Resources2023-02-01T13:25:04+00:00
1803, 2024

Alliance Advisors Releases 2024 Proxy Season Preview

By |March 18th, 2024|Publications|0 Comments

Our National Strategic Partner, Alliance Advisors, just released their 2024 Proxy Season Preview, which offers an analysis of what board members can expect this spring. As Alliance Advisors Senior Vice President Shirley Westcott outlines in the report, the 2024 proxy season is expected to be tumultuous. Against the backdrop of the upcoming U.S. presidential election and heightened economic uncertainty, we will see the environmental, social and governance (ESG) debate play out at annual meetings and in courtrooms, state houses and the halls of Congress. Notwithstanding a two-year decline in average support for their initiatives, shareholder proponents remain undeterred in filing another onslaught of resolutions, which reached nearly 1,000 last year, of which nearly two-thirds involved environmental and social (E&S) issues. To date, over 660 filings have been publicized with an emphasis on election spending, climate change, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The preview notes key developments to watch [...]

1203, 2024

CBC: Equality in the boardroom? Not any time soon, says Canadian Chamber of Commerce

By |March 12th, 2024|News|0 Comments

According to a report released this week by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, progress towards gender parity in the boardroom remains slow in Canada. While the proportion of women on boards is increasing, the data shows just 21% of board directors were women in 2020 compared to 18% in 2016. The report, which analyzed Statistics Canada data on publicly-traded corporations, highlighted outdated corporate culture and poor recruitment and retention practices as reasons for why women often struggle to move beyond middle management to board positions. CBC reported on the issue as part of their coverage of an International Women's Day panel at Empire Club of Canada in Toronto, which featured WGOB Founder & CEO Dr. Deborah Rosati as a moderator. In the story, Deborah told CBC that she remains optimistic about gender equity on Canadian boards. "We're about helping women be more confident and have more courage to lead and serve [...]

503, 2024

Women on Boards and Beyond: 2023

By |March 5th, 2024|Publications|0 Comments

MSCI just published their annual Women on Boards and Beyond report, which highlights trends across markets and sectors for large- and mid-cap companies and provides an overview of the state of diversity on boards and in other corporate leadership roles. While this year's report reveals continued progress on diversity, it also shows that the progress is moving at a slower pace than past years. The highlights: Women held 25.8% of board seats at large- and mid-cap companies in 2023, up just from 24.5% in 2022. Only 9.1% of board-chair roles were held by women. Although still very low, this percentage has more than doubled since 2019. Boards were more diverse than executive suites, both in terms of gender and ethnicity. Gender diversity was greater than ethnic and racial diversity for both boards and executives, according to the limited U.K. and U.S. data available in this area. CEO positions remained male [...]

1402, 2024

What Board Directors Should Know About Global Trends in Pay for Performance in 2024

By |February 14th, 2024|Event Blog|0 Comments

As a board leader, how much do you know about global trends in pay for performance? Board directors often understand the conventions for compensation design in their own country but may be less familiar with the varying trends around the world. Understanding differing approaches to compensation can be a helpful exercise that inspires innovative decision making in the boardroom. To dig into this topic in depth, Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) hosted a virtual discussion on January 24, sponsored by Southlea Group, as part of the WGOB Speaker Series. Leveraging Southlea's role in the Global Governance and Executive Compensation and Governance Group (GECN), the event explored a range of pay considerations from around the world and their implications on compensation plan design. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, GCB.D, CCB.D, Corporate Director and WGOB Founder and CEO, introduced Amanda Voegeli, President & Managing Partner, Southlea Group and Ryan Resch, [...]

102, 2024

Catherine Clark and Deborah Rosati Talk Women in the Boardroom on The Honest Talk Podcast

By |February 1st, 2024|Podcasts|0 Comments

WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati joined Catherine Clark on the The Honest Talk podcast to discuss social purpose, gender parity in the boardroom, and the importance of getting more women on corporate boards. During the conversation, they also discussed the new collaboration between the two organizations, which focuses on promoting resources that empower women with the tools they need to take their seats in the boardroom. The Honest Talk platform, which also includes an RBC-sponsored podcast named one of the leading podcasts for women in Canada, features original content written by and for women and is updated daily with national and international news that inspires, informs, and supports women. Watch the conversation now: The Honest Talk & Women Get On Board

1701, 2024

The Honest Talk and Women Get On Board Announce Collaboration

By |January 17th, 2024|News|1 Comment

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is pleased to announce a new collaboration with The Honest Talk, a groundbreaking new digital platform for women. Together, the two organizations will promote resources that help empower women with the tools they need to take their seats in the boardroom. The Honest Talk platform features original content written by and for women and is updated daily with national and international news that inspires, informs, and supports women. “The purpose of our site is not just to share interesting information that’s relevant to women, but to provide our readers with tangible assets that they can use to improve their lives and further their careers,” says Catherine Clark, Co-Founder of The Honest Talk. “This collaboration allows us to do that.” Read the full press release: The Honest Talk and Women Get On Board collaborate to amplify women’s voices in the boardroom

1701, 2024

KPMG releases On the 2024 Audit Committee Agenda report

By |January 17th, 2024|Publications|0 Comments

The business and risk environment has changed rapidly over the past year, with greater geopolitical instability, surging inflation, high interest rates, and unprecedented levels of disruption. In response, audit committees can expect their company's financial reporting, compliance, risk, and internal control environment to be put to the test by an array of challenges. In their new report, KPMG draws on insights from their interactions with audit committees and business leaders to highlight eight issues to keep in mind as audit committees consider and carry out their 2024 agendas. Read the full report for their analysis: On the 2024 Audit Committee Agenda

2012, 2023

2024 Global Trends in ESG Incentives: Entering the Next Phase of Maturity

By |December 20th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

As ESG advances as a corporate and even regulatory topic, how is this affecting pay practices? What specific choices on targets and metrics are companies making? This year’s seventh annual research report by the Global Governance and Executive Compensation (GECN) Group analyzes trends across regions and industries to provide timely insights and data useful for corporate decision-makers as they design their ESG and compensation strategies. Read the report: 2024 Global Trends in ESG Incentives

2012, 2023

Institute of Corporate Directors’ Human Resources Committee Toolkit

By |December 20th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

The role of the Human Resources Committee (HRC) continues to evolve and become more complex. The decisions that are made are highly scrutinized and send important signals to stakeholders about the company’s strategy and priorities. Given these challenges, our National Strategic Partner Southlea Group worked with the Institute of Corporate Directors to provide a toolkit and reference guide to reinforcing an effective HRC. The toolkit provides an overview of the issues, various tools and templates to support the process, and 13 questions that the HRC can consider to align their programs in the best interests of the organization. Download the toolkit: Institute of Corporate Directors’ Human Resources Committee Toolkit

712, 2023

Modern Governance: The Future of Board Committees

By |December 7th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Our Affiliate Partners, Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC) and Best in Governance Inc. (BIG), have just released their Future of Board Committees report, which explores the landscape of contemporary governance, focusing on the evolution of board committees, changing boardroom practices, and the influences of emerging trends on governance structures. Leveraging expertise from over 200 governance professionals, directors, industry academic associations and regulatory and legislative bodies, the report examines the future of modern governance, including modern board committees, evolving boardroom practices, and the impacts of emerging trends in governance structures. Download the report: Modern Governance: The Future of Board Committees

512, 2023

CPA Canada Releases the Second Edition of CPAs on Board

By |December 5th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Our Affiliate Partner, CPA Canada, recently released the second edition of CPAs on Board, their report on the composition of board and audit committees in Canada. In their research, they examined the involvement of CPAs on boards and audit committees at 754 Canadian publicly traded companies (from the S&P/TSX Composite Index). Using data-driven insights, the report provides a snapshot of the current state of CPAs in corporate governance roles and a comparison of the results from the first edition. Download the full report: CPAs on Board

112, 2023

Why Board Diversity Matters for Public Companies in Canada

By |December 1st, 2023|Event Blog|0 Comments

In recent years, significant strides have been made to improve board diversity in public companies in Canada. However, as many board leaders will attest, there is still a long way to go to reach gender parity in Canadian boardrooms. The 2023 Diversity Disclosure Practices Report from Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP reflects this reality. Their ninth annual comprehensive report, which covers diversity disclosures by TSX-listed companies and CBCA corporations subject to disclosure requirements, analyzes year-over-year trends across various industries, spotlighting success stories and areas of opportunity. To examine the report in detail, Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) hosted a virtual Speaker Series event on November 21, 2023 titled Board Diversity Matters. The event included an analysis of the highlights from the Osler 2023 Diversity Disclosure Practices Report, followed by a panel discussion on the topic featuring leading and serving corporate directors. The state of board diversity in 2023 [...]

2011, 2023

Helle Bank Jørgensen in Board Agenda

By |November 20th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Don't miss the recent article in Board Agenda profiling Helle Bank Jørgensen, CEO & Founder of our Affiliate Partner, Competent Boards. In the interview, she discusses governance, ESG, and how board directors can become stewards of the future. She also speaks about the recent US backlash against ESG, and why she remains optimistic that companies are working towards sustainability. Read the article: Helle Bank Jørgensen on governance, ESG and how board directors can become stewards of the future

611, 2023

The Modern Board Director: Three critical competencies to navigate an evolving financial services landscape

By |November 6th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

How can financial services board directors prepare for the unprecedented leadership challenges ahead? In a new report from Massey Henry, The Modern Board Director: Three critical competencies to navigate an evolving financial services landscape, Managing Partner Michael Henry examines: How incumbent and prospective directors can prepare for the unprecedented leadership challenges ahead Three critical competencies that are essential for directors to be effective in the workforce of the future The role of psychometric testing and behavioural interviewing in assessing these critical competencies The report also features commentary from Vivian Abdelmessih, Chair of the Board of Directors at Export Development Canada. Download the report: The Modern Board Director: Three critical competencies to navigate an evolving financial services landscape

111, 2023

Creating the Board’s AI Workplan

By |November 1st, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Regardless of what industry you're in, it's clear that board leaders need to start a conversation about AI to plan for our collective futures. However, as Scott Baldwin explains in a new piece for DirectorPrep.com, many boards today aren’t yet seeing AI as an important education topic for their meetings or board retreats. The article explores why boards should be putting AI on the agenda and explains how board members can help create the conditions for their boards to begin to understand how to participate in the AI conversation. Read the full article: Creating the Board's AI Workplan

2710, 2023

How Board Members Can Foster a Culture of Allyship

By |October 27th, 2023|Event Blog|0 Comments

Allyship is considered a leading strategy for supporting diversity and ensuring a culture of inclusion within an organization. But as a board member, how do you foster a culture of allyship within the organizations you oversee? That’s the question speakers explored during Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB)’s recent virtual event on allyship, sponsored by BMO. During the event, business and board leaders discussed how to be an ally, build allies and promote a culture of allyship. Deborah Rosati, Founder & CEO of WGOB, opened the conversation, and Steven Jensen, Head of Diversified Industries, Corporate Finance, BMO Commercial Bank, introduced the speakers: Gavriella Schuster, Board Executive and DEI Advocate Glenn Keeling, Executive Chair, Alliance Advisors Andrew Hung, Senior Vice President & Head, Mid Market, BMO Commercial Bank To introduce the topic, Gavriella provided an overview of what allyship means and how allies can support their colleagues. Gavriella has worked [...]

2010, 2023

Why sustainability plays a key role in shaping the future of boardrooms

By |October 20th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

In their first white paper on the future of the boardroom, Competent Boards shares results from their recent survey of business leaders on the issue of sustainability. The results? The data clearly shows that knowledge of and insights into ESG risks and opportunities are not just a nice-to-have, they are a must-have for future board directors. The vast majority of the leaders surveyed believe that sustainability plays an important or very important role in shaping successful future boardrooms. Read the full white paper: Why sustainability plays a key role in shaping the future of boardrooms

1710, 2023

Osler releases 2023 Diversity Disclosure Practices Report

By |October 17th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Our Founding Corporate partner, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP has released their ninth annual comprehensive report covers diversity disclosures by TSX-listed companies and CBCA corporations subject to disclosure requirements, analyzing year-over-year trends across various industries and spotlighting success stories, as well as areas of opportunity. By some measures, diversity is improving within corporate Canada's leadership. The proportion of women on Canadian boards and in executive officer positions continues to increase at an encouraging rate, with women now holding nearly 30% of all board seats at TSX-listed companies. Among 532 vacant or newly created board positions over the past year, a woman was chosen to fill it 45.3% of the time—a sign that Canadian companies are nearing the rate at which boards could, over time, achieve gender parity. But progress rarely comes evenly. While more members of visible minorities are sitting on boards and in C-suites than ever before (10.2% [...]

2509, 2023

Inclusive Boards: Unlocking the Power and Benefits of Diversity

By |September 25th, 2023|Event Blog|0 Comments

Inclusion is the key to unlocking the power and benefits of diversity on corporate boards. That’s why it’s critical for boards to consider how they are ensuring diverse voices and perspectives are meaningfully contributing to decision-making. To explore this topic in depth, Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) hosted a fireside chat on Board Culture: Inclusive Boards on September 14, sponsored by McGlashan Consulting. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, GCB.D, CCB.D, Corporate Director and WGOB Founder and CEO, kicked off the event by introducing the two speakers: Shona McGlashan, Principal, McGlashan Consulting Margie (Madhuri) Parikh, Board Director and Principal, On Governance To frame the discussion, Shona began with a key clarification. “We’re not here to make the case for board diversity and inclusion,” she said. “We know that diverse and inclusive boards make better decisions that lead to better organizational outcomes, including better return on investment, more sustainable decision-making, [...]

2808, 2023

The Future of Board Governance: Global Network of Director Institutes 2022-2023 Survey Report

By |August 28th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

The Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI) brings together the leading associations serving corporate directors to provide a global voice and sharpen leading practices for boardroom leaders on relevant governance matters that cut across national boundaries. Every two years their member institutes collaborate to provide a snapshot of global governance themes and issues. This year, the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI) member organisations looked internally at how they needed to focus, improve, and shift to prepare for future challenges. Read the full report: The Future of Board Governance: Global Network of Director Institutes 2022-2023 Survey Report

2208, 2023

Finding from Gartner’s 2023 Board of Directors Survey

By |August 22nd, 2023|Media|0 Comments

Gartner’s 2023 Board of Directors Survey—which features data from 281 board directors and members across industries and geographies—offers critical insights into the latest and greatest in governance. Gartner reported on the focuses of executive leaders; where they are now, and where they are headed. The survey aims to understand this group’s actions and intentions regarding risk appetite and growth strategies, digital acceleration, sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).In a new article, WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati and irlabs Principal and Co-founder Caroline Sawamoto outline the top findings from the survey and the impact those trends will have on the future of the boardroom.Read the article: Finding from Gartner's 2023 Board of Directors Survey

2707, 2023

Special Report: Boards, AI, Technology & Risk

By |July 27th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

AI is opening new possibilities and opportunities for companies. However, the same digital tools delivering transformative capabilities and greater efficiency often introduce—or magnify—risk. What should board members know about spotting and addressing new vulnerabilities? In a report for Corporate Board Member, Russ Banham discusses the key concerns board members should be aware of and what they can do to address these risks. Read the report: Special Report: Boards, AI, Technology & Risk

1707, 2023

Culture drives success: The board’s role

By |July 17th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

A board has many responsibilities, but nurturing the culture of the organization might be the most important one of all. Because boards are responsible for strategy and its execution, every board member has a role to play in supporting a positive and constructive organizational culture. In a new article, Mary Larson of MNP explores the importance of culture, and examines the board's role in overseeing it. Mary also participated in a panel on this topic at WGOB Summit 2023, which MNP supported as a sponsor. Read the article: Culture drives success: The board’s role

1207, 2023

Indigenous knowledge and practices essential to ESG, expert says

By |July 12th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Scott Munro, CPA, deputy chief executive officer of the First Nations Financial Management Board in Vancouver, is passionate about seeing more Indigenous professionals take leadership roles to help address major issues impacting Canada. In a new interview with our Affiliate Partner CPA Canada, Munro discusses how Canadian businesses can benefit from incorporating Indigenous leadership, practices and values into their ESG-related activities. Read the interview: Indigenous knowledge and practices essential to ESG, expert says

507, 2023

WGOB Speaker Series: Executive Compensation Trends and Best Practices

By |July 5th, 2023|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On June 8, WGOB hosted the final part of their three-part WGOB Speaker Series on Stakeholder Incentives & Director Compensation Trends for 2023, sponsored Southlea Group. The discussion focused on exploring Southlea Group’s findings from reviewing the S&P/TSX60 company pay levels and pay practices annual analysis and discussing key trends and predictions for the future of executive pay. To kick off the conversation, Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, GCB.D, CCB.D, Founder & CEO, WGOB, introduced the speakers: Ryan Resch, Senior Partner at Southlea Group Amanda Voegeli, President Managing Partner at Southlea Group Dawn de Lima, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Services, TC Energy Trends in executive compensation Ryan opened the conversation by reflecting on the trends in Canadian executive compensation from the past two years. The analysis was based on Southlea Group’s [...]

2706, 2023

ESG Matters: Going Public – Building Your Board for Success

By |June 27th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Joining a pre-public board is a great way to expand your board experience and contribute to the growth and long-term success of a company. In a new article, WGOB Executive-in-residence Sharon Castelino and Alyssa Barry, Principal and Co-Founder at our Affiliate Partner irlabs, discuss how pre-public boards can position the business for success by prioritizing and incorporating ESG into strategy and storytelling early-on. Read the article: ESG Matters: Going Public – Building Your Board for Success

2006, 2023

Corporate climate policy engagement: A briefing for board directors

By |June 20th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

The Climate Governance Initiative recently published a new briefing for board directors specifically focused on corporate climate policy engagement. Conducting corporate climate policy engagement positively and appropriately is critical to creating the conditions that will enable a company to achieve its net zero transition. This briefing, produced by the Climate Governance Initiative in collaboration with the global think tank InfluenceMap, highlights the key issues that board directors should be aware of. Read the full briefing: Corporate climate policy engagement: A briefing for board directors

1906, 2023

Deborah Rosati appears on Newstalk 610

By |June 19th, 2023|Media|0 Comments

On June 15, WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati was interviewed on Newstalk 610 to discuss her early business career, her first board positions and the mentors and sponsors that helped her along the way. The conversation also explored Women Get On Board's work to connect, promote and empower women to corporate boards. Listen to the full interview: Deborah Rosati appears on Newstalk 610

606, 2023

E-Guide: Your Governance Journey – Chart Your Course to Success in the Boardroom

By |June 6th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Joining a board is like setting out on a journey. A governance journey. Depending on what stage you're at, there's a success path that starts with the fundamentals. Your path then proceeds through the next stages of the journey to grow the confidence and skills that are uniquely yours to make an impact by influencing board decisions. In a new E-Guide, 'Your Governance Journey - Chart Your Course to Success in the Boardroom,' our Affiliate Partner DirectorPrep binds it all together with a roadmap to help inspire and fuel your personal growth as a director. Download the E-Guide: https://savvy.directorprep.com/pl/2147693166

606, 2023

Divided on diversity: alternative proposals from Canadian securities regulators to update diversity disclosure requirements

By |June 6th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

On April 13, 2023, the Canadian Securities Administrators (the CSA) served up for comment two alternative approaches to updating diversity and director nomination process requirements under Canadian securities laws. The proposed amendments are set out in the form of two alternative proposals, the principal thrust of which is to elicit information regarding how non-venture issuers approach diversity beyond gender and their board nomination process. In a new report, our Corporate Partner Osler examines the proposals in depth, explaining why neither alternative is likely to satisfy issuers, investors and other stakeholders. Read the report: Divided on diversity: alternative proposals from Canadian securities regulators to update diversity disclosure requirements

3105, 2023

WGOB Awarded CWE Recognition Award, Gender Equality in the Workplace Category

By |May 31st, 2023|Media|0 Comments

On May 30, 2023, Women Get On Board was selected as a 2023 CWE Recognition Award honouree in the Gender Equality in the Workplace category, in recognition of Women Get On Board’s work to support women in senior leadership roles and get more women on corporate boards.Read the press release: Canadian Women Entrepreneur Gala breaks new ground with inaugural event

1105, 2023

STANDOUT From The Crowd podcast: Strategies For Securing A Board Seat

By |May 11th, 2023|Podcasts|0 Comments

WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati was recently interviewed by Darine BenAmara on the STANDOUT From the Crowd podcast to discuss how women leaders can secure a board seat. Throughout the conversation, they discussed Deborah's board journey, as well as WGOB's mission to get more women on boards.Watch on YouTube: STANDOUT From The Crowd podcast: Strategies For Securing A Board Seat

1005, 2023

Executive Upskilling for Next-Gen Directorship — 2023 Survey Report

By |May 10th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

What's the current state of executive leadership development? What are the upskilling needs of the next generation of board directors? In a new report, Stanton Chase answers these questions as part of their analysis of the findings from their Next-Gen Directorship Survey. Participants of the survey consisted of C-level executives and current board members who were asked to evaluate their competencies as directors in today’s boardrooms. Read the full report:  Executive Upskilling for Next-Gen Directorship — 2023 Survey Report

1005, 2023

More than DEI: Why it pays to get women in the boardroom

By |May 10th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Despite research showing that over half of Gen Z workers would not accept a role in a company without diverse leadership, businesses still have a long way to go on the issue of gender diversity in the boardroom. As a new World Economic Forum article by Andrea Willige outlines, women’s share of boardroom seats have increased in small increments over the past five years, but women are still underrepresented on boards, especially women of colour. This slow progress seems counterintuitive when you consider that there is a wealth of research demonstrating the benefits of having women board directors.Read the full article: More than DEI: Why it pays to get women in the boardroom

1005, 2023

Can corporate boards rise to the sustainability challenge?

