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

Ms. Patricia Hellingman, C.Dir.
President, Hellingman Communications


Patricia Hellingman is president of Hellingman Communications Inc., a public relations agency which provides strategic communications, advocacy and crisis management counsel to the boards and senior management of some of Canada's most respected corporations and not-for-profit organizations. Established in 1989, her firm has helped companies with communications responses to crises, land use planning issues, restructuring exercises and other corporate initiatives. She is experienced in working with various levels of government on regulatory and funding approvals, and on policy initiatives on behalf of the agency's clients. Prior to establishing her company, she was director of Public Relations at one of Canada's foremost teaching hospitals and previously worked as a newspaper, radio and television news reporter with the Toronto Star, CHCH-TV Hamilton and CHEX Radio and Television (Peterborough). Ms. Hellingman has a Bachelor of Applied Arts Degree (Journalism) from Ryerson University and has received professional accreditation from the Canadian Public Relations Society. She is a graduate of the McMaster University DeGroote School of Business/Conference Board of Canada Chartered Directors Program. Ms. Hellingman is a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Automobile Association - South Central Ontario, an organization with 1.6 million members and annual gross revenues of over $270 million. She is a member of the board's Strategic Planning and Investment Committees. She is past chair of one of its predecessor club's Governance and Nominating Committee (prior to the merger of three Ontario clubs to form the current club); and is also a former board member and chair of the Governance Committee of Balmer Architectural Mouldings Ltd., a private sixth-generation family business that manufactures and installs custom architectural moldings in exclusive estate homes, hotels and casinos - primarily in the U.S. Ms. Hellingman is a member of the Board of Directors of The Hamilton Club, a member of the Council of Governors of the YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington, the corporate fundraising chair for The Lung Association (Hamilton Office) and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. She is also a former president of the Hamilton chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society and a member of the society's national board. She was nominated Woman of the Year in Hamilton in 1989, and has achieved recognition in the communications profession through the receipt of numerous regional and national awards.

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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