Insights

How can we achieve greater diversity at the board level? Read the insights of five highly accomplished Directors College alumni: Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta, David Tsubouchi, Baltej Dhillon, Harold Tarbell, and Margie Parikh.

Andy Poprawa, Jeff Lehman, and Nancy Lum-Wilson are all former recipients of the Gil Bennett Award - an annual award given to graduates who demonstrated a dedication to raising the bar for corporate governance throughout their tenure in the program. All three alumni provided keen insights into how corporate governance education has helped them in their respective fields - politics, health, and finance.

Taking a deeper look at modules 4 and 5 and their truly unique blend of lectures, case studies and business simulations that allow participant to put their leaning into practice are John Dalla Costa and Bob Willard, along with board simulators Marvin Ryder and Isabel Meharry and facilitator Peter Gardiner-Harding.

Dr. Michael Hartmann reflects on the early days of the Chartered Directors Program (C.Dir) and how the program’s remarkable 20-year legacy is closely tied to its original 5-module design with its emphasis on relevant content, engaging delivery, and the need for “open space” to take an occasional risk or two with the founding principal and module 1 to 3 faculty.

2023 marks the 20-year anniversary of The Directors College, Chartered Director program (C.Dir.), and the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), Director Education Programs. Our Principal, Dr. Michael Hartmann, reflects on how these bold initiatives have helped shape Canada’s corporate governance landscape and impacted its program founders, past and present program faculty, and alumni.

The Directors College welcomed author and global expert on collaboration processes and 2022 Social Innovator of the Year, Adam Kahane, for a webinar focused on transformative facilitation, a structured approach for addressing complex and problematic situations, and how to work with your board to remove obstacles, bridge differences, and move forward.

On April 11, Principal of The Directors College, Michael Hartmann welcomed former Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May to Module 4 for a conversation about climate change and how leaders need to think differently in order to lead their organizations through the threat of environmental change.

Guest panelist Mike Steep, Executive Director, The Disruptive Technologies and Digital Cities (DTDC) Program, Stanford University Global Projects Center for a conversation with Michael Hartmann, Principal of The Directors College to explore the acceleration of disruptive technologies, the ensuing opportunities and risks, and key impacts to business leaders and board directors.

Accelerated by COVID-19, more organizations are discovering and defining the purpose of their organizations, to steer and navigate through turbulent times and unlock greater social and business value. There is also growing demand among investors, employees, and customers that they do so. This report addresses these issues and sets them in context.

The Directors College was pleased to celebrate its Chartered Director program graduates and recognize their achievement at the virtual 2021 Annual Graduation & Alumni Event on October 6.