By |May 10th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Helle Bank Jørgensen, CEO of our Affiliate Partner Competent Boards, was recently interviewed for an article in Green Biz discussing board engagement in sustainability. In the piece, she explains how the right training, language and mindset are key to ensuring that board members are equipped to take action on ESG issues. Read the full article in Green Biz: Can corporate boards rise to the sustainability challenge?

1005, 2023

Spotlight on inclusive boards: Fostering the right meeting culture

By |May 10th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Boardrooms should be for everyone—but it doesn't always feel that way. In her latest article for the Institute of Corporate Directors, WGOB member Shona McGlashan discusses what boards can do to foster a more inclusive meeting culture, recognizing that it's the key to unlocking the benefits of diverse thinking. It's an excellent guide to running better meetings and ensuring that everyone has a voice around the table. Read the full article: Spotlight on inclusive boards: Fostering the right meeting culture

105, 2023

Integrity Matters: Net zero commitments by non-state entities – A briefing for board directors

By |May 1st, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

During COP27, the 2022 international climate change conference, the United Nations (UN) High-Level Expert Group on the Net Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities released ‘Integrity Matters: Net Zero Commitments by Businesses, Financial Institutions, Cities and Regions.' To help board directors engage with the themes and drive meaningful action in their organizations, our Affiliate Partner CCLI prepared a report for boards. Read the report: Integrity Matters: Net zero commitments by non-state entities – A briefing for board directors

105, 2023

Why Whistleblowers Matter

By |May 1st, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

A whistleblower program is a tool for directors to access information that would otherwise not reach the boardroom. But for whistleblowing to work properly - so that both the whistleblower and the accused person are protected – the program must be handled with care. The board plays an important role in establishing broad guidelines and ensuring that a secure system protects data security and privacy. In a new article, our Affiliate Partner DirectorPrep explores what whistleblowers are, why they matter, and what boards can do to build and maintain an effective whistleblower program at their organization. Read the article: Why Whistleblowers Matter

2704, 2023

Activists advancing: Why boardroom battles are accelerating across Canada

By |April 27th, 2023|Media|0 Comments

In a new article in The Globe & Mail, Lynn Beauregard, president of our Affiliate Partner Governance Professionals of Canada, referenced Women Get On Board as "one of a growing number of organizations dedicated to increasing the size and diversity of Canada's corporate director talent pool." The reference was part of a larger conversation on the rise in corporate proxy battles and hostile takeovers across the country.Read the article: Activists advancing: Why boardroom battles are accelerating across Canada

2104, 2023

Corporate governance — forging a new standard and a new mindset

By |April 21st, 2023|Media|0 Comments

Our corporate member MNP published an insightful new article on the evolving expectations around corporate governance and the role of the board of directors. As the article explains, stakeholders now expect board members to be more involved, informed, and accountable than ever before. Read the full article: Corporate governance — forging a new standard and a new mindset

1804, 2023

Why We Need Women On Boards

By |April 18th, 2023|Media|0 Comments

Despite extensive evidence that gender diversity improves business outcomes,  women still represent less than a third of directors in public company boardrooms. And among the most heavily funded, high-growth private companies, 40% have all-male boards and 78% don’t include a single woman of color.In a new article in Forbes, Jocelyn Mangan, Founder of Him for Her, digs into the issue of board diversity, exploring why boardrooms are still lacking the representation they need—and what can be done about it.Read the full article: Why We Need Women On Boards

1304, 2023

Building A Collaborative Boardroom Team Is About More Than Diversity — It’s Also About Intentionality

By |April 13th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Building a culture of collaboration in the boardroom requires an emphasis on creating positive relationships between board members and senior management, alongside fostering an inclusive atmosphere that welcomes diverse opinions and open questions. It takes a mindful approach from recruitment to exit. In a new article in Women of Influence+, WGOB member Kristi Honey explains how a supportive environment brings out the best in diverse minds and explores what board members can do to foster stronger collaboration. Read the full article: Building A Collaborative Boardroom Team Is About More Than Diversity — It’s Also About Intentionality

1104, 2023

Profile: Deborah Rosati by Profound Impact

By |April 11th, 2023|Media|0 Comments

Female-founded Canadian company Profound Impact recently profiled WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati as part of their Impact Stories series. The profile explores Deborah's background as a business leader, her board career, and her work to get more women on corporate boards. Read the article: Deborah Rosati profile

1004, 2023

WGOB Speaker Series: Director Compensation in 2023

By |April 10th, 2023|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On March 30, WGOB hosted the second part of their virtual WGOB Speaker Series on Stakeholder Incentives & Director Compensation Trends for 2023, sponsored by Southlea Group. This time, the discussion focused on director compensation. To kick off the event, Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, GCB.D, CCB.D, Corporate Director and WGOB Founder and CEO, introduced the first two speakers: Amanda Voegeli, President Managing Partner at Southlea Group Ryan Resch, Founder and Senior Partner at Southlea Group Ryan introduced the topic and then presented the findings from Southlea’s annual review of S&P/TSX60 company director compensation pay levels. As he explained, the findings are helpful for understanding the current state of director pay at major Canadian companies. The findings Ryan broke down the findings into some key takeaways. The first metric he [...]

2403, 2023

Complicity through Complacency

By |March 24th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Do you ever feel the calls from the boardroom to modernize, evolve its mandate, redefine its purpose, refresh its composition, motivate the management team - but nothing ever actually changes? A new Savvy Director blog post from DirectorPrep.com examines how complicity through complacency can be found in many of today's boardrooms, and how savvy directors can safely advocate for meaningful change no matter the size or pedigree of the organization. Read the blog post: Complicity through Complacency

2103, 2023

Inclusive boards: demystifying the “I” in DEI

By |March 21st, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Do boards belong to everyone, and if not, what do we need to do to fix them? In a new article, WGOB member Shona McGlashan demystifies the concept of board inclusion and explores how to deliberately create an inclusive board culture that ensures that boardrooms really do belong to everyone. It's the first in a series she's writing for the Institute of Corporate Directors.Read the article: Inclusive boards: Demystifying the "I" in DEI

903, 2023

Hey Ladies! The boardroom needs you. Deborah Rosati tells us why.

By |March 9th, 2023|Media|0 Comments

In a new interview with Bespoke, WGOB and Founder CEO Deborah Rosati opens up about her early board experience and explains why it's so important to promote diversity in the boardroom. She also explores what holds women back and what they can do to lift each other up. Read the full article: https://bespokeconsult.com/hey-ladies-the-board-room-needs-you/

703, 2023

Gender diversity on corporate boards can improve organizational performance

By |March 7th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

In an effort to better understand the influence of gender diversity on the functioning of the board, and how these differences can be leveraged, a research team from Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) interviewed 29 female and male directors on Canadian boards. Their findings show that both men and women offer unique and valuable contributions to company boards and by welcoming difference, companies could help promote an inclusive environment that encourages women to continue to perform their jobs in their own distinct way. Read more in The Conversation: Gender diversity on corporate boards can improve organizational performance

2202, 2023

The 4 Ps to finding your voice as a woman leader

By |February 22nd, 2023|Media|0 Comments

Over the past few years, we’ve seen an increasing number of studies showing that having more women in senior roles at an organization can have a positive impact on its success. And, while we are still far from gender parity in the C-suite and on boards, there is at least a greater awareness of the value of having women at the table. But once you're there, how do you make sure that you make a difference around the management or boardroom table? In her recent interview with CPA Canada, WGOB Founder and CEO Deborah Rosati explained that finding your voice in the senior ranks is all about embracing your purpose, passion, presence and power. Read the full article: The 4 Ps to finding your voice as a woman leader

1602, 2023

KPMG Board Leadership Centre’s ESG guide for audit committees

By |February 16th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations are and will continue to be an integral part of each organization’s strategy and focus going forward. To equip audit committees with some of the information they need to provide effective ESG assurance oversight for their organizations, our Empower Partner KPMG developed the KPMG Board Leadership Centre’s ESG guide for audit committees.Download the guide: KPMG Board Leadership Centre’s ESG guide for audit committees

802, 2023

Transitioning from Board Member to Board Leader

By |February 8th, 2023|Media|0 Comments

EgonZehnder's 2022-2023 Global Board Diversity Tracker shows that 19 percent of directorships among Russell 3000 companies are held by non-white board members, which is an increase of 7 percent since 2020. However, that same level of progress is lagging when it comes to board leadership positions. Ninety percent of chair positions in Russell 3000 companies are held by white directors in 2022, and 87 percent of committee chair positions are held by white board members.In their new article, Charles Gray and Akiba Smith-Francis discuss the importance of board diversity and explore how to move from board member to board leader with 25 new and experienced corporate directors.Read the article: Transitioning from Board Member to Board Leader

102, 2023

WGOB Speaker Series: Linking ESG Priorities and Incentives

By |February 1st, 2023|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On January 26, WGOB hosted the first part of their virtual WGOB Speaker Series on Stakeholder Incentives & Director Compensation Trends for 2023, sponsored by Southlea Group. In an engaging fireside chat, compensation experts from Southlea Group discussed the growing trend of linking ESG priorities and incentives to compensation. To begin the event, Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, GCB.D, CCB.D, Corporate Director and WGOB Founder and CEO, introduced the speakers: Amanda Voegeli, President Managing Partner at Southlea Group Ryan Resch, Founder and Senior Partner at Southlea Group As a central theme, the conversation focused on the high-level findings from Southlea Group's latest global report, 2023 Global Trends in Stakeholder Incentives: The Staying Power of ESG, which they conducted with the Global Governance and Executive Compensation Group (GECN). The report documents [...]

1201, 2023

The Global Risks Report 2023

By |January 12th, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

The Global Risks Report 2023 presents the results of the World Economic Forums's latest Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) to outline the major risk issues and trends that leaders will face in the coming years.Considered one of the leading sources of information on the current and emerging risk environment, the latest Global Risks Report explores four risk themes for 2023, and examines key shifts and trends in the converging risk landscape.Download the full report: The Global Risks Report 2023

301, 2023

ESG Measures Here To Stay In Executive Incentives, Southlea’s Global Research Finds

By |January 3rd, 2023|Publications|0 Comments

For a sixth consecutive year, The Global Governance and Executive Compensation Group (GECN) analyzed the executive compensation practices of 500+ of the world’s largest companies including the S&P/TSX 60 in Canada. In its just-released report, 2023 Global Trends in Stakeholder Incentives: The Staying Power of ESG, Southlea documents a now three-year worldwide trend for the largest corporations to incorporate stakeholder metrics into executive compensation. Southlea’s conclusion: Linking executive pay to stakeholder incentives is here to stay. Read the report: ESG Measures Here To Stay In Executive Incentives, Southlea’s Global Research Finds

2212, 2022

#MyThreeWords for 2023

By |December 22nd, 2022|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

#My3words for 2023 are elevate, innovate and sustain. Why do I select #my3words each year? In 2015, I read about Chris Brogan’s idea to choose three words in the new year to guide your choices and actions. Ever since, I’ve been picking my own three words (read my complete list below). These three words serve as guideposts for my path, helping me keep my goals and values at the forefront of everything I do. They remind me to focus on what matters and let go of what does not. To stay on track in 2023, I encourage you to select your own #my3words. Your words will influence your actions and help you move your goals forward this year. My advice? Write them down. Post them everywhere. Journal about them. Schedule reminders in your calendar. Most importantly, integrate them into your decision-making process. Here are what #my3words for 2023 mean to [...]

2112, 2022

Diversity in corporate Canada: Is progress being made?

By |December 21st, 2022|Media|0 Comments

In a new episode of Osler's ESG Explorer podcast, Deborah Rosati, Founder & CEO of Women Get On Board, joined John Valley and guest host Colleen Moorehead to discuss Osler's eighth annual Diversity Disclosure Practices - Diversity and leadership at Canadian public companies. The report looks at how well companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and governed by the Canada Business Corporations Act are doing at working to improve diversity in senior leadership positions. Listen to the podcast: Diversity in corporate Canada: Is progress being made?

2112, 2022

WGOB Speaker Series: Focus on the “G” of ESG – Part 3

By |December 21st, 2022|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On December 12, WGOB hosted the third part their virtual WGOB Speaker Series on ESG, sponsored by UBS. The fireside chat focused on the “G” of ESG—governance issues. To begin the event, Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, GCB.D, Corporate Director and WGOB Founder and CEO, introduced Aneliya Crawford, Managing Director at UBS Investment Bank and leader of UBS’s ESG Advisory Group efforts for the Americas. Then, Aneliya welcomed Ivy Lumia, CEO and Founder of Best in Governance Inc. (BIG), a boutique firm with global reach that specializes in providing modern, sustainable corporate governance and ESG frameworks for boards and executive teams. What is the “G” in ESG? Ivy and Aneliya opened the conversation by discussing the modern definition of the “G” in ESG. Although boards have always focused on governance, [...]

1612, 2022

Managing Biodiversity Risk in the Boardroom

By |December 16th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

On Dec. 13, 2022, the Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative released the report Biodiversity Risk: Legal Implications for Companies and their Directors, which analyzed the relevance of biodiversity risks to companies and economies in the discharge of directors' legal duties globally. It helps directors understand biodiversity as an important factor in the context of their wider Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") efforts. Our National Strategic Partner, Gowling WLG, recently published a helpful review of the report for board leaders from a Canadian legal perspective. Read their analysis: Managing Biodiversity Risk in the Boardroom

1312, 2022

Bruce Singer Podcast: Deborah Rosati on Advisory Boards, Board Diversity, Board Directors

By |December 13th, 2022|Media|0 Comments

On a new episode of the Bruce Singer Podcast, WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati sits down with Bruce and shares her in-depth knowledge and experience on Advisory Boards, makeup of valuable members, and how it can impact your company.Listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/episode/6k9pHNx81DsyplAGMiV0Bf?si=4CPpRfvvT1eBlCi3MWoz_w&nd=1Listen on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/bruce-singer-podcast/id1637697066?i=1000589927755

912, 2022

A Guide to Ensuring Gender Diversity on Your Board

By |December 9th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

There has been considerable progress in gender inclusion and diversity in business, and most countries have implemented rules and guidelines to increase women's representation on boards. However, women are still underrepresented in the C-suite. In a new article in The Leadership Post, "A Guide to Ensuring Gender Diversity on Your Board," Stanton Chase examines why boardroom diversity is so important, and what companies can do to improve it. Read the article: A Guide to Ensuring Gender Diversity on Your Board

612, 2022

Calm in the storm: Audit committees remain resilient in a volatile world

By |December 6th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

The role of the audit committee is expanding, and their expertise has never been needed more. Between rising interest rates, a looming recession, geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, a war for talent, new work models and impending ESG and cyber regulation, organizations are facing a uniquely challenging business environment. To help audit committees understand risks and stay informed, Kristy Carscallen summarized some of the most pressing issues facing organizations and outlined the questions audit committees should be asking in a new KPMG article. Read the article: Calm in the storm: Audit committees remain resilient in a volatile world

2911, 2022

The Blakes Board Report 2022

By |November 29th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

The sixth edition of the annual Blakes Board Report offers the latest research and analysis on the progress and prospects for women general counsel (or GCs) on Canadian public company boards. The theme of this year’s report is Unlocking the Value: Women GCs in the Board Pipeline. In addition to presenting data-based insights from their study of Canadian public companies, the report includes advice from a roundtable of remarkable women who have both general counsel and board experience. Read the report:  The Blakes Board Report 2022

2911, 2022

COP27: Key outcomes for board directors

By |November 29th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

Board directors have a critical role to play in guiding their company and its ecosystem to deliver climate action and keeping the 1.5oC limit within reach. The Climate Governance Initiative (CGI) supports boards of directors across the globe in making climate a boardroom priority by promoting the implementation of the Principles for Effective Climate Governance. What key challenges and opportunities emerged from #COP27? The new Climate Governance Initiative (CGI) briefing highlights the key outcomes from the Conference, how they could affect you as a board director, and the resulting conversations you should have in the boardroom to drive action and build resilience. Read the briefing: COP27: Key outcomes for board directors

2411, 2022

Glass Lewis Canadian Benchmark Policy Changes for 2023

By |November 24th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

On November 17, 2022, proxy advisor Glass Lewis, & Co., LLC (“Glass Lewis”) released its 2023 Benchmark Policy Guidelines for several key markets including the Canadian market. These changes are effective for shareholder meetings taking place beginning on or after January 1, 2023, unless otherwise stated. The new Morrow Sodali client update outlines several key changes and clarifying amendments affecting Canadian issuers in the upcoming proxy season.Read the update: Glass Lewis Canadian Benchmark Policy Changes for 2023

2111, 2022

It’s never too early for a CPA to become a board member

By |November 21st, 2022|Media|0 Comments

CPAs have long been a valued presence on corporate boards and audit committees in Canada. But as a landmark study by CPA Canada and KPMG suggests, many wait until they are approaching retirement or later to become directors. The findings of the study are outlined in a new CPA Canada article, which features the study's lead co-authors Wendy Kei, FCPA and Deborah Rosati, FCPA (Founder and CEO of Women Get On Board). Read the article: It’s never too early for a CPA to become a board member

1511, 2022

We must fill the climate education gap for senior business leaders

By |November 15th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

With COP27 pushing climate issues to the top of news agendas around the world this month, it's a great time to discuss climate education. As WGOB member and Competent Boards CEO & Founder Helle Bank Jørgensen explains in her new article, many business leaders do not have the necessary knowledge and insights to make the right decisions on environmental issues. We need to fill that education gap as fast as possible. Read the article: We must fill the climate education gap for senior business leaders

1511, 2022

Struggling to demonstrate your value as a board member? Develop your readiness for a crisis.

By |November 15th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

As a board member, being asked to step up in an emergency and put your plans and preparations into effect can be a fulfilling part of your journey on a board, allowing you to develop and demonstrate leadership. In this engaging article, WGOB member and experienced board chair Kristi Honey shares how understanding risk, response, and your individual role can set you apart as a corporate board member. Read the article: Struggling to demonstrate your value as a board member? Develop your readiness for a crisis.

811, 2022

There Are Many Ways for CPAs to Prep for a Board Role

By |November 8th, 2022|Media|0 Comments

If you're a CPA, there are many ways that a board role can boost your career. This article from CPA Canada—featuring WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati—outlines some ways to prepare for a board role, and it also explores how to stay up to date once you have gained some experience. Read the full article: There are many ways for CPAs to prep for a board role, experts say

311, 2022

WGOB Speaker Series: Focus on the “S” of ESG – Part 2

By |November 3rd, 2022|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On October 25, WGOB hosted the second part of the ESG series of their virtual WGOB Speaker Series, sponsored by UBS. The fireside chat focused on the “S” of ESG—social issues—exploring what they are, why they’re important, and how such issues should be addressed at the board level. To begin the event, Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, GCB.D, Corporate Director and WGOB Founder and CEO introduced Aneliya Crawford, Managing Director at UBS Investment Bank and leader of UBS’s ESG Advisory Group efforts for the Americas. Then, Aneliya welcomed Mary Larson, Partner at MNP Consulting and leader of the firm’s National Organizational Renewal Practice, to contribute her extensive expertise on the “S” of ESG. The pair kicked off the conversation by defining what we mean when we talk about social issues. [...]

211, 2022

Savvy Director Guide to Your Voice Matters in the Boardroom

By |November 2nd, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

Our Affiliate Partner, DirectorPrep.com, published an excellent new Savvy Director blog to help board directors who are struggling to find their voice in the boardroom. The blog offers a range of advice for newcomers to a board, or for those who feel outnumbered by virtue of their gender, age, race, etc. Read the full publication here: Your Voice Matters in the Boardroom

211, 2022

Biodiversity—is that a business issue?

By |November 2nd, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

The WWF Living Planet Report has sounded the alarm on the biodiversity crisis. Since 1970, there has been a 69% decline in wildlife populations, and there are one million more species at risk of going extinct in the coming decades. As Helle Bank Jørgensen explains in a new article, the twin threat of biodiversity and climate change will pose serious risks to businesses in the coming years. Read the full article: Biodiversity—is that a business issue?

