Governance, investment, and sustainability professionals need to lead the way on the ESG journey. This requires understanding the next cutting-edge ESG topics to better guide boards of directors and management. It can be difficult to know where to begin prioritising in the face of economic volatility, climate change, biodiversity loss, health risks, geopolitical conflicts, inequality, and human capital crisis.

Join the Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC) and our esteemed speakers to overcome your blind spots and get a boardroom map on the next ESG trends. You will hear from Canadian and international business leaders, experts, and practitioners in purpose, Indigenous, climate, and stakeholder governance, and learn from speakers who put the ESG theory into action to create value, manage risks, and enhance your organization’s positive outputs.

CLIMATE & BIODIVERSITY GOVERNANCE:

While there is a consensus climate risk is a material financial risk for almost all industries and economies, biodiversity loss as a material financial risk is slowly getting more attention from investors, corporations, and governments. The panelists will discuss how climate and biodiversity risk are essential to consider, not only the path to net-zero but also in how businesses operate and investors allocate capital. They will address questions like: how are climate and biodiversity risks affecting the way boards oversee the company’s risks? How can boards ensure these risks are addressed in strategy? What can governance professionals do at the boardroom table to enhance the understanding and treatment of these issues at the board level?

STAKEHOLDER GOVERNANCE:

Organizations do not operate in vacuums. They are working with investors, employees, customers, partners, and such to create value. Collaboration is key to not only generate profits for shareholders but to create value for and be valued by stakeholders. The panelists will discuss stakeholder capitalism and explore questions like: what is the role of the board in stakeholder capitalism? How does creating value for all stakeholders that goes beyond shareholders work in board practice? What is the board’s role in oversight of stakeholder relations as separate from management’s role in engaging stakeholders?

PURPOSE GOVERNANCE:

Organizations are transitioning from a profit and shareholder wealth perspective to a purpose perspective that is baked into the organization. How do we get there and who should drive forward that conversation? What is the role for the board of directors and governance professionals? What does purpose even mean for your organization? The speakers will address these questions, expanding on how boards have been thinking about and leading with purpose, and how they are transforming their words into action.

INDIGENOUS GOVERNANCE:

Organizations have the opportunity go beyond a consultation approach to working with Indigenous leaders by making space for Indigenous voices and knowledge in their boards and management. The speakers will discuss opportunities for Indigenous perspectives in organizational oversight.

 AGENDA

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
The future of Canadian governance: How should boards evolve to meet rising expectations?

Rahul Bhardwaj, President and CEO of the Institute of Corporate Directors, Canada’s largest director community with over 16,500 members, will provide an inside look into the changing terrain of ESG Governance from the Director perspective. A co-chair of the director committee that drafted the ground-breaking report “Charting the Future of Canadian Governance: A Principled Approach to Navigating Rising Expectations for Boards of Directors”, he will share key findings of the report, including ESG, Stakeholder and Purpose. You will learn what’s new, what’s different, and what are directors thinking about these topics. This will help you prepare your board for the future of governance.

Rahul Bhardwaj,
President and CEO, Institute of Corporate Directors

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; Michael Jantzi, ISSB Member, IFRS Foundation;  Barbara Stymiest, Corporate Director at George Weston Ltd., President’s Choice Bank, and Sun Life Financial

CLIMATE & BIODIVERSITY GOVERNANCE PANEL:
Climate and biodiversity risk on the path to net-zero

While there is a consensus climate risk is a material financial risk for almost all industries and economies, biodiversity loss as a material financial risk is slowly getting more attention from investors, corporations, and governments. The panelists will discuss how climate and biodiversity risk are essential to consider, not only the path to net-zero but also in how businesses operate and investors allocate capital. They will address questions like: how are climate and biodiversity risks affecting the way boards oversee the company’s risks? How can boards ensure these risks are addressed in strategy? What can governance professionals do at the boardroom table to enhance the understanding and treatment of these issues at the board level?

