Canada’s Chartered Directors

The Directors College is pleased to present Canada’s Chartered Directors. The graduates listed below have completed The Chartered Director Program, an intensive individual examination, and have met the other requirements to become a Chartered Director (C.Dir.)

The Directors College and the Collège des administrateurs de sociétés (CAS) of Université Laval have a reciprocal agreement, whereby their respective designations – Chartered Director (C.Dir.) and Administrateur de sociétés certifié (ASC) are recognized as equivalent.

To see the ASC Graduates who also hold the Chartered Director designation please click here.

C.Dir. Graduates

Mr. John Cieslak, C.Dir.
Senior Vice President, National Bank of Canada


John B. Cieslak, C. Dir.

John Cieslak was appointed Senior Vice-President – Technology, Business Intelligence and Organizational Performance at National Bank on June 1, 2007. As such, he is responsible for the development of technological strategies for the National Bank Financial Group of companies.

In 2009 he also became responsible for Strategic Sourcing at National Bank Financial Group.

Before joining the Bank, Mr. Cieslak had served as Executive Vice President, Chief Information and Administration Officer of TSX Group from 2000 to 2007. In this capacity he led the technology team that powered Canada's two national stock exchanges which served the senior equity and public venture equity markets as well as NGX, a leading North American exchange for the trading and clearing of natural gas and electricity contracts. Mr. Cieslak was also responsible for all aspects of corporate communications, public and external affairs, brand management, and human resources at TSX Group. His innovative and forward-looking leadership was key in TSX Group's technological advancement and revenue opportunities. This expertise was instrumental in reshaping TSX Group from a not-for-profit to a for profit organization.

Previously, he had held the positions of Vice President, Information Technology Services and Director at National Bank Financial and senior management positions at First Marathon Securities and Burns Fry Limited.

Mr. Cieslak served as the Chair of the Toronto Stock Exchange Systems Committee from 1997 to 1998, is a member of the Canadian Depository for Securities (CDS) Governance and Human Resources Committee and Board of Directors. He was also previously a member of the Risk and Audit Committee of CDS, the Finance Committee of CDS, and was a member of the Canadian Capital Markets Association (CCMA) Board of Directors.

With over 25 years of experience in management positions in the technology and financial sectors, he is well known for his ability to deploy technological strategies aimed at improving organizational efficiency.

In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Cieslak is a member of the Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital Board of Directors and is the chair of the Information Technology Committee.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Western Ontario and is a Chartered Director having completed the Chartered Director Program at McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business.

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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