111, 2022

Meet Boardroom Advocate Deborah Rosati: #SUSTXGLOBAL 50 2022 Awardee

By |November 1st, 2022|Media|0 Comments

It’s our pleasure to announce that WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati has been awarded The SustainabilityX® Magazine’s inaugural Global 50 Women in Sustainability Award! The honour recognizes the achievements of the world’s powerful, ground-breaking female sustainability leaders who’re bridging the gender gap by breaking barriers, shattering traditional stereotypes, and taking the world of sustainability by storm. Read More: Meet Boardroom Advocate Deborah Rosati: #SUSTXGLOBAL 50 2022 Awardee

1310, 2022

Osler’s 2022 Diversity Disclosure Report

By |October 13th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

Osler's 2022 Diversity Disclosure Report provides valuable insights into changes in board composition in Canada. According to their analysis, Canadian boards have surpassed several important diversity milestones on their journey to include more diverse perspectives in decision-making at senior levels within the organization. The report shows that women now hold 26% of the board seats at TSX-listed companies, one-third of all board seats among the S&P/TSX Composite Index companies, and 36% of board seats among the S&P/TSX 60 companies. Click here to read the full report.

1210, 2022

WGOB Speaker Series: Focus on the “E” of ESG – Part 1

By |October 12th, 2022|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On September 28, WGOB hosted their virtual Speaker Series, which UBS sponsored. In an engaging fireside chat, experts discussed the board’s role in creating a healthier, more sustainable planet by integrating environmental initiatives into core business strategy. To begin the event, Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director and WGOB Founder and CEO introduced Aneliya Crawford, Managing Director at UBS Investment Bank and leader of UBS’s ESG Advisory Group efforts for the Americas. Then, Aneliya welcomed Sarah Keyes, CEO of ESG Global Advisors Inc., to start the conversation. Sarah is an ESG and climate change expert with over a decade of experience. Today, she regularly presents to executive teams and boards of directors on the link between ESG and climate change with performance and long-term value, and helps her clients [...]

1210, 2022

The Annual Board Calendar

By |October 12th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

The annual board calendar is a planning tool to help the board govern effectively. It helps the board figure out how to best spend its time and make sure nothing critical gets missed. Read the full article on DirectorPrep.com: The Annual Board Calendar

410, 2022

Elevating Your Board Impact: A Practical Guide to Taking Your Board Journey to the Next Level

By |October 4th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

If you're a board member interested in elevating your board impact, you'll need to embark on both an internal journey and an eternal one. To help you navigate that journey, Andrea Plotnick, President of AP Board and Executive Solutions, has developed The 4Cs Model of Board Impact©. Read her full article to learn more about the model: Elevating Your Board Impact: A Practical Guide to Taking Your Board Journey to the Next Level

410, 2022

The SustainabilityX® Magazine Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards 2022

By |October 4th, 2022|Media|0 Comments

It's our pleasure to announce that WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati has been awarded The SustainabilityX® Magazine's inaugural Global 50 Women in Sustainability Award! The honour recognizes achievements of the world’s powerful, groundbreaking female sustainability leaders who’re bridging the gender gap by breaking barriers, shattering traditional stereotypes, and taking the world of sustainability by storm. More Here:  The SustainabilityX® Magazine Global 50 Women In Sustainability Awards 2022

2809, 2022

#BoardDiversity Matters: Agents of Change – Judith Athaide

By |September 28th, 2022|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women on corporate boards. This is the fourth WGOB member showcase on #BoardDiversityMatters - Agents of Change, our series that profiles our WGOB members who are taking exemplary actions to champion board diversity. Corporate director Judith Athaide still thinks about a girl scout activity from back when she was a child. It was a relatively simple game. Each girl was given a list of twenty survival items, and she was to select the ten that were most necessary to survive being lost in the wilderness. Then, the girls were placed into groups of four or five to discuss the list again and come up with a new selection of ten items together. Each group had to discuss the options, share ideas and perspectives, debate and think outside the box. As [...]

2809, 2022

Women in Business Leadership Boost ESG Performance

By |September 28th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

In this article from IFC, authors Alexandre Di Miceli and Angela Donaggio explore the existing research linking a higher proportion of women in business leadership to overall company performance. Not only do they identify substantial evidence connecting increased gender diversity at the top with enhanced environmental, social, and governance standards, but they identify equally strong evidence connecting better ESG with stronger corporate performance. Read the full article here: Women in Business Leadership Boost ESG Performance

2809, 2022

The Bruce Singer Podcast ft. WGOB Founder and CEO Deborah Rosati

By |September 28th, 2022|Podcasts|0 Comments

On the Bruce Singer Podcast, Canadian entrepreneur Bruce Singer is joined by leading entrepreneurs, influencers, CEOs, CFOs and change-makers who share their insights and experiences with a focus on the Canadian landscape. WGOB Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati joined Bruce on his podcast to speak about elevating your board leadership, inclusion, board trends and women serving on boards. Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gdR3XjcK Listen on Apple: https://lnkd.in/gWSePcdv Video version: https://youtu.be/8KqVFOPHw9E

2209, 2022

Boards Need to Make Headway on the Diversity of their Executive Teams

By |September 22nd, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

Among Canada’s most prominent companies—as defined by the S&P/TSX 60—less than 20% of the 600+ executives are female. Not only that, but only 8% of CFOs are women, and there are zero female CEOs on the list. Clearly, most large Canadian companies have a long way to go to achieve gender parity. But as a new article from our corporate member Southlea Group explains, to tackle this issue, effective board leadership on this issue is needed. Read the full article: Boards Need to Make Headway on the Diversity of their Executive Teams

1309, 2022

The Crucial Role Of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in ESG Reporting

By |September 13th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

There can be no successful ESG without a honed focus on DE&I. However, leaders face a host of challenges when it comes to measuring, reporting, and gaining insights about DE&I metrics, which can often feel overwhelming. This article from Stanton Chase explores what leaders can do to get their diversity metrics on track. Read the full publication here: The Crucial Role Of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in ESG Reporting 

2408, 2022

Human Resources Committee Effectiveness

By |August 24th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

The roles of many board committees are shifting. That's why Southlea Group has spent the past few months speaking with Human Resources (HR) Committee Chairs to gather their feedback on creating an effective HR Committee (HRC). These discussions were wide-ranging and covered several related topics, including the unique characteristics of the HRC, the evolving responsibilities, and tips for getting the most out of the committee. Read the full article here: Human Resources Committee Effectiveness

2208, 2022

Why the social angle is critical to all three ESG pillars | Delivering on ESG commitments

By |August 22nd, 2022|Podcasts|0 Comments

In a recent podcast 'Why the social angle is critical to all three ESG pillars | Delivering on ESG commitments', our EMPOWER Partner, KPMG Canada discusses the direct and indirect impacts of human rights legislations across the enterprise, and what leaders should be considering as they evaluate future business models. Listen to the full podcast here: Why the social angle is critical to all three ESG pillars | Delivering on ESG commitments

2107, 2022

A role for audit committees in oversight of climate change

By |July 21st, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

Our Affiliate Partner CPA Canada recently released a publication on increased attention being paid to climate change matters by a wide variety of stakeholders. The audit committee’s expertise in financial reporting makes it uniquely well-positioned to support the board in this area. Read the full publication here: A role for audit committees in oversight of climate change

2007, 2022

Insights from “ESG in the Boardroom: A Guidebook for Directors”

By |July 20th, 2022|Podcasts|0 Comments

Our Affiliate Partner Diligent recently released episode 84 of 'The Corporate Director Podcast' which features Eileen Kamerick, distinguished and experienced independent director, and Peter Tomczak, partner at Baker McKenzie, as he takes listeners inside his recently co-authored book, ESG in the Boardroom: A Guidebook for Directors and discusses the evolving role of the board in the era of ESG.Listen to the full podcast here: Insights from "ESG in the Boardroom: A Guidebook for Directors" 

1907, 2022

CPAs on Board

By |July 19th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

What does the data tell us about CPAs on boards? A recent study from our Affiliate Partner CPA Canada offers a helpful snapshot of the current state of CPAs in corporate governance roles—and it also includes important data on gender, industry, age and tenure. Read the full publication here: CPAs on Board

1207, 2022

#BoardDiversity Matters: Agents of Change – Lori-Ann Beausoleil

By |July 12th, 2022|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women on corporate boards. This is the third WGOB member showcase on #BoardDiversityMatters - Agents of Change, our new series that profiles our WGOB members who are taking exemplary actions to champion board diversity. When Lori-Ann Beausoleil began working with corporate boards as a consultant and a corporate director, she did not see any board members who looked like her. But she wasn’t discouraged. She saw this as an opportunity. “I had a job to do,” she says. “I had to show that I could bring a different perspective to the boardroom based on a combination of my lived experience, business acumen, financial and risk competency, tenacity and passion. I have an opportunity to change the narrative around diversity. “I want to show that having a Black woman on a board is [...]

1107, 2022

More than compliance: How an effective ESG strategy can create value

By |July 11th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

We’ve passed the tipping point with environmental, social and governance (ESG): it’s everywhere and it’s a global reality. Communities, governments, and customers in every market are paying attention to ESG, and this attention is magnified by the media while homed in on by investors. In this article, Mary Larson, Partner at MNP discusses how an effective ESG strategy can create value. Read the full publication here: More than compliance: How an effective ESG strategy can create value

507, 2022

Elevating Your Board Leadership

By |July 5th, 2022|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

You’ve networked, positioned your board offer, and aced the board interview, and now you’re serving in a coveted board position. Now what? If you’ve achieved your goal of serving on a board, the next step in your journey is to take on a leadership role. Do you have a strategy for elevating your board leadership? Similar to your professional career, in your board career, you should be thinking about how you can elevate the boardroom discussion and, in turn, expand your board leadership. There are multitude of ways that you can elevate your board leadership, but I like to focus on four ways you can develop on your board journey. Go outside your comfort zone As an earlier blog post explained, moving outside your comfort zone is important by seeking challenging opportunities to learn new skills and improve your governance abilities. When looking to move outside your comfort zone, [...]

2206, 2022

Trends in Executive Compensation and Governance: What Should Boards be Asking?

By |June 22nd, 2022|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On June 16, WGOB hosted their virtual Speaker Series, which Southlea Group sponsored. In an engaging fireside chat, experts from Southlea Group discussed trends in executive compensation and broader governance issues faced by board and HR Committees in today's environment. Southlea Group is a top compensation consulting firm that partners with boards and management teams to offer insights on people and pay programs. They offer support across a broad range of solutions, including executive and employee pay benchmarking, incentive plan design and supporting governance programs. To kick off the event, Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director and WGOB Founder and CEO introduced the speakers: Amanda Voegeli, President and Managing Partner at Southlea Group Alex Pattillo, Partner at Southlea Group Amanda and Alex opened the discussion by providing an overview [...]

1406, 2022

On the 2022 Audit Committee Agenda

By |June 14th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

Developed by our Empower Partner KPMG Canada, this resource outlines six key issues that should be on every 2022 Audit Committee agenda. Since the pandemic, audit committees and their boardroom peers have seen new issues appear on their radar—including cyber-related risks, digital transformation, the Great Resignation, climate-related physical risks, ERM, and net-zero commitments. This helpful one-page guide highlights these key issues and explores the questions Audit Committees should be asking in response. Read the full publication here: On the 2022 Audit Committee Agenda

3005, 2022

Elevating Your Emotional Intelligence in the Boardroom

By |May 30th, 2022|Deborah Rosati Blog|1 Comment

I am proud to have served on corporate boards for over two decades and have learned that it is not what you know but how you say it. I have had to train my sense of emotional intelligence (EI) at the boardroom table—including paying attention to everything from verbal communication to body language, tone of voice and social graces. I have been around some of the best and brightest board members who have inspired me to reach higher levels in the boardroom. I have also been around other board members who lacked EI, with their social graces absent and boardroom presence very uninspiring. I am reintroducing the topic of emotional intelligence from my original blog because, in my decades of board experience, I have observed that emotional intelligence is one of the most critical and least discussed boardroom skills. What is emotional intelligence? According to Daniel Goleman, the American [...]

2505, 2022

Making Sense of ESG for Boards: An ESG Primer

By |May 25th, 2022|Publications|0 Comments

Co-authored by Heather Nichols and our WGOB member Mardi Witzel, This paper provides a brief primer on ESG, focusing on its place in the boardroom. This primer will help Board members develop a better understanding of the needs of an organization in terms of ESG information and provide high-level tools for them to integrate ESG into decision-making processes. Read the full publication here: Making Sense of ESG for Boards: An ESG Primer

905, 2022

Elevating Your Voice in the Boardroom

By |May 9th, 2022|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

As I reflect on my board journey over the last two decades in both public and private company boards, as well as the public and not-for-profit sector boards, I recognize that it can be challenging to find your voice in the boardroom. Whether you are a new board member appointed to a long-tenured board of directors or you are the “token” woman at the boardroom table, it’s vital to feel confident speaking up. Recently, I read about the power of three—one woman in the boardroom is a beginning, two is a presence, and three is a voice. Let’s collectively step up and build the pipeline for the next generation of women corporate directors. What’s the solution? I believe that to find their boardroom voice, women must embrace the following four P’s (as written in my blog Elevating Your Board Effectiveness - Finding Your Voice in the Boardroom): Purpose Passion [...]

405, 2022

Courage in the Boardroom

By |May 4th, 2022|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On April 27, WGOB hosted their virtual Speaker Series, which DirectorPrep.com sponsored. The candid fireside chat offered expert guidance on a challenging topic—asking courageous questions in the boardroom. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director and WGOB Founder and CEO, kicked off the event by introducing Scott Baldwin, an entrepreneur, certified board director and co-founder of DirectorPrep.com. Together, Scott and Deborah discussed governance courage—the courage that gives directors the confidence to ask the right questions at the right time. In a fireside chat based on DirectorPrep.com’s Savvy Director Guide to Governance Courage, they explored safe and powerful ways to overcome the natural fear that arises in all of us when we know the question that needs to be asked, and it's up to us to ask it. What does courage [...]

2803, 2022

Position Your Board Offer

By |March 28th, 2022|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Serving on a board can be an enriching experience—and it’s one of the best ways to advance your career. Board service has both personal and professional benefits, including opportunities to: Build your network and personal brand Give back to organizations with meaningful missions Learn different perspectives that can apply to your existing roles Get sponsored for governance education programs (i.e. ICD.D, C. Dir, CDI.D or GCB.D) Develop governance leadership skills Get access to new knowledge, skills, perspectives, management styles, corporate cultures, business models, mentors, and connections Serving on a board is a meaningful way to build your career and enrich your network. Let’s talk about positioning your board offer. It starts with four key steps: Assess Your Board Readiness Identify the Right Board for You Create Your Board Value Proposition Build Your Board Resume and LinkedIn Assess Your Board Readiness To prepare for your first corporate board seat, it [...]

103, 2022

#BoardDiversity Matters: Agents of Change – Cathy Logue

By |March 1st, 2022|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. This is the second installment of Agents of Change, our new series that profiles women in the WGOB community who are taking exemplary actions to champion board diversity. With 20 years of experience in the field of executive search, Cathy Logue FCPA, FCA, knows what it takes to find a great corporate director. In her role as Managing Director at Stanton Chase’s Toronto office, she specializes in helping companies find top candidates to fill their board openings, develop succession plans and strengthen their board’s overall expertise. When advising clients, Cathy always offers one piece of advice: to find great directors, you must be willing to go outside your comfort zone. That means expanding the search outside your leadership’s existing network and looking for candidates who offer diversity [...]

2202, 2022

Building a strong and diverse board before you go public

By |February 22nd, 2022|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On February 15, WGOB hosted their virtual Speaker Series, which was sponsored by irlabs. In a panel format, leading experts offered guidance on building a strong and diverse board before going public. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director & Founder and CEO, began the event by introducing  Caroline Sawamoto and Alyssa Barry, Co-Founders & Principals at irlabs. Caroline kicked off the discussion with an overview of the current state of diversity in the boardroom, drawing on her 15 years of investor relations experience. As a key element of her presentation, she examined gender diversity in new listings on the TSX and TSXV in 2021, utilizing research conducted by irlabs in partnership with WGOB. With the stage set, Alyssa took over to introduce the discussion panel, which included: Julia Stamberger, [...]

1002, 2022

Board Diversity Study

By |February 10th, 2022|Media|0 Comments

In collaboration with our Affiliate Partner irlabs, we recently conducted board diversity research for newly listed companies on the TSX and TSXV.To learn more about the results: Board Diversity Study

1002, 2022

WGOB and irlabs Research of TSX New Listings

By |February 10th, 2022|Media|0 Comments

In collaboration with our Affiliate Partner irlabs, we analyzed gender diversity on the board of directors for all new listings on the TSX from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 and our results are featured in a Globe and Mail article. Read the full article here: WGOB and irlabs research of TSX New Listings

302, 2022

What are Independent Review Committees (IRCs)

By |February 3rd, 2022|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On January 26, WGOB hosted their first Speaker Series virtual event in 2022, sponsored by Blackrock Canada. The panel provided an in-depth explanation of Independent Review Committees (IRCs), explored their unique and essential role in the financial services industry and offered advice for prospective IRC candidates. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director & Founder and CEO, kicked off the panel by introducing Eleanor McIntyre, Managing Director, Chief Operating Officer at BlackRock Canada. To begin the conversation, Eleanor provided an overview of the topic and introduced the panel moderator, Martha Fell. Martha—who is the Chair of the Independent Review Committee at BlackRock Canada —went on to introduce the panel, which included: Merle Kriss: Principal at Kriss & Associates Ltd. & Chair, Independent Review Committee at SEI, Canada Marcia Lewis Brown: Consultant, Chair, Independent [...]

2501, 2022

#ESGMatters : Poonam Puri

By |January 25th, 2022|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Poonam Puri is a global authority on corporate governance, financial markets regulation and ESG.  A seasoned corporate director, practicing corporate/securities lawyer, former regulator, and tenured professor of business law, Poonam currently serves on the boards of CAPREIT, Propel Holdings, and the Canada Infrastructure Bank. She is also vice-chair of the board of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto. A strategic thinker, Poonam is committed to innovation, inclusive excellence, ethical leadership and good governance. Poonam has been recognized as one of Canada's top 25 most influential lawyers and was recently recognized with the Royal Society of Canada’s Allaire Medal for excellence in governances, as well as a BMO Celebrating Women On Boards Honouree in 2021. How did your academic background relate to your first board appointment? My first appointment was at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, known as Pearson Airport. In 2008, I got a completely unexpected [...]

2401, 2022

The Power of Trust

By |January 24th, 2022|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

In my over 35 years as an executive, corporate director and entrepreneur, one force has made a difference more than any other: trust. I have consistently noticed the potent power of trust at the boardroom table and beyond. To help new and experienced board members dig deeper into this topic, I wrote this blog that shares practical insights on: What is trust? Why trust is important for boards My 6 Cs of trust What is trust? At its most basic level, trust is “the belief that someone or something is reliable, good, honest, and effective.”  But what does that mean in practical terms? Essentially, trust is an understanding that you can rely on someone else to do what they say they’ll do and act with your best interests at heart. Trust is a critical element of success, personally and professionally. As John Kador explains in Corporate Board Member magazine, [...]

401, 2022

#BoardDiversity Matters: Agents of Change-we profile our two members, Alyssa Barry & Caroline Sawamoto on how they are advancing board diversity:

By |January 4th, 2022|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Agents of Change: Alyssa Barry and Caroline Sawamoto, Principals & Co-Founders of irlabs Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. This is the first installment of Agents of Change, our new series that profiles women in the WGOB community who are taking exemplary actions to champion board diversity. Alyssa Barry and Caroline Sawamoto, Principals & Co-Founders at irlabs, specialize in shareholder communications and driving change on corporate boards. With decades of experience in investor relations and shareholder activism, the pair understand exactly what it takes to advocate for diversity at a board level and make a lasting impact. Caroline and Alyssa have funnelled that knowledge and passion into their new investor relations firm, irlabs. The company is only six months old, but it has already made a big splash on the Canadian business landscape. Their robust business model has [...]

401, 2022

#mythreewords for 2022

By |January 4th, 2022|Deborah Rosati Blog|1 Comment

#My3words for 2022 are light, lift and laugh.Before I tell you why I chose these words, let me tell you what #my3words means. In 2015, I read about Chris Brogan’s idea of choosing 3 words each New Year. I’ve been choosing my own 3 words ever since (read my full list below). These 3 words serve as guideposts for my path and my choices for the upcoming year. They help me keep my goals and values at the front and centre of everything I do. They remind me to work on things that matter and cast-off actions that don’t move the needle.I encourage everyone in my network to set their 3 words for 2022. Let them influence your actions and choices to push your goals forward. Write them down. Post them everywhere. Schedule reminders in your calendar. Most of all, make them a part of your everyday decision-making process.Here’s what #my3words [...]

