The Directors College Faculty

Our faculty of professionals, corporate directors and academics covers the full range of governance, accounting, law, regulations and human dynamics. Modules are delivered through a combination of lectures, interactive working sessions and case studies.

Faculty Directory

Mr. John Caldwell
Former President and Chief Executive Officer, SMTC Corporation


Mr. John Edward Caldwell, B. Comm, CA served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of SMTC Corp. from October 2003 to April 1, 2011. Mr. Caldwell served as the Chief Executive Officer of Htm Holdings Inc., SMTC Manufacturing Corporation Of Canada, SMTC De Chihuahua S A De C V, SMTC Nova Scotia Company, SMTC Manufacturing Corporation Of California, SMTC Mex Holdings Inc., SMTC Manufacturing Corporation Of Massachusetts And Radio Components De Mexico S A De C V. until April 1, 2011.

He served as a Consultant to GEAC Computer Corporation Limited from December 2001 to October 2002 and President and Chief Executive Officer of GEAC, from October 2000 to December 2001. He served as Private Investor from October 1999 to October 2000 and President & Chief Executive Officer of CAE Inc., from June 1993 to October 1999.

In addition, Mr. Caldwell served in a variety of senior executive positions in finance, including Senior Vice President of Finance and Corporate Affairs of CAE and Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration of Carling O'Keefe Breweries of Canada. Mr. Caldwell served as Chief Executive Officer and President of SmartStream Technologies Limited. He served as an Interim Chief Executive Officer and Interim President of SMTC Corp. since October 16, 2003. He served as Chairman of the Board of SMTC Corp. from March 2004 to August 2005. He has been a Director of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. since October 25, 2006. Mr. Caldwell has been a Director of Faro Technologies, Inc., a producer of three dimensional manufacturing measurement systems, since 2002 and of IAMGOLD Corporation, a mid-tier gold producer, since 2006. Mr. Caldwell served as Director of SMTC Corp. since March 2003. He served as a Director of Stelco Inc. from 1997 to 2006. Mr. Caldwell served as Director of SMTC Canada of SMTC Corp. He served as an Independent Director of Cognos Inc. from 2000 to 2008. He served as Director of Mosaic Group Inc. He served as a Director of U.S. Steel Canada Inc. since 1997, Rothmans, Inc. from 2004 to September 2008; ATI Technologies ULC(formerly ATI Technologies, Inc.) from October 2003 to 2006 and Sleeman Breweries Ltd. from February 16, 2004 to 2005.

For several years, Mr. Caldwell has been a lecturer on board oversight responsibility for enterprise risk as part of an accredited board of director education program through McMaster University in Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Carleton University. Mr. Caldwell is a Chartered Accountant from The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

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What our graduates say?

“I thought the entire program was very well developed and comprehensive. You never know what to expect when you sign-up for these programs and this exceeded my expectations and was a great learning opportunity.”

James Scongack, Head of Corporate Affairs, Bruce Power LP

“I found the Chartered Director Program to be an excellent forum to understand how strong governance complements effective management. The ability to create and execute an effective strategy is significantly enhanced by a robust process inclusive of board engagement where the right questions are asked and expected outcomes are identified. I truly enjoyed the setting which fostered a strong level of interaction that was supported by quality presentations and material. As CEO of a Shared Service Organization set to deliver benefits to its members, I see the advantage of having a number of our board members participating in this program.”

Tony Di Emanuele, MBA, C.Dir., President and CEO, Mohawk Shared Services

“I found the Directors College to be an excellent survey of the important matters of which a director must be aware in today’s corporate environment. The quality of the presentation and materials was first-rate and the perspectives gained were invaluable. I would highly recommend the Directors College.”

The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., C.Dir., Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister

“The changes that impact corporate governance are establishing a pattern of increased accountability for the delivery of long-term value to customers, shareholders, employees and society. Proper corporate governance is now being defined to include knowledge of critical elements such as risk management and the measurement of strategic performance. At the end of the day, each board will be judged on its ability to effectively deliver value, rather than on its structure. The Directors College innovative program fills a unique and important gap in providing knowledge and insight as to how this expectation can be met. CMA Canada is pleased to be a sponsor of this timely initiative.”

Steve Vieweg, C.Dir., Director, Executive Development, I.H. Asper School of Business – University of Manitoba

“As an organization focused on educating corporate secretaries, the ICSA believes in furthering the potential of board members to better contribute to building effective governance structures. Given the key role of directors and corporate secretaries in applying proper boardroom practices, corporations need to ensure that these individuals meet a professional standard. The Directors College curriculum covers all the formal regulatory issues for directors and also addresses the informal skills of building effective and appropriate relationships with senior management. We see significant benefits to this program and ICSA is pleased to endorse it.”

Lynn Beauregard, Executive Director, Chartered Secretaries Canada

“The Directors College has developed a director education program which goes well beyond the fundamentals to address the structures and the behavioural components of principle-based governance. I am proud to be associated with the Directors College and I am honoured to lend my name to the College’s graduate award. ”

Gilbert Bennett, Director and Recently-Retired Chairman of the Board, Canadian Tire Corporation Limited

“Our strategy is to raise the horizons and potential of directors by deepening and enriching their knowledge and application of advanced skills. Increasing the effectiveness of existing directors and broadening the pool of potential directors will contribute to the professionalism of boards across Canada.”

David Beatty, Managing Director, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance