalition; Kody Penner, Director, Tahltan Nation Development Corporation

PURPOSE GOVERNANCE PANEL:
USING PURPOSE GOVERNANCE AS A COMPASS FOR YOUR CORPORATION

Purpose governance is gaining support from businesses in various industries as investors, customers and stakeholders expect corporations to create value beyond profit. Purpose governance will be explored from the investor, director, and corporate secretary perspective. How can purpose governance help address society’s challenges and foster the long-term viability of a corporation? What should boards pay attention to in purpose governance? How do boards govern with purpose and how do governance professionals help them?

Moderator: 
Stephanie Bertels, Director, Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability, SFU Beedie School of Business and Founder, Embedding Project 

Panel:
Kulvir Gill, Board Member, Canada Nickel Company; David Rutherford, VP Communications and Corporate Sustainability, Aviso Wealth; Lisa Skakun, Chief Legal, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs Officer, Coast Capital

EDI GOVERNANCE PANEL:
HOW TO EMBED EDI GOVERNANCE AND GO FROM A “NICE TO HAVE” TO A PRE-REQUISITE TO A THRIVING BOARDROOM

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) governance is about more than just having a diverse board. It encompasses how diversity can enhance board governance and organizational performance. Panelists will discuss: how can EDI governance be fully integrated at the boardroom table? How can you use diversity to power decision-making? How has EDI governance changed in the past year and what lies ahead?

Moderator: 
Shona McGlashan, Governance Advisor, Office of the CEO, Vancity Credit Union 


Panel:
Lisa Edwards, President & Chief Operating Officer, Diligent; Vanessa Geary, Senior Executive Lead, Crown Agencies and Board Resourcing Office, Government of British Columbia; Laurie Sterritt, Partner, Leaders International Executive Search

CLIMATE GOVERNANCE PANEL:
WE ARE IN A CLIMATE EMERGENCY. NOW WHAT? HOW CAN YOU,YOUR BOARD AND ORGANIZATION BE MORE PROACTIVE?

With extreme weather disrupting operations, communities and supply chains, and in a post-COP26 world that includes the new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and growing climate-related disclosure requirements ,companies and boards are under pressure to rewire their organizations to act on the climate emergency. A group of experts and practitioners will discuss how to add climate governance to the board agenda and the legal necessity of doing it. They will address questions like: how is climate affecting the fiduciary duties of corporate directors? How do we get to net-zero from a board standpoint?

Moderator: 
Juvarya Veltkamp, Director, Canada Climate Law Initiative

Panel:
Carol Hansell, Senior Partner, Hansell LLP; Annalisa King, Chair of the Board,Vancouver Airport Authority;
Pierre Matuszewski, Director, Export Development Canada

Keynote Speaker:

 


DR. VICTORIA HURTH
Global Expert and Thought Leader in Sustainability, ESG, and
Purpose Governance Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Fellow.
Convenor of ISO 37000, the first global governance standard

Speaker Line-up:


STEPHANIE BERTELS
Director, Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability, SFU Beedie School of Business and Founder, Embedding Project


LISA EDWARDS
President and Chief Operating Officer, Diligent


VANESSA GEARY
Senior Executive Lead, Crown Agencies and Board Resourcing Office, Government of British Columbia


CAROL HANSELL
Senior Partner, Hansell LLP


GEORDIE HUNGERFORD
Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Financial Management Board


ANNALISA KING
Chair of The Board, Vancouver Airport Authority


CAROL LIAO
Associate 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

 


PIERRE MATUSZEWSKI
Director, Export Development Canada

 


SHONA MCGLASHAN
Governance Advisor, Office of the CEO, Vancity Credit Union


KODY PENNER
Director, Tahltan Nation Development Corporation


MARK PODLASLY
Director, Economic Policy and Initiatives, First Nations Major Project Coalition


IAN ROBERTSON
Vice President, Director, Portfolio Manager, Odlum Brown Limited


SHANNON ROHAN
Chief Strategy Officer, Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE)


DAVID RUTHERFORD
VP, Communications and Corporate Sustainability, Aviso Wealth


KULVIR SINGH GILL
Board Member, Canada Nickel Company


LISA SKAKUN
Chief Legal, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs Officer, Coast Capital


CHRISTIE STEPHENSON
Executive Director, Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics, UBC Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia


LAURIE STERRITT
Partner, Leaders International Executive Search


CORO STRANDBERG
President, Strandberg Consulting and GPC advisor on Sustainability Governance


JUVARYA VELTKAMP
Director, Canada Climate Law Initiative

SPECIAL THANKS
GPC EXTENDS A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR EVENT COMMITTEE:

  • IAN ROBERTSON, Vice President, Director, Portfolio Manager, Odlum Brown Limited
  • 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
  • SONIA LI TROTTIER, Communications Manager, Canada Climate Law Initiative
  • JUVARYA VELTKAMP, Director, Canada Climate Law Initiative
  • REBECCA ZENTNER-BARRETT, Senior Associate, ESG Global Advisors Inc.

EVENT SPONSOR:

 

EVENT PARTNERS:

    





Governance Voice is the official podcast platform of Governance Professionals of Canada and provides a view on critical insights, news, trends, and challenges in the ever-evolving world of corporate governance. This monthly podcast hosts compelling conversations and information on governance with leading experts.