1512, 2021

#BoardDiversityMatters: Leanna Falkiner is a “next-gen” director on the rise

By |December 15th, 2021|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Leanna Falkiner, MSc, ICD.D, serves on the boards of Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit Union and the North York General Hospital Foundation. Leanna is CEO of evoQ International, a strategy consultancy focused on helping companies across the financial services sector excel in the digital economy. Research shows that board diversity generates better financial performance, improves overall decision-making, and encourages innovation. That’s why our mission at Women Get on Board Inc. (WGOB) is to get more women on boards. We are passionate about improving representation across boards, including those of diverse gender, ethnicity, experience, age and experience. We launched this #BoardDiversityMatters series to profile diversity champions among our members. Today’s blog profiles Leanna Falkiner MSc, ICD.D, a younger corporate director on the rise. Age diversity is an issue that is gaining merit in today’s boardroom as discussions necessitate new perspectives and areas of expertise. Younger board members often [...]

1412, 2021

Corporate Governance in Transition

By |December 14th, 2021|Publications|0 Comments

Our founding Corporate Partner, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt released its publication "Corporate governance in transition." In corporate governance, 2021 was characterized by continued use of virtual meetings, a rapid acceleration in the importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, an ongoing search for new tools and guidance for corporate governance, and a renewed focus on dual class share structures. Read the full publication here: Corporate Governance in Transition

1412, 2021

Audit Committee Guide – Canadian Edition

By |December 14th, 2021|Publications|0 Comments

Our EMPOWER Partner, KPMG LLP, has released its Audit Committee Guide – Canadian Edition. This is a practical guide providing insight into current challenges and leading practices shaping audit committee effectiveness in Canada.Read the full publication here: Audit Committee Guide – Canadian Edition

112, 2021

The Board Imperative: Purpose-driven leadership

By |December 1st, 2021|Publications|0 Comments

Our sponsor MNP LLP, of our recent WGOB Speaker Series on November 30, 2021 - just published their white paper on The Board Imperative Purpose-Driven Leadership authored by Mary Larson, ICD.D, National Leader, Organizational Renewal Practice. Read the full publication here: The Board Imperative: Purpose-driven leadership

112, 2021

The Power of Mentorship

By |December 1st, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

IntroductionSince beginning my professional career over 35 years ago, I have seen the power of mentorship to affect meaningful, real-world change in advancing gender diversity in the boardroom. In fact, mentorship is one reason I launched Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) in the first place. By creating a community of women corporate directors and aspiring women corporate directors, mentorship relationships have organically occurred and helped more women get on boards. To further the power of mentorship to promote women leaders and accelerate their board journey, we launched the WGOB Mentorship Program.In this blog, I want to share what I’ve learned about mentorship so that you can harness this power in your career and board journey. I will share practical insights on:Mentorship vs. SponsorshipThe True Power of MentorshipFinding a MentorTips for Effective Mentorship RelationshipsMentorship vs. SponsorshipPeople often ask me what is the difference between “mentorship” and “sponsorship”? Simply, mentorship is about advising. Mentors [...]

2811, 2021

Shareholder Activism: What Independent Directors Need to Know

By |November 28th, 2021|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On November 17, WGOB hosted a virtual event sponsored by our National Strategic Partner Gowling WLG. Leading experts offered advice on successfully addressing shareholder activism as an independent director in a panel discussion format. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director, Founder & CEO of WGOB, kicked off the panel by introducing the moderator, Gregory Peterson. Gregory is a senior partner at Gowling WLG, where he leads the firm’s Corporate Finance, M&A and Private Equity Group in the firm’s Calgary office. To begin the conversation, Gregory introduced the members of the panel, who both possess extensive experience navigating the realm of shareholder activism: Alyssa Barry, Principal & Co-Founder of irlabs Jacob Cawker, Partner at Gowling WLG The panellists opened the webinar by discussing the indicators that may suggest to a firm that shareholder activism is on the horizon. If [...]

2311, 2021

Board Diversity: Are You an Agent of Change?

By |November 23rd, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

It still surprises me that there has not been more progress in corporate Canada to add more women to TSX-listed boards. It has been seven years since the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) implemented disclosure rules mandating that TSX-listed companies "comply or explain" their board diversity figures. The move was intended to lead to positive changes in how corporate boards recruit new board members. According to the recent Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt report, 2021 Diversity Disclosure Practices, 23.4 % of board seats among TSX listed companies in 2020  have women on their boards, increasing almost 2% since 2019. This increase shows some progress but is still lagging in gender parity and the Canadian government’s 50-30 Challenge. The 50-30 Challenge acts as a framework to accelerate diversity actions in many Canadian organizations and encourage other Canadian organizations to adopt practices to improve equity. According to the same report, "Few companies have achieved gender [...]

311, 2021

Overseeing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Matters

By |November 3rd, 2021|Publications|0 Comments

The focus on ESG matters is continuing to grow, with increased attention being paid by a wide variety of stakeholders. Boards need to be knowledgeable and engaged in the oversight of ESG matters." In our Affiliate Partner CPA Canada's recent publication, Overseeing environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters: A framework for boards, the company provides a practical step-by-step approach that boards at any stage of their ESG oversight journey can benefit from in their oversight of ESG matters. Download your copy today! Overseeing environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters

1510, 2021

Preparing for a Board Interview

By |October 15th, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Introduction According to a Harvard Business Review article called "Research: When Women Are on Boards, Male CEOs Are Less Overconfident," having more women on boards yields better results for shareholders because having female board members helps temper the overall confidence of male CEOs. As CEO and Founder of Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB), my goal, quite simply, is to get one more woman on a board, one woman at a time. In my over 35 years as an executive, corporate director and entrepreneur, I have observed that many women face the same stumbling block as they work to secure their first board seat: acing their board interview. While women are less overconfident on boards, they also tend to be less confident in their interviews. What's the solution? Preparation. Today I want to share my board interview preparation guide with you: Understand how a board interview works Understand how [...]

1410, 2021

Elevating Your Board Effectiveness

By |October 14th, 2021|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On October 5th, WGOB held a virtual webinar on Elevating Your Board Effectiveness. The event was sponsored by BMO, WGOB's national strategic partner. The session provided practical insights, intelligence and tools to empower women with the skills and confidence to lead and serve on boards. Sheri Griffiths, Senior Vice President & Head of Ontario Canadian Commercial Banking at BMO & Executive Sponsor, BMO for Women, kicked off the event. "At BMO, we have a rich history of supporting women. We are furthering this with initiatives like the BMO Celebrating Women Grant Program and the BMO Women in Leadership Fund. In addition, we are proud to partner with Women Get On Board," Sheri said. Sheri introduced Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director, Founder, and CEO of WGOB. Deborah began the event with a presentation on Elevating Your Board [...]

2909, 2021

Getting Climate Change on the Board Agenda: Directors share their strategies

By |September 29th, 2021|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On September 14th, we held our virtual WGOB Virtual Speaker Series sponsored by the Canada Climate Law Initiative (CCLI). This virtual event featured a panel discussion about how to get climate change on the board agenda. Directors are increasingly aware that policymakers and regulators view the management of climate-related financial risks as a core business issue. The question is how to get the board's attention on these issues, given the rapidly developing dangers of climate change. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director, Founder, and CEO of WGOB, kicked off the event with a warm welcome and introduced the moderator, Liane Langstaff. Liane is an environmental lawyer in Gowling WLG's Toronto office, practicing in the areas of environmental litigation, environmental assessments and climate change. "Human influence has warmed the atmosphere at an unprecedented rate. [...]

2809, 2021

Building Your Board Resume FAQs

By |September 28th, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

In my over 35 years as an executive, corporate director, entrepreneur and CEO of Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB), there is one question that I am asked more than any other: "How do I build my board resume?" This is not a straight forward question. Your board resume should be an ongoing dynamic document. It will change as you gain board experience and apply for different board opportunities. That's why I've written this blog today—to help you build your best board resume. In it, I'll address the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) I get asked about building your board resume, including: What is the difference between a career resume and a board resume? Do I need governance education to serve on a board? What if I don't have the specific experience a board is looking for? What should my board resume include? How should I optimize my board [...]

809, 2021

Are You Diversifying Your Board Portfolio?

By |September 8th, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

When I began my board journey, I didn’t consider the importance of diversifying my board portfolio. A board portfolio is the different boards you lead and serve. Similar to your investment portfolio, you should be strategic in developing your board portfolio. It should reflect your risk profile and the stage of your board career. Additionally, you should regularly monitor and review your board portfolio to ensure you are getting a positive return. When thinking of diversifying your board portfolio, here are three critical areas for consideration: Consider the Evolution of Your Board Journey To evaluate the evolution of your board journey, first, consider the size and stage of the boards you serve. For example, if you join the board of an emerging company, the director’s role is often a value-add role that is hands-on. As the company matures, your board expectation will evolve to more of an oversight role. To better [...]

209, 2021

Christine Gillespie, Corporate Director

By |September 2nd, 2021|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Christine Gillespie ICD.D, MBA, is a corporate director who has served on the boards of Neptune Bulk Terminals, the Calgary Economic Development Board, and the Highbanks Society.  She has additionally served on several subsidiary and joint-venture boards in both fertilizer and ocean shipping in Europe and North Africa. Ms Gillespie is VP, Transportation, Distribution and Logistics with Nutrien in Calgary. What drove your interest in serving on boards? Board service enriches and enhances my professional experience. I've had a long and rich career with Nutrien and wanted to understand how other leaders thought and approached the same types of business problems from the perspective of a different organizational culture. I also really value board service as a way to give back to my community through my service with Calgary Economic Development and the Highbanks Society. When did you start engaging with ESG-related issues?  When I [...]

1708, 2021

WGOB and irlabs Research of TSX New Listings

By |August 17th, 2021|Media|0 Comments

In connection with our partnership with irlabs, we analyzed gender diversity on the board of directors for all new listings on the TSX from January 1, 2021 to August 15, 2021 and our results are featured in the Globe and Mail article. Read the full article here: WGOB and irlabs research of TSX New Listings

1708, 2021

Joint PR irlabs and WGOB Partnership

By |August 17th, 2021|Media|0 Comments

We are excited to announce our Affiliate Partnership with irlabs to promote board diversity in North America. IR Labs Inc. (“irlabs”), a dynamic and innovative investor relations firm. To learn more about our announcement: Joint PR irlabs and WGOB Partnership

1608, 2021

Savvy Director Guide to Strategic Planning

By |August 16th, 2021|Publications|0 Comments

Our Affiliate Partner, DirectorPrep.com just published their Savvy Director Guide to Strategic Planning - this is adapted from The Savvy Director blog A Fork in the Road – The Director’s Role in Strategy posted June 21, 2020. Read the full publication here: Savvy Director Guide to Strategic Planning

1108, 2021

Top 10 Tips to Help You in Your Journey to a Corporate Board

By |August 11th, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Being a Corporate Director is much different from being an executive. A Corporate Director’s role is one of oversight, whereas an executive’s role is to manage day-to-day operations. Getting yourself board-ready is a journey where you need to be realistic in the skills, experience and value you bring to a board. It would help if you also were mindful that it is a very competitive marketplace. There is an over-supply of qualified Corporate Directors for a limited supply of available corporate board seats. As Founder & CEO of Women Get On Board and as a leading and serving Corporate Director, my social purpose is to empower more women on corporate boards with my top 10 tips to help you in your journey to a corporate board: 1. Be fearless — use your confidence to embrace change. Be independent-minded and stand up for what you believe in. Do the right thing [...]

2307, 2021

Guide: Stacking Your Board for Diversity

By |July 23rd, 2021|Publications|0 Comments

In the publication "Guide: Stacking Your Board for Diversity," created in collaboration by our Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati and our Affiliate Partner Apical, this guide shows a critical step to ensuring that board diversity creates a pipeline of qualified, skilled, and experienced candidates from designated groups. Read the full publication here: Guide: Stacking Your Board for Diversity

2007, 2021

Jonathan Goodman, Corporate Director

By |July 20th, 2021|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Jonathan Goodman, P.Eng, CFA, MBA has over 30 years mining investment and operating experience. He is Chairman and CEO of Dundee Corporation; President and CEO of Dundee Goodman Merchant Partners and Chairman of Dundee Precious Metals Board of Directors. In each of these roles he leverages deep financial, business and operations expertise along with his passion to de-risk and develop strong, sustainable mining companies, enhance social responsibility, increase their value and ultimately achieve significant returns for investors and sustainable benefits for stakeholders. What was the key driver for Dundee’s ESG strategy? With ESG in the mining sector, the outcomes are binary. You either have a mine or you don’t – and if you don’t do ESG well, then you won’t have a mine. How did Dundee approach developing its ESG strategy? It starts with an investment theme. The two big investment themes that we see [...]

2306, 2021

Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee Matters

By |June 23rd, 2021|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On June 10, WGOB hosted a digital webinar in partnership with Gowling WLG. The webinar featured a panel discussion, as well as breakout networking groups. The panel offered advice for board directors on matters related to nominating and corporate governance committees. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director, Founder & CEO of WGOB, kicked off the panel by introducing the moderator, Alison Gray. Alison is a partner at Gowling, where she maintains her diverse commercial litigation practice. She also serves on the boards of the Association of Women Lawyers and Calgary Legal Guidance. To begin the conversation, Alison introduced the members of the panel: Judith Athaide: Professional engineer and corporate board director Patricia McLeod: Lawyer and corporate board director Gregory Peterson: Senior partner at Gowling WLG The discussion focused on exploring the role [...]

2705, 2021

The Great Chair

By |May 27th, 2021|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On May 11th, we held our virtual WGOB Virtual Speaker Series sponsored by DirectorPrep.com. This virtual event featured a digital fireside chat about Brian Hayward’s new book, The Great Chair. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director, Founder, and CEO of WGOB, kicked off the panel by introducing interviewer Scott Baldwin, Co-Founder of DirectorPrep.com. Throughout his career as a certified board director and his work at DirectorPrep.com, Scott has gained critical insights on governance for private companies and non-profit boards. Scott introduced Brian Hayward, President of Aldare Resources and author of The Great Chair, an insightful take on effective board governance and the importance of strong board chairs. With nearly four decades of experience governing organizations, Brian brought practical advice and insights for board members—especially chairs. It is well understood that a [...]

2005, 2021

The Power of Giving

By |May 20th, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|1 Comment

I often reflect on this quote: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." I have noticed the profound and powerful truth of these words. In my 35 years as an executive, corporate director and entrepreneur, I have observed that one of the most powerful forces in the world is the power of giving. Giving motivates, delights, inspires and moves people. I have learned never to underestimate the value of giving with a generous heart. In this blog, I will discuss: Giving and taking in business Doing well by doing good Principles for giving generously and receiving graciously Giving and taking in business In Adam Grant's landmark book, Give and Take, he explores the power of giving in the context of the business landscape. Grant breaks the world down into three categories of people: Givers, Takers, and Matchers. Takers are people [...]

1905, 2021

Mary Larson, Corporate Director

By |May 19th, 2021|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Mary Larson, ICD.D, is a Partner with MNP’s Consulting Services group in Montreal. She is the National Lead of the Organizational Renewal Practice for the Firm, and also co-leads the ESG Service Line. Mary helps clients clarify and build alignment around their strategies, build leadership capacity, and embed cultures that foster outstanding execution. She is board chair of McGill’s School for Continuing Studies, a former board member of Prostate Cancer Canada and vice-president of the University Club of Montreal. She co-founded the International Women’s Forum in Canada. What ESG trends are you seeing in small and mid- cap companies? While people are very concerned about ESG, particularly around reporting and compliance, they are only beginning to look at ESG as a business issue for board consideration. This is understandable given the plethora of competing different standards and frameworks that they confront. Organizations can become paralyzed [...]

2204, 2021

Are You Ready for Public Service Boards?

By |April 22nd, 2021|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On April 13th, we held our virtual WGOB Speaker Series sponsored by Odgers Berndtson. This virtual speaker series featured a panel format to provide an in-depth look at public sector boards. Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director, Founder & CEO of WGOB kicked off the panel by introducing the moderator, Elaine Roper, Head of Board Practice at Odgers Berndtson. Elaine introduced the two panelists: Wendy Kei, Board Chair at Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) Barbara Kieley, Retired Partner at Ernst & Young At WGOB, we are often asked about public sector boards. These boards—which oversee government-funded agencies and crown corporations at various levels of government—offer rewarding opportunities to tackle complex governance and business issues. But how do you navigate your way onto a public sector board? And what can you expect from your public [...]

2104, 2021

The Power of Sponsorship

By |April 21st, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|1 Comment

I often hear that women need more mentorship from men and women leaders to advance their careers. While this is true, women need more than mentorship alone. Women need sponsorship, too! Mentorship vs. sponsorship What is the difference between “mentorship” and “sponsorship”? There are a few critical distinctions between the roles. Mentorship is about advising. They help by guiding behind the scenes. Sponsorship, on the other hand, is about acting. Sponsors support individuals they believe in by publicly advocating them when they are not in the room. In her Harvard Business Review article, organizational behaviour expert Herminia Ibarra succinctly describes the difference between sponsorship and mentorship. She writes, “While a mentor is someone who has the knowledge and will share it with you, a sponsor is a person who has power and will use it for you.” In her New York Times op-ed, Sylvia Ann Hewlett explains the difference between sponsors and [...]

604, 2021

The Innovation Agenda: Governing with a Digital-First Mindset

By |April 6th, 2021|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board Inc. (WGOB) is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. On March 23, WGOB hosted a digital webinar in collaboration with their National Strategic Partner, KPMG LLP. The topic of the webinar was the innovation agenda and how to govern with a digital-first mindset.Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Founder & CEO of WGOB, kicked off the virtual event by introducing the moderator, Armughan Ahmad, President & Managing Partner, Digital, KPMG LLP. Armughan introduced the following panelists:Katherine Emberly, President, Business at Shaw CommunicationsJane Skoblo, CPA, CITP, ICD.D, Independent Corporate DirectorPamela Steer, FCA, FCPA, CFA, Former Chief Strategy and Financial Officer at Payments CanadaArmughan began the panel discussion with the bold idea that "digital success is now starting in the boardroom." With technology evolving more quickly than ever before, it has never been more integral for board members to understand their role in [...]

1703, 2021

New Complexities in Governance: How Board of Directors are Managing the Rise of Artificial Intelligence

By |March 17th, 2021|Media|1 Comment

By Denise Carpenter, ICD.D In the modern Boardroom, it is essential to increase your Board’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) visibility and fluency. It’s just good governance. Before diving in from a Board perspective, it’s important to define AI. AI systems used by businesses today are highly efficient and powerful prediction engines. AI generates predictions based on data sets selected by engineers and subject matter experts, who use them to train and feed algorithms that are, in turn, optimized on articulated goals — most often — by those developers. However, engineers designing these systems are not typically tasked with building in guardrails for effective use or ensuring that systems operate within the law or corporate strategies. That’s where Boards come in. There are several angles from which a Board, its committees and directors can approach AI. First, a Board should view this matter from a traditional compliance, strategic planning, legal and [...]

1203, 2021

Sheila Leggett, Corporate Director

By |March 12th, 2021|Member Showcase|0 Comments

There are tremendous drivers for boards to provide governance oversight on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.  However, getting ESG on the board agenda is challenging at the best of times, let alone when companies are fighting for survival.  And yet, there are  women leaders who are doing just that: identifying opportunities and solutions that align with their corporate strategy. In this Women Get On Board  (WGOB) member showcase series, we will shine a light on those governance leaders and the steps they took to identify meaningful, achievable ESG opportunities.  This month’s WGOB member profile features Sheila Leggett, who has worked at the interface of energy and the environment throughout her career. She has served on a variety of corporate, not for profit and government agency boards. Sheila is currently the Chair of the International Organization for Standardization Committee responsible for the ISO 14000 environmental [...]

703, 2021

The Power of Connection

By |March 7th, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Did you know the power of connection can be a one of the most effective paths to accomplishing your goals in business and beyond? Specifically, the path to success is authentic connection with people in your network. However, the very idea of networking and connection can be intimidating. The good news is that connection doesn’t just happen at awkward events. In fact, it is happening right now, everywhere—online, at work, and in your social life.  Even when we are not consciously networking, we are still connecting. Meaningful connections can happen anywhere, from a virtual conference, to a LinkedIn post, to the person next to you in your yoga class. The question is: how can you connect more intentionally to build and grow your network? And once you do, how can you use the power of those connections to meet your goals? Allow me to offer a few ideas that [...]

603, 2021

360° Governance: Where are the Directors in a World in Crisis?