Moderator:
Liane Langstaff, Associate, Gowling WLG;

Panel:
Kiran Sehra, Biodiversity Analyst, Aviva; Ridhima Nayyar, AVP, Sustainability, RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust; Zaneta Sedilekova, Associate, Biodiversity and Climate Risk Director, Clyde & Co

STAKEHOLDER GOVERNANCE PANEL:
Serving the interest of all with stakeholder capitalism

Organizations do not operate in vacuums. They are working with investors, employees, customers, partners, and such to create value. Collaboration is key to not only generate profits for shareholders but to create value for and be valued by stakeholders. The panelists will discuss stakeholder capitalism and explore questions like: what is the role of the board in stakeholder capitalism? How does creating value for all stakeholders that goes beyond shareholders work in board practice? What is the board’s role in oversight of stakeholder relations as separate from management’s role in engaging stakeholders?

Moderator:
Dustyn Lanz, Senior Advisor, ESG Global Advisors

Panel:
Suzanne Hathaway, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Communications and Corporate Secretary, Maple Leaf Foods; Rosa van den Beemt, Director, Stewardship, Responsible Investment, BMO Global Asset Management; Peter ter Weeme, Chief Social Purpose Officer and VP, Player Experience, BCLC;  

PURPOSE GOVERNANCE PANEL:
Governing with purpose

Organizations are transitioning from a profit and shareholder wealth perspective to a purpose perspective that is baked into the organization. How do we get there and who should drive forward that conversation? What is the role for the board of directors and governance professionals? What does purpose even mean for your organization? The speakers will address these questions, expanding on how boards have been thinking about and leading with purpose, and how they are transforming their words into action.

Moderator: 
David Rutherford, VP Communications and Corporate Sustainability, Aviso Wealth

Panel:
Monic Pratch, Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Sustainability FortisBC; Milla Craig, President & CEO, Millani Inc.; Maureen Young, Vice President, Social Purpose, Coast Capital Savings

Session Sponsor:

INDIGENOUS GOVERNANCE PANEL:
Beyond a partnership approach: Indigenous knowledge at the board

Organizations have the opportunity go beyond a consultation approach to working with Indigenous leaders by making space for Indigenous voices and knowledge in their boards and management. The speakers will discuss opportunities for Indigenous perspectives in organizational oversight.

Panel:
Helen Bobiwash, Corporate Director and Accountant, FCPA, FCMA, CAFM; 
Carol Danielson, Board Chair, Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC);  Mark Sevestre, Founding Member and Senior Advisor, National Aboriginal Trust Officers Association (NATOA)
 

Keynote Speaker:

 


RAHUL BHARDWAJ
President and CEO, Institute of Corporate Directors

Speaker Line-up:


HELEN BOBIWASH
Corporate Director and Accountant, FCPA, FCMA, CAFM;


MILLA CRAIG
President & CEO, Millani Inc


CAROL DANIELSON
Board Chair, Tahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC)


SUZANNE HATHAWAY
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Communications and Corporate Secretary, Maple Leaf Foods


MICHAEL JANTZI
 ISSB Member, IFRS Foundation


LIANE LANGSTAFF
Associate, Gowling WLG


DUSTYN LANZ
Senior Advisor, ESG Global Advisors


CAROL LIAO
Associate Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia


RIDHIMA NAYYAR
AVP, Sustainability, RioCan Real Estate Investment


MONIC PRATCH
Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Sustainability FortisBC;


DAVID RUTHERFORD
VP Communications and Corporate Sustainability, Aviso Wealth


ZANETA SEDILEKOV
Associate, Biodiversity and Climate Risk Director, Clyde & Co


MARK SEVESTRE
Founding Member and Senior Advisor, National Aboriginal Trust Officers Association (NATOA)


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


 KIRAN SEHRA
Biodiversity Analyst, Aviva


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


BARBARA STYMIEST
Corporate Director at George Weston Ltd., President’s Choice Bank, and Sun Life Financial


ROSA VAN DEN BEEMT
Director, Stewardship, Responsible Investment, BMO Global Asset Management


PETER TER WEEME
 Chief Social Purpose Officer and VP, Player Experience, BCLC


MAUREEN YOUNG
Vice President, Social Purpose, Coast Capital Savings


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

  • CAROL LIAO, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Business Law, UBC Peter A. Allard School of Law
  • MELISSA REICHWAGE, Communications Manager, Canada Climate Law Initiative
  • 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, Conference Moderator, President, Strandberg Consulting and GPC advisor on Sustainability Governance
  • SONIA LI TROTTIER, Communications Manager, Canada Climate Law Initiative
  • REBECCA ZENTNER-BARRETT, Senior Associate, ESG Global Advisors Inc.

EVENT SPONSOR:

 

EVENT PARTNERS:



 

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