By |March 6th, 2021|Publications|0 Comments

Sponsored by: Michael Lee-Chin Family Institute for Corporate Citizenship- By: Peter Dey and Sarah Kaplan “The guidelines proposed in this document on “360° Governance” are aimed at giving clarity about how boards can effectively consider the interests of all stakeholders and the rights of Indigenous Peoples in their decision making. They reflect the current environment and a similar sense that, as in 1994, Canada must upgrade its governance standards or risk being left behind. The guidelines also reflect our understanding, from research and consultations, of the issues that boards are facing in the 21st century and the best practices for addressing them. Our exercise is very similar to the exercise which produced the Dey Report: identify current issues of governance; study how boards of directors respond to these issues; identify the best practices in responding; and organize the best practices into a series of guidelines available for boards to [...]

2202, 2021

IP Questions Directors Should Ask

By |February 22nd, 2021|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. That’s why we’ve launched the Women Get On Board Virtual Speaker Series, focused on topics that are essential for boards to be more effective in their roles. For our most recent speaker series on February 11, 2021, Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director & Founder and CEO of Women Get On Board introduced Natalie Giroux, Managing Director of Stratford Intellectual Property. An intellectual property (IP) expert with deep technical knowledge and strong business insights, Natalie brings extensive experience in strategic IP management, network performance engineering, traffic management, and technical due diligence. A vital role of any director is to be strategic about the protection of the company’s intellectual property. “IP is one of the most valuable assets of any company,” said Natalie. IP does not only refer to patents. It encompasses [...]

1502, 2021

Board Diversity: Are You an Agent of Change?

By |February 15th, 2021|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

It still surprises me that there has been little change in corporate Canada to add more women to TSX listed boards. “Either corporate Canada changes its culture, or it'll have to justify to shareholders why it's deliberately weakening its own bottom line.” Jennifer Stewart & Catherine Clark Women Get On Board was recently referenced in this article from the Ottawa Citizen, which speaks to the four ways to advance more women to boards: 1-Set targets 2-Develop a board skills matrix 3-Get help 4-Move the needle It has been six years since the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) implemented disclosure rules mandating that TSX-listed companies “comply or explain” their board diversity figures. The move was intended to lead to positive changes in how corporate boards recruit new board members. However, according to the recent Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt report, 2020 Diversity Disclosure Practices, just over 20% of directors serving on corporate boards in 2019 [...]

2601, 2021

Thinking About Executive & Director Compensation Beyond COVID-19

By |January 26th, 2021|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board is a member-based company that connects, promotes and empowers women to corporate boards. That’s why we’ve launched the Women Get On Board Virtual Speaker Series, focused on topics that are essential for boards to be more effective in their roles. For our most recent speaker series on January 12, 2021, Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, Corporate Director & Founder and CEO of Women Get On Board introduced Paul Gryglewicz, Head of Canada & Senior Partner at Global Governance Advisors. A recognized expert in executive compensation, governance and risk, Paul brings a wealth of experience in providing boards of directors and senior management teams with advisory and technology solutions. As organizations look back on 2020 and consider executive compensation, directors are in uncharted territory. “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has either harmed businesses dramatically or has potentially helped businesses accelerate their growth and their successes [...]

501, 2021

2021 Roadmap for Nominating and Governance Committees by Beverly Behan

By |January 5th, 2021|Publications|0 Comments

We are pleased to share our Affiliate Partner, Board Advisor LLC, latest publication authored by Beverly A. Behan “2021 Roadmap for Nominating and Governance Committees” covers the following: Hot topics: Board Diversity, Director Orientation, and Director Performance Management New tools:  Board 2.0 and The New Director 360 Key Questions for the 2021 Board Evaluation Read the full publication here: 2021 Roadmap for Nominating and Governance Committees by Beverly Behan

2912, 2020

Elevating Your Board Effectiveness: Emotional Intelligence in the Boardroom

By |December 29th, 2020|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

In my 20th year of serving on corporate boards, I wrote a blog called “Emotional Intelligence in the Board Room.” Today, I am writing about the topic once again as the second blog in my “Elevating Your Board Effectiveness” series. If you haven’t yet, you can read the first blog in the series here: “Finding Your Voice in the Board Room.” The reason that I am reintroducing the topic of emotional intelligence is that in my decades of  board service, I have observed that emotional intelligence is one of the most important and least discussed boardroom skills. What is emotional intelligence? According to Daniel Goleman, the American psychologist who popularized the concept, emotional intelligence is “the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what they’re feeling, what their emotions mean, and how [...]

3011, 2020

Elevating Your Board Effectiveness: Finding Your Voice in the Boardroom

By |November 30th, 2020|Deborah Rosati Blog|3 Comments

When corporate board have gender diversity, businesses see better results. For example, a Canadian study of 6,000 boards found that gender-balanced boards have more varied viewpoints and lead to higher effectiveness and decreased financial irregularities. That’s why Women Get On Board’s mandate is to connect, promote and empower women to corporate boards. I am pleased to announce that to further Women Get On Board’s mandate, I am launching a new blog series called Elevating Your Board Effectiveness. Building on my e-book “How to Get Yourself On a Board”, the Elevating Your Board Effectiveness series will provide practical insights, intelligence and tools to empower women with the skills and confidence to lead and serve on boards. Today’s blog launches the first of the Elevating Board Effectiveness series and is about Finding Your Voice in the Boardroom.  As I wrote in my 2018 blog called “Finding Your Voice at the Boardroom Table”, it can be [...]

1911, 2020

Bonnie Chwartacki, Corporate Director

By |November 19th, 2020|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Bonnie Chwartacki is an experienced Corporate Board Director with a wide spectrum of boardroom knowledge in corporate, public sector and not-for-profit organizations. She serves on the board of Cambrian Credit Union, Women’s Enterprise Center of Manitoba, and Youth Employment Services of Manitoba (YES Manitoba). Bonnie recently retired from her role as President of People Corporation, a publicly traded company and leading national provider of human resource solutions. Previously, she held senior roles in the financial services sector. How did your career arc in financial services and then as the President of a publicly traded company lead you towards a board path? I had been approached by various boards throughout my business career. However, my career always had a very large business travel component. With the combination of my career commitment, along with my family and personal obligations, I was very conscious of balancing my work [...]

2210, 2020

Denise Carpenter, Corporate Director

By |October 22nd, 2020|Member Showcase|1 Comment

Denise Carpenter, ICD.D, is an executive coach and experienced board director. She is Chair of the Board of Oshawa Hydro Inc. and EnerFORGE, a non-regulated renewable energy company that develops, constructs, and operates clean energy generation across Ontario. She is also Chair of the Board for Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, a social enterprise which provides young Canadians opportunities through sport, music and food, and a Director of Toronto Ronald McDonald House. Denise is also a Member of the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Climate Strategy Advisory Board. How has COVID-19 impacted your experience of board service? Directors have really leaned in and brought their whole selves to the table. They tend to be focused on questions like: what's the situation today and tomorrow? What is in front of us? What is around the corner? What are the risks and the options? Do we have the right [...]

2010, 2020

How to Build Diverse and Inclusive Boards

By |October 20th, 2020|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board is a member-based company that connects, promotes, and empowers women to corporate boards. That’s why we’ve launched the Women Get On Board Virtual Speaker Series, focused on topics that are essential for boards to be more effective in their roles. Last month, we chatted with Beverly Behan, President of Board Advisor LLC and author of Board and Director Evaluations, a Practical Guide for Governance Committees, about How to Successfully Evaluate Your Board and its Directors. In the second speaker session of our series, our Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D spoke with Cathy Logue, FCPA, FCA, who is the Managing Director, Global Practice Leader, CFO & Finance of Stanton Chase. Stanton Chase is a retained executive search firm, established in 1990 and with over 75 offices in 45 countries. The topic of the session was board composition and renewal, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. “Board [...]

710, 2020

2020 Diversity Disclosure Practices Report

By |October 7th, 2020|Publications|0 Comments

Our founding Corporate Partner, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt has issued their sixth annual report - 2020 Diversity Disclosure Practices Report. Along with their survey results, this report highlights notable developments over the past year, which includes the advancement of women accompanied by an expanded focus into other facets of diversity. This year new disclosure requirements under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) broadened the range of corporations required to provide disclosure regarding women in leadership positions and added new requirements for disclosure regarding visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities. Read the full report here: 2020 Diversity Disclosure Practices

2109, 2020

How to Successfully Evaluate your Board and its Directors

By |September 21st, 2020|Event Blog|1 Comment

Women Get On Board is a member-based company that connects, promotes, and empowers women to corporate boards. That’s why we’ve launched our very first Women Get On Board Virtual Speaker Series, focused on topics that are essential for boards to be more effective in their roles. To kick off this series, our Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati introduced Beverly Behan, President of Board Advisor LLC. Beverly advises Boards of Directors of S&P 1500 companies and other boards of listed companies around the world and is an expert on board and director evaluations. Her upcoming book, Board and Director Evaluations, a Practical Guide for Governance Committees, will be released on Amazon later this year. All participants in the session received a PDF Advance Reader Copy of the new book. “Most directors want to be on a great board. Most chairs want to lead a great board. CEOs and executive teams [...]

1409, 2020

Anar Shamji Popatia, Corporate Director

By |September 14th, 2020|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Anar Shamji Popatia, ICD.D, serves on numerous boards and advisory councils, including Consumer Protection BC, the Vancouver Foundation and Canuck Place Children’s Hospice with previous appointments to the Multicultural Advisory Council, amongst many others. She is a partner in a family practice with Assante Wealth Management after 15 years in consulting and business development with Dun & Bradstreet working with multi-size companies in a wide range of industries. Anar is a recipient of the BMO Celebrates Women on Boards Award for empowering women to lead in corporate governance and the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award in recognition of her leadership in community engagement. What inspired you to pursue board work? I wanted to give back because Canada had been so good to me.  I purposely chose to be on boards to develop my leadership skills, and to be on boards for organizations whose vision, [...]

909, 2020

Conquering Confidence: Overcoming Insecurities and Imposter Syndrome in Your Professional Life

By |September 9th, 2020|Podcasts|0 Comments

In our second WGOB LumiQ Speaker Series, Women Get On Board member Cybele Negris discusses her struggles with public speaking and overcoming imposter syndrome, and her experience as a leader in the technology space. Listen to the full podcast here: Conquering Confidence: Overcoming Insecurities and Imposter Syndrome in Your Professional Life

2608, 2020

Getting on Your First Corporate Board

By |August 26th, 2020|Podcasts|0 Comments

Elaine Roper, Partner in the Odgers Berndtson Board Practice and Women Get On Board Member, and Deborah Rosati, Founder & CEO of Women Get On Board Inc. share practical advice on: -Understanding the recruitment process and how best prepare -Building & articulating your board value proposition -Creating your board profile -Mapping your network and finding board opportunities Listen to the full webinar here: Getting on Your First Corporate Board

2508, 2020

How to Get Yourself on a Board: Ace Your Board Interview

By |August 25th, 2020|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

According to a Harvard Business Review article called “Research: When Women Are on Boards, Male CEOs Are Less Overconfident”, having more women on boards yields better results for shareholders because “having female board members helps temper the overall confidence of male CEOs, improving overall decision making for the company.” Women Get On Board supports the findings of this study: having more women on boards leads to better results for the businesses they represent. That is why our mandate is to connect, promote, and empower more women to corporate boards. It’s also why I am sharing my board advice in this 4-part series called “How to Get Yourself on a Board.” If you have been following the first 3 blogs in this series, you have learned how to “Master the Foundations”, “Position Your Board Offer”, and “Get Board Interviews”. The final blog in this series ties all of these elements [...]

1408, 2020

Ellen Pekilis, Corporate Director

By |August 14th, 2020|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Ellen Pekilis is a lawyer and an independent board director with expertise in governance, risk manage-ment, corporate social responsibility, and strategic planning. She has held senior leadership and man-agement roles in legal and professional services, has global M & A and post-acquisition integration expe-rience, and writes about governance and women in leadership for Women Get On Board and LexisNexis. Currently, Ellen is a member of the boards of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Oikocredit Canada, and Endeavour Consulting for Non-Profits. She previously served on the board (Council) of the College of Optometrists of Ontario. What’s your background? I started off in environmental law before moving to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to work on the ISO 14000 international standards development program. I found it inspirational because not only was it a method that companies could use to voluntarily manage their [...]

1008, 2020

How to Get Yourself on a Board: Get Board Interviews

By |August 10th, 2020|Deborah Rosati Blog|1 Comment

In recent years, businesses have begun to realize that gender diversity on boards makes a big difference. For example, one study of 6,000 boards found that gender-balanced boards are less likely to have financial irregularities because having different viewpoints and opinions leads to increased effectiveness.Women Get On Board’s mandate is to connect, promote, and empower women to corporate boards. We do this through an engaged community of women and men in Canada committed to advancing gender diversity in the boardroom. However, as I wrote in my blog post called “Are You Board-Ready”, “getting yourself board-ready is a journey where you need to be realistic in your skills, experience and value you bring to a board. You also need to be mindful that it is a very competitive marketplace. There is an over-supply of qualified corporate directors for a limited supply of available corporate board seats.” That’s why I am sharing my [...]

2707, 2020

How to Get Yourself on a Board: Position Your Board Offer

By |July 27th, 2020|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

According to an Osler research report called “2019 Diversity Disclosure Practices: Women in leadership roles at TSX-listed companies”, “Women now hold over 18.1% of board seats among companies disclosing the number of women on their boards, the highest proportion yet and a 50% increase compared to 2015 (when it was 12%).” That’s why Women Get on Board’s mandate it to connect, promote, and empower women to corporate boards. To help more women on their board journey, I have launched a 4-part blog series called How to Get Yourself on Board. If you read the first post of the series, you’ve mastered board basics. With this foundation, you’re ready for the next step in your board journey. The second blog in this series is all about how to position your board offer and it will provide practical insights on how to: 1. Assess your board readiness 2. Identify the right [...]

2407, 2020

Leanna Falkiner, Corporate Director

By |July 24th, 2020|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Leanna Falkiner, MSc, ICD.D, serves on the boards of Coast Capital Savings and the North York General Foundation. Her previous directorships include Greenock Resources, Inc. (TSX-V: GKR) and Crossroads International. Leanna is CEO of evoQ International, a strategy consultancy focused on helping financial services companies achieve top performance. What inspired you to pursue a board position? Boards are increasingly tasked with navigating through complex decisions. I'm motivated by the continual evolution of the board governance agenda and how my skill set can assist boards in tackling these issues. I'm a growth architect who specializes in helping businesses harness disruption to boost profitable growth. My passion and skills lie in expertly unlocking market opportunities, architecting large-scale growth and transformative strategies that build brand equity, and position firms to excel in the digital economy. Navigating complex environments energizes me. It’s a tremendous privilege to see a company [...]

1407, 2020

How to Get Yourself on a Board: Master the Foundations

By |July 14th, 2020|Deborah Rosati Blog|1 Comment

Serving on a board can be an incredibly rewarding experience—and it’s one of the best ways to advance your career. Board service has both personal and professional benefits, including opportunities to:Build your network and personal brandGive back to organizations with meaningful missionsLearn different perspectives that can be applied to your existing rolesGet sponsored for governance education programs (e.g., ICD.D, C.Dir or CDI.D)Develop governance leadership skillsGet access to new knowledge, skills, perspectives, management styles, corporate cultures, business models, mentors, and connectionsAs you can see, serving on a board is a meaningful way to build your career and enrich your network. However, securing a coveted board position is not an easy task. That’s why Women Get On Board’s mandate is to connect, promote, and empower women to corporate boards. It’s also why I’m launching a new 4-part blog series called How to Get Yourself on a Board.My first blog in this series [...]

1906, 2020

Managing the impact of COVID-19 at the Board Level

By |June 19th, 2020|Webinars|0 Comments

Pandemic-related pressures on board leadership have intensified as enterprises grapple with deploying crisis response plans, substantial hits to cash flow and re-evaluating strategic planning. MNP’s virtual roundtable discussion with board leaders of some of Canada’s top organizations including Via Rail, SaskEnergy, and Calgary Coop – sharing their experiences and evolving practices for governance in the new business climate. Listen to the full webinar here: Managing the impact of COVID-19 at the Board Level Whitepaper coming soon!

1906, 2020

ESG, Strategy & The Culture Imperative

By |June 19th, 2020|Webinars|0 Comments

A panel consisting of risk, investment, legal and business leaders will discuss the link between ESG, strategy and culture in our emerging new reality—and debunk the myth that culture is too soft to measure and shape. Listen to the full webinar here: ESG, Strategy & The Culture Imperative Whitepaper available here

1906, 2020

ESG and the Role of the Board

By |June 19th, 2020|Webinars|0 Comments

Hosted by Gowling WLG, our National Strategic Partner. Driving sustainable business practices in companies requires oversight, insight & foresight from the board of directors. Today there is an imperative that sustainability be added to the board's agenda as part of the board's critical role to consider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks and opportunities. The Gowling WLG panel includes environmental law associate Liane Langstaff; environmental law partner Jennifer King; and business law partner Stephen Pike. Listen to the full webinar here: ESG and the Role of the Board

1906, 2020

Audit Committee Perspective on Cyber Issues

By |June 19th, 2020|Webinars|0 Comments

Hosted by KPMG LLP,  our National Strategic Partner. Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT problem – it's a significant business risk. In the age of disruption and mounting online risks, digital security is a responsibility all departments must bear. That includes audit committees who need to become more flexible in their approach, dynamic in their execution, and in-tune with today's cyber risk environment. Listen to the full webinar here: Audit Committee Perspective on Cyber Issues

1006, 2020

Corinne Boone, Board Chair

By |June 10th, 2020|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Corinne Boone, BA, MES, CDI.D, serves as Board Chair for the Canadian Energy Research Institute.  She recently joined the Board of EfficiencyOne and the Independent Review Committee member for the Waratah Alternative ESG Fund.   She is an environmental economist with a boutique consultancy focusing on carbon markets, sustainable finance and environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.  Previously, Corinne held senior positions with Hatch, Cantor Fitzgerald, and Ontario Power Generation. How did your background inspire an interest in board work? I read Our Common Future in an undergrad environmental economics course. I was completely inspired by its vision of putting the environment and economy on equal standing. From the moment I read that book, it became my passion and I knew what I needed to do in my professional life. However, I also knew that I wanted to focus on integrating sustainability from a business [...]

805, 2020

The Future Of Events Post COVID-19

By |May 8th, 2020|Webinars|0 Comments

Every crisis has two sides - a challenge and an opportunity. As such, it's not just a matter of getting the event industry engine restarted. Event professionals need to look forward into the future, and ready themselves for a revival. Now more than ever, is a good time to take stock, and refresh your event strategies. Our Founder and CEO, Deborah Rosati, joins the panel with Eventbank to discuss the future of events post COVID-19. Listen to the full webinar here: The Future Of Events Post COVID-19

2104, 2020

Leslie Oman, IT Intrapreneur

By |April 21st, 2020|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Leslie Oman is a senior leader and innovative IT intrapreneur.  She proved her value on the post-merger integration of the Price Waterhouse and Coopers Lybrand Canadian IT teams, successfully leading the internal IT team to create innovative solutions that were rolled out to PwC Canada-wide and globally. From there she made the rare move from cost center to the revenue generation side of the business as a consultant.  She progressed through several roles and organizations, earning her MBA along the way and eventually landed at Deloitte in M&A consulting. Having built this impressive career, she decided to . . . stop.  After a period of reflection, she is focusing on board work and has been invited to join a new advisory board being created at the University of British Columbia (UBC) to guide their digital transformation. What inspired you to leave such a successful career [...]

904, 2020

KPMG Provides Guidance for Audit Committees During COVID-19

By |April 9th, 2020|Publications|0 Comments

Our National Strategic Partner KPMG provide guidance on key considerations that audit committees should navigate the pandemic. The  mandate of the audit committee includes critical items to be considered during the COVID-19 outbreak. These include: financial reporting, oversight of external audit, internal control over financial reporting, information technology including cyber risk, oversight of internal audit and oversight of taxation matters. Read the full guide here: How audit committees can respond to COVID-19

404, 2020

2020 Executive Compensation Amid Market Uncertainty

By |April 4th, 2020|Media|0 Comments

Our Founding Corporate Partners at Global Governance Advisors share insights on Executive Compensation amid this global pandemic – as other market crises have shown corporate governance and executive retention are high on the list when navigating black-swan events. Blog written by our Regional Ambassador, Paul Gryglewicz Read More >>

304, 2020

ESG and the Role of the Board Part Two: Emerging Expectations for Boards in Environmental Issues

By |April 3rd, 2020|Event Blog|0 Comments

A group of more than 100 engaged corporate directors, executives and governance professionals gathered at a Women Get On Board (WGOB) Toronto event to consider emerging expectations for boards in respect of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. This WGOB event on February 24, 2020 was hosted by Gowling WLG, a WGOB National Strategic Partner. The Gowling WLG panel included environmental law associate Liane Langstaff; environmental law partner Jennifer King; and business law partner Stephen Pike. The panel was moderated by Kathleen Ritchie, Co-Head of Gowling WLG’s Toronto Business Law Department. You can read more about Stephen Pike’s presentation on governance to address modern slavery concerns here.Broadening range of stakeholdersRecent amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) codify as a matter of law that Canadian boards can consider a wider list of stakeholders beyond shareholders in making strategic business decisions. The list of interests specifically includes both the environment and the long-term interests [...]

2703, 2020

COVID-19: Governance, Risk Implications, and the Role of the Board

By |March 27th, 2020|Event Blog|0 Comments

Webinar: hosted by Governance Professionals of Canada A panel of governance and risk experts united to deliver well-timed insights and thought leadership on key questions and concerns encountered by businesses and their Boards as a result of the continuing COVID-19 situation. The speakers for this webinar were M.E. (Peggy) Gilmour – Chair, Institute of Internal Auditors, Andrew MacDougall – Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Stephen J. Mallory – President, Directors Global Risk Consulting Inc., Shona McGlashan – Vice-President Governance of Vancity and Andrew Poprawa – Former President and CEO, Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario. The panel provided practical insights and guidance for governance and risk professionals, executives and corporate directors. For length and clarity, the comments below blend together the views expressed by the panel. How is the current situation different from other crisis situations? Moderator Stephen Mallory opened the conversation by reflecting on the parallels between wartime situations and the COVID-19 situation. Participants were urged to read An [...]

2703, 2020

Peggie Pelosi, Corporate Director

By |March 27th, 2020|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Peggie Pelosi is a member of the board of USANA Health Sciences (NYSE: USNA); Executive Director of the Innovators Alliance and founder of Orenda – The Social Purpose Company.  She serves on numerous non-profit boards. What key factors helped you on your road to joining the publicly traded company board of USANA Health Sciences? I wasn’t looking for it, so I almost fell off my chair when I got the phone call. I’m not a traditional corporate board candidate. I haven’t held a C- suite position other than founding a consultancy as an entrepreneur, and I do not have a university degree. Industry experience was important. I had been the head of global sales at USANA Health Sciences before I moved back to Canada in 2004 to start a corporate social responsibility consultancy. USANA was looking for somebody who understood the business and also checked [...]

2203, 2020

ESG and the Role of the Board, Part One

By |March 22nd, 2020|Event Blog|0 Comments

Part One: The Board’s Role in Countering Modern Slavery A group of more than 100 engaged corporate directors, executives and governance professionals gathered at a Women Get On Board (WGOB) Toronto event to hear a riveting presentation by Gowling WLG business partner Stephen Pike focusing on evolving governance approaches to preventing modern slavery in corporate supply chains. The presentation was part of WGOB’s February 24, 2020 panel on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), hosted by Gowling WLG, a WGOB National Strategic Partner. Other panelists at the event included Gowling WLG’s environmental associate Liane Langstaff and environmental law partner Jennifer King, who presented on emerging best practices in governance regarding climate change. Modern slavery is an umbrella term that refers to a group of exploitative and cruel labour practices, including forced labour, child labour, human trafficking, and debt bondage. “Modern slavery is squarely within the purview of the board's affirmative obligation [...]

1212, 2019

Audit Committee Effectiveness

By |December 12th, 2019|Event Blog|0 Comments

An engaged community of governance professionals gathered to discuss audit committee best practices with Women Get On Board (WGOB). The event delivered in partnership with KPMG, National Strategic Partner of WGOB, on November 5 featured insights from panelists Trish Volker, experienced corporate director, and Toronto Hydro’s CFO, Aida Cipolla. Moderated by Silvia Montefiore, Canadian Managing Partner, Business Enablement and Operations with KPMG, the panel provided tremendous insight into a wide range of issues affecting audit committees. 1. Optimizing Audit Committee Composition As a committee of the board, the first task is to optimize the overall board membership by developing a skills matrix. Look at the skills needed to deliver on the overall mandate of the board, and then separately for each committee. For publicly traded companies, the audit committee composition must comply with a range of regulatory requirements. These include ensuring that the audit committee is composed of independent [...]

1511, 2019

Lisa Swartzman, Corporate Director

By |November 15th, 2019|Member Showcase|1 Comment

Lisa Swartzman, ICD.D serves on the boards of TerrAscend Corp. [CSE: TER; OTCQX: TRSSF] and the Distress Centres of Greater Toronto. She is currently Vice-Chair of AirBoss of America Corp. [TSX: BOS], having previously served as their President since 2015. Prior to that, she provided treasury and M & A consulting to small and mid-market privately held companies after 15 years with the Weston/Loblaw group of companies, culminating as Vice President, Treasurer. How did your career prepare you for board work? The formative years of my career with the Weston/Loblaw group taught me a tremendous amount. Its an organization that’s always prided itself on its corporate governance and I was fortunate enough to be in a role that had exposure to the board, which gave me the opportunity to see how an effective board functioned at a relatively early stage in my career. When did [...]

2510, 2019

Evaluating Financing Solutions in the Boardroom

By |October 25th, 2019|Event Blog|0 Comments

During our sold out Women Get On Board Toronto event that BMO Bank of Montreal our National Strategic Partner hosted, an attentive audience listened to the engaging discussions on the topic of Evaluating Financing Solutions in the Boardroom.Panelists at this event included Steven Jensen, Head, Sales Enablement, BMO Canadian Commercial Bank, Hesham Abourahma, Regional Vice President, Real Estate Finance, Ontario and Julia Davidson, Managing Director, BMO Sponsor Finance.From board member responsibilities and financial risk consideration to capital structure, debt definition and company life cycles, the panelists provided an insightful discussion on the many ways the board can evaluate strategic financing solutions to make informed decisions.1. Overview of Board Responsibilities and Financial Risk ConsiderationSteven Jensen opened his discussion on this topic by first mentioning that he knows what strategies tend to work in the boardroom because he has been privy to seeing what happens to a company when its board members do not properly deal with [...]

1810, 2019

Emotional Intelligence in the Boardroom

By |October 18th, 2019|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

I am celebrating my 20th year of serving on corporate boards and have learned it is not so much what you know, but rather how you say it. I have had to train my sense of emotional intelligence (EI) at the boardroom table – including paying attention to everything from verbal communication, to body language, tone of voice, and social graces. I have been around some of the best and brightest board members that have inspired me to reach higher levels in the boardroom. I have also been around other board members that lacked in their EI, with their social graces lacking and boardroom presence very uninspiring. According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who popularized the concept of EI, its definition is: “the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what [...]

2509, 2019

Natascha Kiernan, Corporate Director

By |September 25th, 2019|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Natascha Kiernan, J.D., CDI.D serves on the board of Canada WTX Inc. and Zenabis Global, Inc (TSX: ZENA). She was previously Counsel at Skadden, Arps and provides strategic financial advisory consulting services. You had a successful career as an M & A lawyer at a top tier firm in London. What led you to leave your practice and pursue board work? For a long time, I believed that I was on track to be an equity partner. Then, when my daughter was born, she was extremely unwell and needed multiple surgeries. We ended up moving from London to Boston to be near the children’s hospital there. We really had to make a decision that one of us was going to take a temporary step back. Then my husband got a very good offer in Vancouver, which is where we are from, and we decided that I [...]

1609, 2019

Cyber for the C-Suite – A New Reality

By |September 16th, 2019|Event Blog|0 Comments

Cyber risk is expanding in scale, scope, severity and source, landing near the top of most boards’ risk profiles. Catherine Evans, National Cyber Practice Leader, led a recent Women Get On Board session exploring the new realities of cyber risk for board members. Key learnings include: 1. The Internet of Things The astronomical rise in connectivity will fundamentally change the nature of cyber risk. By 2020, there will be an estimated 50 billion connected devices. That means 50 billion ways in. Centralized system controls can no longer provide the same degree of assurance that they have traditionally delivered. 2. The Rise of Nation States as Threat Actors 2017 saw a rise in the sophistication of cyber attacks, stemming from military-grade techniques developed by nation states. Russia, North Korea and China are most commonly cited as applying the full force of government funded technology with extreme capability far beyond the [...]

1609, 2019

The Role of the Board in M&A transactions: Creating Value and Minimizing Risk

By |September 16th, 2019|Event Blog|0 Comments

By Susan Rabkin, Corporate Director, and Karen Pugliese, Country Leader, Canada, CommScope February 11, 2019 Background On an icy February morning, in Toronto over 75 people turned out at the Women Get On Board breakfast event hosted by Gowling WLG for a panel discussion on the board’s role in creating value and minimizing risk in M&A transactions. Norma Beauchamp moderated the panel, board member and panelists included Kathleen Ritchie, Partner, Gowling WLG and Steven Latinovich, Managing Director, Corporate Finance BMO Financial Group. From metals, mining and energy to the latest trend of international expansion of cannabis, both the number of Canadian registered deals and their value, have increased exponentially in the last couple of years. The board’s role in M&A is more important than ever. The event panelists, all experts in various aspects of M&A, provided insights in response to thoughtful questions posed by the WGOB team. What follows are [...]

1609, 2019

CPA Canada Director Briefing: Stakeholder Engagement

By |September 16th, 2019|Publications|0 Comments

Stakeholder Engagement – What is it? How can it benefit your organization? And what role should the board plan in it?  The answers to these questions, plus a sample stakeholder engagement policy, can be found in the briefing. Authored by Andrew McDougall of Osler Hoskin & Harcourt and Josh Pekarsky of Longview Communications. Read the full briefing here: Stakeholder Engagement

1609, 2019

2018 Diversity Disclosure Practices

By |September 16th, 2019|Publications|0 Comments

Our Founding Corporate Partner, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt has issued their fourth annual report on diversity disclosure practices. Along with their survey results, this report highlights notable developments over the past year affecting gender diversity both in Canada and internationally, and offers some examples of best practices for improving gender diversity among boards and executive teams. Read the full report here: 2018 Diversity Disclosure Practices

1609, 2019

Planning Your Board Career

By |September 16th, 2019|Publications|0 Comments

Backgrounder: Women Get On Board partnered with Stikeman Elliott to develop this guide to provide you with a few tools to assist you in getting your first corporate board position. Getting yourself board-ready is a journey that requires you to identify your skills, experience and the value you bring to a board –  much like getting a job! We hope you find the tools in this guide helpful as you embark on your board journey. Read the updated guide here (June 2019): Planning Your Board Career

1609, 2019

Building Better Boards

By |September 16th, 2019|Publications|0 Comments

In partnership with Stikeman Elliott LLP and Global Governance Advisors, our Founder and CEO Deborah Rosati, developed this handbook as a tool to identify the characteristics of high-performing boards and insights to develop strategies for improving board stewardship and decision-making. Read the full guide here: Building Better Boards

1609, 2019

Ernst and Young’s report discusses the leading practices in gender diversity disclosure

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

Ernst and Young’s report discusses the leading practices in gender diversity disclosure: While the new rules leave it to issuers to decide which corporate governance policies and practices relating to gender diversity are appropriate for their particular circumstances, it is clear that regulators in Canada and around the world are concerned by the under representation of women on the boards of publicly traded companies. For most jurisdictions in Canada, the rules came into force on 31 December 2014. Nevertheless, certain organizations have already made the decision to include most of the new disclosure requirements in their existing public filings. Read the full report here: Ernst and Young: Women on boards and in senior management

1609, 2019

Osler’s OSC Research Paper

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

Osler’s OSC Research Paper Women in Leadership Roles at TSX-Listed Companies: Diversity Disclosure Practices Effective December 31, 2014, Canadian issuers in participating provinces, with the exception of TSX Venture Exchange issuers and investment funds, became subject to new disclosure requirements with respect to the representation of women on boards and in senior management positions. The overall picture is disappointing. Read the full study here: Osler Research Paper  

1609, 2019

KPMG Audit Trends 2016

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

KPMG Audit Trends 2016 KPMG’s current Audit Trends Report focuses on the role of audit committees in overseeing risk in times of unprecedented global change and disruption. From transformative technology to complex regulation to unprecedented geopolitical risk, an increasing tide of disruptive trends are demanding substantive change to the global role of audit committees. Read the full report here: KPMG Audit Trends

1609, 2019

2016 Osler Report on Gender Diversity in TSX Companies

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

2016 Osler Report on Gender Diversity in TSX Companies Diversity Disclosure Practices 2016: Women in leadership roles at TSX-listed companies Improving gender diversity in corporate leadership roles continues to be a key focus of legislators, regulators and the media in many parts of the world as well as in Canada. How do TSX companies stack up? A team of lawyers from Osler’s Corporate Group answers this question and finds little progress has been made in improving the representation of women in leadership positions compared to last year. Read the full report here: 2016 Osler Report

1609, 2019

Osler and ICD’s Board Diversity Template

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

Osler and ICD’s Board Diversity Template The Institute of Corporate Directors and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP have created a complimentary Board Diversity Policy. The template is designed to help companies meet gender diversity disclosure requirements and to provide a tool for boards to begin or further their process of diversification. Access the template here: Board Diversity Policy

1609, 2019

“The Top 20 Board Skills in the S&P 500” by Equilar Board Intelligence

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

“The Top 20 Board Skills in the S&P 500” by Equilar Board Intelligence Are you qualified to be these companies’ next board member? As shareholders become more interested in the composition of their portfolio companies’ boards of directors, issuers are increasingly disclosing explicit information in their proxy statements about director skill sets. Read the full article here: The Top 20 Board Skills in the S&P 500

1609, 2019

Harvard Business School on “Charting a Path to the Boardroom”

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

Harvard Business School on “Charting a Path to the Boardroom” Board positions are highly sought-after roles. How does one get there? Board directorships provide an intellectual challenge for directors and an opportunity to not only share expertise but to also gain new insights. For many high-potential executives, a board directorship marks the next frontier of career advancement and opens doors to new, valuable networks. Read the full article here: Charting a Path to the Boardroom

1609, 2019

Data Showcases Skills Composition of Board Directors

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

Data Showcases Skills Composition of Board Directors Equilar examined the skills and expertise of board members from the proxy statements of over 300 public companies in the United States and Canada in a recent report. The top skills identified were finance, legal and governance, and HR and talent development. Experience in the C-Suite, service on corporate boards and general leadership were also predominant. Read the full article here: Hundreds of Companies Disclose Boards Skills Matrices 

1609, 2019

Some great insights on what first time directors should consider when joining a board:

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

Some great insights on what first time directors should consider when joining a board: No matter how experienced they are as leaders or how much previous boardroom exposure they have had, most first-time directors will admit to having some trepidation before their first board meeting: What will the first board meeting be like? Read the full article here: The Five Most Common New Director Questions 

1609, 2019

“How to Improve Your Board’s Gender Balance” by George Horhota

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

“How to Improve Your Board’s Gender Balance” by George Horhota, One of Our WGOB Supporting Partners We all recognize that there is a serious gender imbalance on most corporate boards. Among the 677 issuers listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, 45 percent have failed to appoint any female directors. The simplistic prescription for managing this chronic condition? Mandatory thresholds favoured by policymakers, regulators and some corporate boards. Read the full article here: How to Improve Your Board’s Gender Balance

1609, 2019

Read about the role audit committees can fulfill in developing a robust process

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

Read about the role audit committees can fulfill in developing a robust process to effectively oversee KPIs presented in an issuer’s MD&A and earnings press releases Audience includes: members of public company audit committees, management and external auditors. CPA Canada’s recent publication-read here: Key performance indicators: A tool for audit committees

1609, 2019

Osler has just published their third Diversity Disclosure Practices

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

Osler, one of our Founding Corporate Partners, has just published their third Diversity Disclosure Practices for the 2017 proxy season. See details below. As the corporate governance landscape in Canada continues to evolve and prioritize gender diversity, Osler has released its third annual 2017 Diversity Disclosure Practices Report [PDF] (the Diversity Disclosure Report) to provide an updated snapshot on the representation of women in leadership roles in corporate Canada. Download the PDF here: 2017 Diversity Disclosure Practices Report [PDF] Read the full article here: 2017 Diversity Disclosure Practices

1609, 2019

KPMG in Canada has identified five key trends that increase organizational risk

By |September 16th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

KPMG in Canada has identified five key trends that increase organizational risk for companies in which inclusive leadership is the exception rather than the rule: Inclusion demands that we see beyond our differences to unlock the power of diversity and to drive innovation. Those who do will accelerate productivity, tap into new markets and create value for shareholders. Read the full article here: Five Trends to Worry About If Your Firm Has Ignored Inclusive Leadership 

1509, 2019

Osler report shows Canada’s publicly traded companies

By |September 15th, 2019|Publications|0 Comments

Osler report shows Canada’s publicly traded companies, including miners, making scant progress on appointing women to boards Canada’s publicly traded companies are making little progress on appointing more women to their boards of directors and C-Suites and are declining to implement formal diversity targets, according to a new Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP report. Read the full article here: TSX companies lag on board diversity, will not adopt targets: report 

1509, 2019

Directors Must Understand The Value Of Cyber Insurance For Effective Cyber Risk Oversight

By |September 15th, 2019|Media|1 Comment

Directors Must Understand The Value Of Cyber Insurance For Effective Cyber Risk Oversight Cyber Risk Management: Response and Recovery, a new report from the Global Risk Center and WomenCorporateDirectors, positions cyber insurance within a comprehensive risk management framework; provides an overview of evolving coverage options; and identifies key questions for directors to explore with management to mitigate exposure and provide effective cyber risk management oversight. Read the full report here: Cyber Risk Management: Response and Recovery

1509, 2019

Nose in, Fingers out: Insights from the Boardroom

By |September 15th, 2019|Media|0 Comments

Our Founder & CEO, Deborah Rosati spoke with Luminari on their recent LumiQ podcast to discuss her time serving on several well-known boards going through times of massive change, and why she started her own social purpose company (Women Get On Board) to get more women in the boardroom. Listen here: Nose in, Fingers out: Insights from the Boardroom

809, 2019

Planning Your Board Career Publication

By |September 8th, 2019|Publications|0 Comments

Backgrounder: Women Get On Board partnered with Stikeman Elliott to develop this guide to provide you with a few tools to assist you in getting your first corporate board position. Getting yourself board-ready is a journey that requires you to identify your skills, experience and the value you bring to a board –  much like getting a job! We hope you find the tools in this guide helpful as you embark on your board journey. Read the updated guide here (June 2019): Planning Your Board Career

2507, 2019

Financial Intelligence in the Boardroom

By |July 25th, 2019|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Every board member has a role in financial oversight. Even if you don’t have financial expertise, you are still expected to maintain an adequate level of financial intelligence. This means that you need to have an understanding of the fundamental concepts, conventions and principles underlying financial statements. Top 5 tips to help you boost your level of financial intelligence in the boardroom: 1. Develop a plan and begin the work. Start by reviewing the annual filings of TSX listed companies that you are interested in or work for. 2. Seek out a mentor or someone who has financial expertise. Ask someone you know that has financial expertise if you can spend time with them over the next 12 months, transferring knowledge and helping you understand core financial concepts. 3. Understand the basic financial concepts/principles and how to look at financial statements. CPA Canada has great document you can refer to: https://www.cpacanada.ca/en/business-and-accounting-resources/financial-and-non-financial-reporting/international-financial-reporting-standards-ifrs/publications/reading-financial-statements-what-do-i-need-to-know-faq 4. Do [...]

1907, 2019

Building Better Boards Publication

By |July 19th, 2019|Publications|0 Comments

Building Better Boards In partnership with Stikeman Elliott LLP and Global Governance Advisors, our Founder and CEO Deborah Rosati, developed this handbook as a tool to identify the characteristics of high-performing boards and insights to develop strategies for improving board stewardship and decision-making. Read the full guide here: Building Better Boards

207, 2019

Board Diversity: Are You an Agent of Change?

By |July 2nd, 2019|Event Blog|0 Comments

On an evening that saw Toronto flush with rain and Raptor’s pride, the Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC) partnered with Women Get On Board (WGOB) for engaging conversations on Board Diversity – Are You an Agent of Change? WGOB’s Founder & CEO Deborah Rosati moderated the conversation with panelists George Horhota, Co-founder, The Brockton and Director, Community Trust Company; Ekta Mendhi, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, CIBC and Co-Chair of the Canadian Gender and Good Governance Alliance and Marian Walsh, Chair, Governance and Human Resources Committee, Board of Medavie. From defining diversity to championing its necessity, the panelists provided an insightful discussion on the many ways business leaders can advance their board diversity mandate. 1. What does board diversity mean to your company/organization in terms of commitment and needs? According to the Canadian Gender and Good Governance Alliance’s ‘Director’s Playbook’ (an organization which Mendhi co-chairs), “several studies demonstrate that organizations experience the greatest benefits of diversity when [...]

2506, 2019

Jane Kinney, Corporate Director

By |June 25th, 2019|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Jane Kinney is a member of the boards of Cenovus Energy Inc. – CEV (TSE) and Intact Financial Corporation – IFC (TSE). Previously, she was Vice Chair of Deloitte Canada, Deloitte Canada’s Managing Partner – Quality and Risk, and Chief Risk Officer for Deloitte globally. Does the accounting profession encourage people to think about boards as a next stage career? Yes, absolutely. Not everybody is interested in going that route. But the feeling was that with my background, experience and network that I would be successful. The firm sees a lot of advantages in having retired Deloitte partners active on boards across the country. At Deloitte in the US we actually have a board preparatory session for retiring partners. We don’t have a program like that in Canada, but I attended the US program. Directors came in to speak about their experiences and what boards [...]

805, 2019

Hot Topics in D & O Risk and Insurance:  Climate Change, Respectful Workplace, Cannabis and Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

By |May 8th, 2019|Event Blog|0 Comments

A panel of four experts provided information on top trending risks to a sell-out crowd in Toronto on April 10th. “Hot Topics in D & O Risk and Insurance Climate Change, Respectful Workplace (#MeToo), Cannabis and Blockchain & Cryptocurrency” hosted by our National Strategic partners, Marsh Canada. 1. Climate change presented by Karen Lockridge – Principal, Responsible Investment, Mercer Consulting Directors’ climate liability exposure may increase substantially due to a wide disparity between boards and the expectations of key stakeholders regarding climate risk. Failure to proactively manage environmental risks is becoming increasingly newsworthy. The 2019 World Economic Global Risk Report found that climate change and related environmental concerns are perceived as dominating the risk landscape. This is reflected in increased investor engagement on these topics. The Report is an annual survey of broad stakeholder groups including business, academia, investors and civil society. By contrast, the 2018 Global Network of Director Institutes [...]

705, 2019

Gail Harding, Corporate Director

By |May 7th, 2019|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Gail Harding has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Meridian Credit Union as well as the Alberta Securities Commission Board of Commissioners. She previously served as a member of the Alberta Electric System Operator and was Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer with Canadian Western Bank. Why did you decide to pursue board work? I had moved from a private law firm into a General Counsel role. It gave me the opportunity to be that trusted advisor to the key business people. It was a slow transition from being a technical advisor to developing a broader skillset and wanting to have more strategic input at the board level. Did your company have a policy about a senior executive serving on boards? We did not have a formal policy, but we did need approval to make sure there was no conflict of interest. [...]

1904, 2019

Ethical Intelligence in the Boardroom

By |April 19th, 2019|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

In the wake of countless business scandals and corporate collapses, there has been a call for a higher standard of business ethics. Ethics are at the heart and soul of every business decision; they form the basis of the underlying culture of every company. However, the culture and ethics of a company are set by the tone at the top: the boardroom. How can boards build a sound and sustainable culture as well as good ethical practices that will improve transparency, decrease the risk of fraud, and reduce the likelihood of reputation damage? The key focus should be to institute practices that outline the expectation of appropriate conduct, and to put in place controls that ensure these standards are being met. Five good governance practices to put in place to ensure good oversight: Code of Conduct A Code of Conduct drives the board and each director to focus on [...]

2102, 2019

Norma Beauchamp, Independent Board of Director – Acerus Pharma, Aurora and Eve Medical

By |February 21st, 2019|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Norma Beauchamp is a member of numerous boards, including Acerus Pharma and Aurora Cannabis. She Chairs the Governance Committee for both. Norma was previously Senior Vice President with Bayer Healthcare and the President & CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. How did you get started as a board director? After I made the tough decision to leave the pharmaceutical sector, I talked to some women that I really respected. One of them was Annette Verschuren, who was President of Home Depot Canada. She suggested that with my background as a senior leader in a global pharmaceutical company, I could make a second career as a board member. That’s where my interest came from. To start developing my board career, I joined the board of the Breast Cancer Society of Canada, then Providence HealthCare and ST. Joseph’s Health Centre which were more fundraising boards. Those experiences led [...]

2102, 2019

Board Diversity – Are You an Agent of Change?

By |February 21st, 2019|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

It still surprises me that there has been little change in Corporate Canada in terms of adding more women to TSX listed boards. It has been four years since the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) implemented disclosure rules mandating that TSX-listed companies “comply or explain” as relates to their board diversity figures. The implementation was intended to lead to positive changes in how corporate boards recruit new board members, however, according to the recent Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt report 2018 Diversity Disclosure Practices, only 16.4% of directors sitting on corporate boards in 2018 were women. This change represents a slight increase in the average proportion of women on the board compared to prior years when the average percentage of female directors was relatively stagnant (12% in 2015, 13% in 2016 and 14.5% in 2017). So why is it that Canada’s boardrooms are not more diverse, when in fact, I often get asked [...]

702, 2019

Debora Bielecki, Global Executive, Board Member, Co-Chair & Board Advisor

By |February 7th, 2019|Member Showcase|0 Comments

You were a senior executive at HP. How did that experience help further your board aspirations? It was a combination of my desire to grow, but also my employer’s acknowledgement that I was top talent. This opened opportunities for stretch assignments, exposure to more senior executives and specialized training at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Harvard-HP led program. These provided growth opportunities to feel like I was elevating myself so that I could actually contribute to a board in a more effective way. Did HP have a mentorship program? Yes, HP had a mentorship program. However, something that was really more important than mentorship throughout my career was sponsorship. Sometimes you don’t even know that there is somebody sponsoring you. To be sponsored means somebody’s putting your name forward and standing behind you and advocating for you. That’s huge. Sponsorship led to [...]

701, 2019

Exploring New Board Opportunities, Being Gracious in Saying “No”

By |January 7th, 2019|Deborah Rosati Blog|1 Comment

So, you are excited you received an email or phone call asking if you would consider a board opportunity. The steps you take to determine whether you are interested or not should be particularly strategic when exploring new board opportunities. The first step, do your due diligence in making sure you understand the company, culture, any conflicts that exist, and why you were considered for the board opportunity. Refer to my blog on building your board profile here: https://womengetonboard.ca/building-your-board-profile. Make sure you know the companies or industries that you are interested in. Review their values, mission and strategy. Do they align with your skills, experiences and values? Will you add value? I always evaluate Board opportunities in three ways: 1. How can I add value? 2. Do I have a personal statement of the attributes I can bring to the board? 3. How can I use my network to make [...]

2311, 2018

Disruption and Transformation – The Board’s Role in Overseeing Opportunities and Risk

By |November 23rd, 2018|Event Blog|0 Comments

Innovation and disruption are top of mind for every board.  Women Get On Board recently held a panel discussion to provide expert insight on the board’s role in guiding transformational change and learning to embrace risk. Hosted by KPMG, the panel was moderated by Lori O’Neill, board member and independent governance consultant.  Panelists included Craig O’Neill, CEO of VersaPay and Leslie Luk, audit partner in KPMG’s technology, media and telecommunications practice. Building Trust Boards are necessarily focused on risk management and compliance, particularly in a public company context.  Encouraging the board to consider risking truly transformational change requires the CEO to take deliberate steps to build trust between the board and management. Craig O’Neill took VersaPay through a transformational change which involved selling their main revenue-generating asset to create the bandwidth to focus on new directions.  Getting board approval for such a dramatic divestiture required focused trust-building. “When you [...]

2910, 2018

Julia Elvidge, Corporate Director

By |October 29th, 2018|Member Showcase|0 Comments

How did your role as the president of a tech company lead to your interest in board work? During the dot com bust of 2001, there was a significant amount of disruption in the tech sector. Our company needed to change who we were. Our advisor (who became my mentor) helped guide us back to first principles and establish our long-term vision, mission, values and strategic direction. I really thrived on that strategic planning. It helps you communicate well to the larger corporation. It helps you make decisions about what to do or what not to do, and it really bonds a group of people and helps develop a culture that people can understand and relate to and want to be part of. From a growth standpoint, I realized that team building, leadership and strategic planning are key parts of who I was, and also [...]

2210, 2018

Susan Taves, Corporate Director

By |October 22nd, 2018|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Susan Taves, CPA, ICD.D, currently serves on three boards, including the TSX Trust Company, the Skyline Group of Companies, and KINDRED Trust, where she is Chair of the Board. She is also a Director of Options for Homes, a not-for-profit home ownership developer and member of the Executive of the Southwest Ontario Chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors. When did you decide to transition from senior partnership at a global accounting firm to corporate governance? When I hit the 30-year mark. I knew that I wanted a second career. Most accounting firms require the partners to leave not later than the age of 63. Partnership agreements require 100% dedication to the partnership. I wasn’t looking to do both. I consider corporate director work a dedicated focused career. How did you approach the transition? I started pondering a change at the 25-year mark. I read [...]

808, 2018

Finding Your Voice at the Boardroom Table

By |August 8th, 2018|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

What does it mean to find your voice at the boardroom table when you are a new board member appointed to a board that has longstanding relationships? Or a new Chair of the Board is appointed and you have never worked together? Or when you are the “token” woman at the boardroom table? How do you break in with credibility and build trust with your board colleagues? There are five tips I would like to share in helping you find your voice at the boardroom table: 1. Onboarding An onboarding process is set up to ensure that new board members familiarize themselves with the company, the industry it competes within, and the governance practices it’s ruled by. Its purpose is also to familiarize new board members, like yourself, with people you will be working with, such as other board members and members of the senior management team. It’s not [...]

708, 2018

Kim West, President of Halifax-based Royer Thompson Management & Human Resources Consulting

By |August 7th, 2018|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Kim West is the President of Halifax-based Royer Thompson Management & Human Resources Consulting. She made a deliberate decision to transition into talent management after a 25-year career in communications. Kim is a director of Medavie Inc., Verity International, Chair of Medavie Health Foundation and director of the Institute for Research and Public Policy. She has previously served as director of NATIONAL Public Relations and Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of St. Francis Xavier University. What led you to get into Board work? I began in my late 20’s. It was always an important part of my career interests. I started with professional and business associations, and then moved on to hospitals and universities. I’ve always felt it makes me a better practitioner because I have context of what boards are considering in growing organizations. It’s very easy to be siloed. Board work [...]

1207, 2018

Cybele Negris, CEO & Co-Founder, Board Director

By |July 12th, 2018|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Cybele Negris is CEO & Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s original .CA Registrar. Cybele is appointed to the BC Premier’s Technology Council, is Vice-Chair of the Small Business Roundtable of BC, serves on the Chair’s council for Science World and on the SFU Innovation Advisory Board. She has previously served on numerous other boards and is a a four-time winner and Hall of Fame Inductee of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women. As the President of WebNames.ca, how do you view your core role in interacting with the Board of your company? I do a lot of preparation just to make sure that we’re keeping the Board informed. Financials and strategic direction are always important. We also ensure that the Board knows that we are very focused on security and compliance and that we have those issues covered. From the Board perspective, risk assessment and liability [...]

1505, 2018

A Strategic Approach to Filling Board Positions Is Critical — Regardless of Your Gender

By |May 15th, 2018|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Written by: Debbie Stojanovic, CEO, Nealon Consulting & Deborah Rosati, Founder & CEO, Women Get On Board Diversity, and gender diversity in particular, is a top agenda item in boardrooms today — as it should be. It’s a priority not only because there are now legislative and regulatory changes that require it, but also because it’s just good business practice. Research shows that the right board composition can enhance decision-making processes and augment an organization’s performance and market reputation. 1  Can an improperly composed board pose a reputational risk for your organization? You bet. Today, we can’t open a newspaper, attend a meeting/event or have a general conversation without touching on some aspect of diversity. And that’s a good thing. From a board perspective, the conversation is shifting from why we need more women at the table to how we can accelerate progress. In light of this, it will be interesting to [...]

3004, 2018

Margie Parikh, Board Director

By |April 30th, 2018|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Margie Parikh moderated WGOB’s “Disruption and Transformation – The Board’s Role in Overseeing Opportunities and Risk” panel on April 16, 2018 in Vancouver. The event was hosted by WGOB’s National Strategic Partner, KPMG LLP. – bit.ly/EAPR162018 Tell me about your Board journey. Why did you start on the path towards governance? It wasn’t until I was in my 40s that I realized that I really loved doing board work. I’d worked in international strategy and marketing for a decade, and personal finance. It was an intentional move into governance, my “third career”. I am told I am good at listening, thinking strategically, summarizing and cutting to the chase. But it takes work…through education and board experience I believe that intentional leadership makes a difference. A good board can really impact the success of the organization. I’m told I’m good at bringing out the best in a [...]

1902, 2018

Josée Morin, Board Director

By |February 19th, 2018|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Many women are reluctant to talk about themselves. What are the keys to presenting yourself in networking? Organize yourself on paper and see what you’re good at. You should first do a SWOT [strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats] analysis. Target your strengths and find those that boards are really looking for. They have to be strengths that are true so you can believe in yourself. If not, you won’t be able to convince anybody else. You don’t have to be good at everything, but you have to find the few things that you believe you are good at. Have examples of situations where you have used those qualities and experience to accomplish something. How did you develop your elevator pitch? Start with your SWOT and your board business plan. Assemble your strengths and board goals in a one minute elevator pitch. And then, practice it with [...]

1201, 2018

Daniella Dimitrov, Board Director

By |January 12th, 2018|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Many women are reluctant to talk about themselves. What are the keys to presenting yourself in networking? Organize yourself on paper and see what you’re good at. You should first do a SWOT [strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats] analysis. Target your strengths and find those that boards are really looking for. They have to be strengths that are true so you can believe in yourself. If not, you won’t be able to convince anybody else. You don’t have to be good at everything, but you have to find the few things that you believe you are good at. Have examples of situations where you have used those qualities and experience to accomplish something. How did you develop your elevator pitch? Start with your SWOT and your board business plan. Assemble your strengths and board goals in a one minute elevator pitch. And then, practice it [...]

601, 2018

Network Mapping Your Way Onto a Board

By |January 6th, 2018|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Joining a board is about fit and style. The Board wants to make sure that your style will fit in. To help them decide, think about your network and how you might be connected to any one of the Board members. This is what I call “network mapping.” Use your network to map how you might be connected to members of the Board. The more connections you have to the Board, the more comfort they can get on how you will fit in. Don’t be afraid to ask for introductions! To help you map your network, it is important to understand who can help connect you to a board opportunity. Your network can be broken into the following groups: Decision Makers: these are individuals that will make the final decision on who will join their board. These include: board members, in particular, the Chair of the Board and Chair of [...]

2109, 2017

Fariba Anderson, ICD.D, Board Director

By |September 21st, 2017|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Fariba Anderson, ICD.D, Board Director shares her views on the role of the Digital Director. How would you define the role of a Digital Director? The critical element of a Digital Director is an individual that knows the blind spot that the corporation is stepping through all the time. It’s someone who has that kind of integrative critical thinking. Somebody who has technology; somebody who is a woman — we are innately wired to think that way– those are the people that have the building blocks. I think that a Digital Director is a person that can help their other colleagues at the Board realize that the world of digital is not any different than the world of bricks and mortar. What are the key digital questions that Boards should be asking? The fundamental problem at the Board level is that the responsibility for digital [...]

809, 2017

Are You Diversifying Your Board Portfolio?

By |September 8th, 2017|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

I began my board journey without the thought of diversifying my board portfolio. In saying “board portfolio”, I am referring to the various boards you lead and serve on. These boards collectively make up your board portfolio. Analogous to your investment portfolio, you want to be strategic in developing your board portfolio to accurately reflect your risk profile and the stage/age of your career. Just like your investment portfolio, you should monitor and review your board portfolio on a regular basis to ensure you are getting a return on your board portfolio. When thinking of diversifying your board portfolio, here are three key areas for consideration: Consider the Evolution of Your Board Journey In evaluating the evolution of your board journey, you may think about the size and stage of the boards you serve on. For example, if you join the board of an emerging company, the director’s role is often [...]

2104, 2017

Tamara Paton, Corporate Director and Board Advisor

By |April 21st, 2017|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Tamara Paton, Corporate Director and Board Advisor, shares her experience of serving on member-based boards. Tell us about the nomination process of being elected to a member-based board? I have served on three member-based boards: the CAA, Mountain Equipment Co-op and Meridian Credit Union. The experience varies across organizations. Some appoint directors, in the same way that corporate boards do. Others use board recruiters to help. For co-operatives, there is some degree of democratic process by ballot. Some boards will approve whether a candidate is on the ballot or not. Others are more open – even if you are a member of the organization, you can be on the ballot and campaign to be a member of the board. If you are interested in serving on a corporate board, a role on a co-op board is a great step. Do you have term limits and can your [...]

1403, 2017

Are You Thinking of Creating an Advisory Board?

By |March 14th, 2017|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

I’m often asked about whether an emerging company should create an Advisory Board versus forming a governance fiduciary board. My response to entrepreneurs thinking of creating an Advisory Board is to be strategic in the formation of your Advisory Board. An Advisory Board is not a Board of Directors with legal and fiduciary responsibilities. In contrast, an Advisory Board does not have any formal legal responsibilities and liabilities. Rather, an Advisory Board is created by the CEO of the company to get advice and support. Over the years I have been invited to serve on Advisory Boards & Councils and have enjoyed providing strategic advice and guidance. More recently, I had the opportunity to create an Advisory Board for Women Get On Board, consisting of members with experience and connections in governance, law, investment banking, accounting, financial services, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, professional development, and media. Thank you all for your [...]

2802, 2017

Tips on How to Get Appointed to a Public Sector Board

By |February 28th, 2017|Event Blog|0 Comments

 Highlights from ‘The Public Board Appointment Process’, a Women Get On Board event co-hosted by Welch LLP, was held on February 8, 2017. The event featured Audrey Wubbenhorst of Build Toronto and Elke Rubach of Rubach Wealth as panellists and Paul Gryglewicz of Global Governance Advisors as moderator. Each of the panellists provided their own insights and perspective into the public sector board appointment process. A public sector board is a group of directors appointed to provide oversight and guidance to public sector organizations at the federal, provincial or municipal level. For example, these organizations include crown corporations agencies and committees. Serving on a public sector board allows you to contribute to your community, as well as provide meaningful professional growth in your career. It can also help you extend your personal network. As an aspiring public sector board member, the best thing to do is: go ahead and apply! One place to start is to visit the City of [...]

2602, 2017

Janet Cloud, Corporate Director, Chief Operating Officer, Smashblock Corporation

By |February 26th, 2017|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Corporate Director, Janet Cloud speaks about her experience while obtaining her ICD.D. Why did you apply for the ICD-Directors Education Program (DEP)?   I have been on not-for-profit boards for many years, and I wanted to transition to a corporate board.  I always wanted to contribute and have an impact in the corporate world and I felt that a governance education would be a great starting point to prepare for being on a corporate board. What key take-aways from the DEP have helped you in being an effective director? During many of our classes we were given complex case studies and I was surprised at the number of times that each group came up with vastly different solutions for the same scenario. The course is good for broadening your awareness and learning what you don’t know. Also, we learn where to search for solutions when [...]

2601, 2017

Why a Diverse Board Makes Good Business Sense

By |January 26th, 2017|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

There is a lot of focus currently on the topic of diversity on boards. The underlying premise for diverse boards is no longer about good corporate citizenship but rather about contributing value to a business, and that makes good business sense. Top 5 Business Reasons for Diverse Boards Improve corporate financial performance. Studies have shown that companies with more diversity on their board have had higher financial performance in three important measures: Return on Equity, Return on Sales, and Return on Invested Capital. Enhance decision-making quality. Diversity of thought comes from, race, gender and ethnicity and extends to age, culture, personality, skills/expertise, educational background and life experiences. More diversity on boards helps avoid ‘group-think’ and increases independence, which can enhance the quality of decision making on the board. Broaden networks to tap into for board renewal. Board members should ask themselves: ~Does the composition of the board represent the employee base, the [...]

1411, 2016

How to be an Effective Director: The Role of Director Education

By |November 14th, 2016|Event Blog|0 Comments

Women Get On Board event presented by The Directors College on November 9, 2016 Many will agree that a board of directors is much more than the sum of its parts. One of the most impactful factors in overall board effectiveness is ensuring that skills, expertise and personal attributes of individuals on the board meet the needs identified in the board skills matrix. Dr. Michael Hartmann, Principal of The Directors College, noted this as he moderated an insightful conversation with our panel of governance professionals consisting of Lynn Beauregard and Anna Paluzzi, C.Dir. The panel explored how to be an effective director through the value of continued governance education, how to apply the lessons learned through formal education to real board experience and ultimately, how to evolve into an impactful and effective member of the board. Value of taking formal board education: “I can’t put a price on the [...]

311, 2016

Carol Darling, President, Darling & Daughters Ltd.

By |November 3rd, 2016|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Carol Darling speaks about her experience serving on an Arts board. Why did you join Canada’s National Ballet School’s (NBS) board? My daughter was a student at NBS, so I became familiar with the school as a parent. When my daughter graduated, I realized that I still had a passion for the institution. My career background is in TV broadcasting and I started thinking about how the ballet school could use media to extend their reach across the country. I approached the artistic director about using video and other media to gain exposure for the NBS. Ten years ago this was breaking new ground.  She too had embraced this vision and asked me to become a volunteer. I was brought in for an interview and subsequently invited to join as a board member. This was an exciting opportunity to contribute my own business skills to [...]

710, 2016

How to Prepare for Corporate Board Roles

By |October 7th, 2016|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

The first step in getting prepared to lead and serve on a corporate board is to make a plan. As, I’ve written about before, getting board-ready is a journey. A journey where you need to be realistic in your skills, experience and value that you bring to a corporate board while acknowledging that there are lots of qualified corporate directors looking for corporate board opportunities. I’m often asked how to begin a corporate board journey. And my best advice is to ask yourself these 10 questions to help you prepare yourself to lead and serve on a corporate board: 10 Board-Ready Questions Do you have a minimum of 10 to 15 years of experience in a senior executive role in the public, private, crown or not‐for‐profit sectors? Are you prepared to commit at least 200 to 300 hours per year to a corporate board role? Do you have the support [...]

610, 2016

Gigi Dawe, Principal, Corporate Oversight and Governance, CPA Canada

By |October 6th, 2016|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Gigi Dawe is a part-time faculty member at York University, for the Master’s of Financial Accountability Program. She teaches a course on Corporate Ethics. In this interview she speaks about some of the key issues to consider concerning ethics in Corporate Governance. In this interview, Gigi speaks about Corporate Ethics. How do you define Corporate Ethics and how can organizations create best practices in Ethics? There is really no narrow definition for Corporate Ethics.Companies need to balance doing good and making a profit and understand the two sides are not mutually exclusive. There is pressure, internally and externally for corporations to demonstrate responsible decision-making. Corporations must continually assess how their practices enhance their ability to make a profit, while being sensitive to ethical concerns for consumers and stakeholders. They also need to see that socially responsible decisions create value for companies. Who do you think [...]

2109, 2016

Paul Gryglewicz, Senior Partner at Global Governance Advisors

By |September 21st, 2016|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Paul Gryglewicz, Senior Partner at Global Governance Advisors, speaks about key elements of Compensation Governance. What are some of the current aspects of the Human Resource Compensation Committee’s (HRCC) governance process you think is critical for a newly appointed director? Any new director who has been appointed to the HRCC needs to get up to speed on the annual work plan the committee traditionally undertakes.  This may include a one-on-one talk with the compensation committee chair and other board members who are decision makers along with the head of HR and CEO. It’s important to understand how that particular board manages the compensation process in order to get a perspective about how the process works. The director should start by reviewing a typical employment agreement (at a minimum that of the CEO) to understand the legal terms of the contract and various severance arrangements that [...]

2708, 2016

Understanding Your Role on a Board

By |August 27th, 2016|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Originally posted on September 15, 2015. There are two roles you must play on a Board, one is Oversight and the other is Value-add.  I will highlight both roles with an extract from a chapter that I co-authored with Donna Price in 2008’s Entrepreneurial Effect by James Bowen and Glenn Cheriton, titled Corporate Governance-Directors of Emerging Companies. (To promote understanding of a director’s role on a board and how to prepare for board opportunities, I am again co-facilitating Women Get On Board’s Getting Board-ready workshops from October to December 2016. Learn more about them here: http://womengetonboard.ca/workshops/.  Hope to see you there!) The Oversight role on a Board “The primary responsibility of directors is to oversee the management of the business and affairs of a corporation. This is referred to as an oversight duty. As a general matter, a business corporation’s objective in conducting business is to create and increase shareholder value. To this [...]

1006, 2016

Top 10 Tips to Help You in Your Journey to a Corporate Board

By |June 10th, 2016|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Being a Corporate Director is much different than being an executive. A Corporate Director’s role is one of oversight whereas an executive’s role is to manage day-to-day operations. Getting yourself board-ready is a journey where you need to be realistic in your skills, experience and value you bring to a board. You also need to be mindful that it is a very competitive marketplace. There is an over-supply of qualified Corporate Directors for a limited supply of available corporate board seats. As a Corporate Director and co-founder of Women Get On Board, my goal is to help executives make that transition effectively. This is why I want to share my top 10 tips to help you in your journey to a corporate board. Be fearless — use your confidence to embrace change. ~Be independent minded and stand up for what you believe in. ~Do the right thing and be ethical [...]

706, 2016

How to Build Your Board Resume

By |June 7th, 2016|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

We would like to thank our Event Partner, Stanton Chase Toronto with Managing Partners Cathy Logue and Joanne  Elek for their support of  our April 6th Roundtable Event “How to Build Your Board Resume.” We also appreciate the participation of our moderator Kelly McDougald and our panellists Lisa Melchior and Tom Muir. Building a Board Resume is a journey that involves many stages. It’s a continuous process of showcasing yourself as a board candidate through documentation, networking and interviews. The concept of “wisdom trumps knowledge” and how this can add value to a Board Even those who have deep experience and functional knowledge don’t always have all the answers. Wisdom is a combination of knowledge, judgment, and experience — all important components that go into good decision-making. Some people feel that if they don’t have a CPA designation they don’t add value, but that’s not the case. Each board [...]

306, 2016

Patricia McLeod, Q.C., General Counsel, Ethics, Compliance and Corporate Governance, Corporate Director

By |June 3rd, 2016|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Patricia McLeod talks about how she found her current board opportunities and shares some key factors for getting prepared for those roles. How did you find out about your two most recent board appointments? I heard about the elections for Calgary Co-op through its member communications newsletter and then again on the ICD postings. The Co-opboard of directors had done a board skills gap analysis and was looking for candidates with commercial legal background, financial literacy and real estate development experience, all of which I have. I saw the posting in September 2015, began the applications process and was appointed to the board in April 2016. In respect of my recent appointment to the amalgamated Alberta Innovates board,January 2016, I was approached by a recruiting agency who was seeking names and interest for board candidates for the Alberta Innovates crown corporations. Someone in my network [...]

1505, 2016

Samantha Hurwitz, Chief Encouragement Officer, FliPskills

By |May 15th, 2016|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Samantha Hurwitz speaks about her experience of serving on a not-for-profit organization. Tell us about the due-diligence process you undertook before you joined the Not-for-Profit you currently are serving on? I am currently on the Canadian Association of Positive Psychology. Positive psychology is an emerging field all over the globe. CPPA’s mission is to strengthen the well-being of Canadians through education, research and events. I met the current President of CPPA at a weekend seminara few years ago before the association was formed. Then we reconnected and had lunch shortly after I moved to Toronto. I talked about building community and getting involved in board work. She told me that the CPPA board could really use a Treasurer. Months later, the CPPA board approached me, I expressed my interest, and was interviewed by the chair, vice-chair and most recent board addition. Essentially, they chose me [...]

1005, 2016

Are You Advancing Your Board Diversity Mandate?

By |May 10th, 2016|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

It still surprises me that in the 21st century Canada’s boardrooms are not more diverse. In fact, I often get asked to consider a board opportunity because the company is looking to add diversity to their board. As of January 2015, the Ontario Securities Commission’s (OSC) implemented disclosure rules for TSX-listed companies to “comply or explain” in regards to their board diversity. It is hopeful that this will lead to positive changes ahead in how corporate boards recruit new board members. Be an Agent of Change As a corporate director, I believe that the OSC “comply or explain” disclosure rules present an opportunity to build stronger boards through change. There is research to support that more women on boards brings better financial performance including higher return on sales and better stock growth. As well, non-financial performance, like bringing diverse viewpoints, skills and experience, can improve overall decision making, enhance [...]

505, 2016

Wendy Kei, Corporate Director, Enterprise Risk Management, M&A

By |May 5th, 2016|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Wendy Kei speaks about her transition from a Financial Executive in Mining to a Corporate Director. How did you prepare yourself to transition from being a Financial Executive in Mining to a Corporate Director? I began to prepare myself by gaining additional knowledge of what to expect when serving on a board, having sat on the other side. I did lots of online research into the different courses available, accessing different industries and sought out women role models to emulate. I had always wanted to serve as a Corporate Director post retirement, but the opportunity came much sooner. My transition happened very quickly because a board approached me for a directorship role and I was appointed last May.The timing of my transition was perfect, as this gave me greater flexibility to balance my work and family life. What was the biggest challenge(s) you faced? It [...]

3103, 2016

Top 5 Tips to Help You Become Financially Literate to Serve on a Corporate Board

By |March 31st, 2016|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

I am celebrating my 20th year of serving on corporate boards and have learned it is not so much what you know, but rather how you say it. I have had to train my sense of emotional intelligence (EI) at the boardroom table – including paying attention to everything from verbal communication, to body language, tone of voice, and social graces. I have been around some of the best and brightest board members that have inspired me to reach higher levels in the boardroom. I have also been around other board members that lacked in their EI, with their social graces lacking and boardroom presence very uninspiring. According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist who popularized the concept of EI, its definition is: “the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what [...]

1603, 2016

Top 3 Tips for Building Your Board Profile

By |March 16th, 2016|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Getting started on your board journey includes building a board profile. So, how does one go about it?  It starts with asking yourself what your value proposition is, and what unique skills and experience you bring to a board. Here are my 3 tips for helping you build your board profile: 1. Define your unique value proposition Boards are made up of a diversity of thought with members bringing different culture, experience, gender, ethnicity, age and geographic representation. So, what is it that you can bring to an already diverse board? What is your unique board value proposition? Think of it like an “elevator pitch” where you have 10 seconds to tell someone what you bring to a board. In my case, I say that I have entrepreneurial and financial expertise with high growth and transformational companies in the technology, retail and consumer sectors. 2. Be true to what [...]

303, 2016

Laurel Murray, Corporate Director, President, Murray Management Consulting Inc.

By |March 3rd, 2016|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Laurel Murray shares her insights on what it is like to serve on a Crown Corporation Board. How did you get appointed to a Crown Corporation Board?   While I was consulting, I had an engagement doing work with financial management practice, working with Dalton McGinty.  They help with financial management and risk management. And they were looking for people with experience on Boards with good skills, and they also wanted to have diversity on their Board. I was invited to apply for this new role. They gave me an option of 3. I interviewed first with LCBO an got selected. What is unique about serving on a Crown Corporation Board versus a For-Profit Board?   With respect to the LCBO, there are more similarities than differences.  Commercial Crown has a very strong for profit focus.  The Board of Directors has a fiduciary responsibility for governing the organization and has [...]

203, 2016

Preparing for a Board Interview

By |March 2nd, 2016|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

You have been asked to a board interview. Congratulations!  Now that you have landed the interview what do you need to do to prepare? A board interview is similar to job interview in that you want to put your best foot forward. Where board interviews differ is the preparation from a governance point of view rather than from a management viewpoint. Top ten tips to help you prepare for a board interview Prepare, prepare, prepare. Like a job interview, you want to come prepared to your board interview. Make sure you know what members of the Board you will be meeting with. Know their background, experience and skills. Find out who the independent board members are and what the ratio of executive to non-executive members is. Gain a strategic understanding of the company. What are the opportunities and challenges that the company is facing? Is the company going through transformational [...]

502, 2016

Getting Involved in Your Community

By |February 5th, 2016|Event Blog|0 Comments

Giving back by serving on a Not-For-Profit (NFP) Board helps you to get involved in your community in a meaningful way. Not only can it be a very rewarding experience, it can help build your network by connecting you to new people and exposing you to new sectors and/or industries.  In addition, NFP Boards can be helpful in getting governance education. In November 2015 we held our Getting Involved in Your Community Roundtable Event with moderator Lori O’Neill, Corporate Director and Growth Company Advisor, and panellists Rebecca Mooney, Vice President and Head of Brand and Marketing at RBC Wealth Management, and Elaine Roper, Corporate Director and President of Think Company Inc. Here are some of their shared insights on serving on not-for-profit boards: From volunteer to not-for-profit board member Prepare by understanding what value you will bring. Then, let your network know that you’re interested in joining a NFP [...]

302, 2016

Violet Konkle, Corporate Director

By |February 3rd, 2016|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Interview with Violet Konkle, Corporate Director for Not-For-Profit and Corporate Boards. Can you speak to your experience on a not-for-profit board versus a public company board? Are there differences? Both types of boards take time, and are expected to provide thoughtful and insightful oversight, whether reviewing strategy or ensuring proper governance. It’s also important to understand that there will be a learning curve with both, so a proper orientation program is vital in both cases to ensure that the new Director ramps up as effectively and efficiently as possible. From a governance pointof view, a Director should not assume that there is a difference in terms of the duty of care expectations. As far as financial controls, risk management and payroll,good governance is always important. And ensuring sound strategy is imperative for both. And on both types of boards, ensuring strong CEO leadership and succession planning [...]

1801, 2016

Understanding Financials for Not-For-Profit Boards: Are You Financially Literate?

By |January 18th, 2016|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Understanding financials for a non-finance person can be challenging and even overwhelming. A not-for-profit board role includes a financial oversight role, which means not-for-profit directors need to be financially literate. You do not need to be a financial expert, but you do need to have a fundamental understanding of the financial statements of the organization in order to determine its financial viability. 10 tips to help you become financially literate on a not-for-profit board Understand what it means to be financially literate. Maintain your objectivity by being independent minded, and if you don’t know, ask; ensure you fully understand the financial issues of the organization. Develop a plan to become financially literate and begin the work. Begin by reviewing the annual reports of organizations that you are interested in and/or are already serving on the board of. Look for a mentor or someone who has financial expertise. Ask someone you know [...]

112, 2015

Silvia Montefiore, Partner, KPMG in Canada

By |December 1st, 2015|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Silvia Montefiore shares her insights on serving on Hospital Boards. Tell us about your experience on serving on a hospital board and what committees do you serve on? I’ve been serving on the board of William Osler Health Systems for three years. This health system includes Etobicoke General Hospital, Brampton Civic Hospital and Peel Memorial Hospital (under construction). I currently serve as Chair of the Resources Committee, which is similar to an Audit Committee. Some of the responsibilities on this committee include reviewing the financial statements and related financial reports, including the capital and operating budgets, and recommending them for approval by the board, reviewing the capital projects such as building the new hospital and upgrading Etobicoke General, including reviewing the related financing arrangements and overseeing the work of the auditors. What type of due diligence did you do to determine if you had the [...]

2511, 2015

Preparing Your Board Resume

By |November 25th, 2015|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

A Board resume is an ongoing, dynamic document. When preparing your Board resume you need to keep it current and keep it fresh. To do this, you need to ask for honest and candid feedback from your own personal advisory board. Next, you need to decide on whether you will prepare your Board resume on your own or if you will engage a firm to help. Having an outsider’s input can help you hone in on your unique value proposition and help develop what skills you want to highlight. Putting together a Board resume is an important step in any Board journey, and that’s why at Women Get On Board we offer Board resume consultations to our members to help them showcase their Board skills and value proposition. Preparing your Board resume also requires creativity on your part to really think about what makes you unique and how you [...]

311, 2015

Lynn Beauregard, President, Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries

By |November 3rd, 2015|Member Showcase|0 Comments

It was a bittersweet day this past September 12th, as I sat in my last board meeting for CODE in a meeting room in Ottawa. CODE is Canada’s leading international development agency uniquely focused on advancing literacy and education in some of the world’s regions in greatest need. I was asked to join the board in 2007 as I brought a diverse skillset to the table including governance and not for profit experience. Being bilingual as well as a woman were two additional points in my favor. I felt honored to be a part of such a fascinating organization and such an impressive group of talented people. The work that CODE does is unique as a Canadian NGO and also as an international development agency. Its innovative approach: ‘Reading CODE’ is to work with local teachers, librarians, writers, and publishers to support and sustain the [...]

2310, 2015

Building Your Board Profile

By |October 23rd, 2015|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Getting started on your board journey includes building a board profile. So, how does one go about it?  It starts with asking yourself what your value proposition is, and what unique skills and experience you bring to a board. (Learn more about How to prepare yourself for Board roles with Women Get On Board’s Getting Board-ready Programs!) What is your unique value proposition? Boards are made up of a diversity of thought with members bringing different culture, experience, gender, ethnicity, age and geographic representation. So, what is it that you can bring to an already diverse board? What is your unique board value proposition? Think of it like an “elevator pitch” where you have 10 seconds to tell someone what you bring to a board. In my case, I say that I have entrepreneurial and financial expertise with high growth and transformational companies in the technology, retail and consumer sectors. What are [...]

110, 2015

How to Prepare Yourself for Board Roles

By |October 1st, 2015|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

What is the best way to prepare yourself for Board roles? Executives who want to make the transition to corporate director often need advice on how best to set up and prepare for their board journey. The first step is to understand your role on a board, which I outlined in my previous post here. Once you have an understanding of your role, begin your Board journey by leading and serving on Not-for-Profit Boards. Getting Involved in Your Community by serving on a Not-for-Profit is a great way to give back and to meet other community business leaders. Lastly, there are different types of Not-for-Profit boards, so you must do your due diligence to make sure the Not-for-Profit Board is the right fit for you. Is the Not-For-Profit the Right Fit For You? Are you passionate about the cause/organization, how can you make a difference? Is it a fund-raising board? Are you expected [...]

110, 2015

Sharon Ranson, President, The Ranson Group

By |October 1st, 2015|Member Showcase|0 Comments

Sharon Ranson is one of our Corporate Director Members and President of The Ranson Group – Executive Coaching Boutique. Sharon shared advice and insight on how to transition smoothly into your role on a Board. What tips could you share with our members that helped make your transition from being an executive to leading and serving as a Corporate Director? It’s really about developing your network, meeting people, and hearing about opportunities. Try to think of the skills you have that are relevant to the board that you want to join. Then package those skills in a way that will allow boards to see your value. How do you mentor and support other women who are on Boards? I spend time developing relationships with other women board members and get to know them as individuals. Sometimes that means asking them out to lunch and [...]

1509, 2015

Understanding Your Role on a Board

By |September 15th, 2015|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

There are two roles you must play on a Board, one is Oversight and the other is Value-add.  I will highlight both roles with an extract from a chapter that I co-authored with Donna Price in 2008’s Entrepreneurial Effect by James Bowen and Glenn Cheriton, titled Corporate Governance-Directors of Emerging Companies. (To promote understanding of a director’s role on a board and how to prepare for board opportunities, and as a co-founder of Women Get On Board, I am co-facilitating a series of Getting Board-ready workshops from October to December 2015. Learn more about them here: http://womengetonboard.ca/programs.  Hope to see you there!) The Oversight role on a Board The primary responsibility of directors is to oversee the management of the business and affairs of a corporation. This is referred to as an oversight duty. As a general matter, a business corporation’s objective in conducting business is to create and increase shareholder value. To this [...]

1308, 2015

Are You Board-ready?

By |August 13th, 2015|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Getting yourself board-ready is a journey where you need to be realistic in your skills, experience and value you bring to a board. You also need to be mindful that it is a very competitive marketplace. There is an over-supply of qualified corporate directors for a limited supply of available corporate board seats. So, how do you start your journey to get board-ready so you can compete for a corporate board seat?  The first step is to ask yourself these 10 questions to determine your readiness for leading and serving on a corporate board. 10 Board-Ready Questions Do you have a minimum of 10 to 15 years of experience in a senior executive role in the public, private, crown or not‐for‐profit sectors? Are you prepared to commit at least 200 to 300 hours per year to a corporate board role? Do you have the support of your own Board [...]

2406, 2015

Network, Network, Network

By |June 24th, 2015|Deborah Rosati Blog|1 Comment

Networking can be a challenge. We picture going to events where everyone stands around making awkward small talk. In reality networking doesn’t just happen at designated events, networking is done all the time, online, at work and in your social life. On June 10th we held our Network, Network, Network roundtable event with moderator Tamara Paton, Corporate Director and strategy consultant, and panellists Josée Morin, entrepreneur and bilingual Corporate Director, and Jennifer Bouyoukos, Vice President of Talent for ARGUS Software, who shared their insights on networking effectively. Networking Tips At events: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. In fact, ask the first question. Prepare and do some homework on the speakers and draft questions before you attend. You can also send a speaker an email in advance to introduce yourself and ask a question, which is always better than walking up cold.   Having a question prepared is also a great way [...]

206, 2015

Seeking Out Mentors and Sponsors

By |June 2nd, 2015|Deborah Rosati Blog|0 Comments

Mentors give you career advice and sponsors actively help you get to the next level. This distinctive difference and how to obtain mentors and sponsors was the topic at Women Get On Board’s April 8th roundtable event. The event was moderated by Gigi Dawe, the Principal of Corporate Oversight and Governance at CPA Canada, and powerful insights were offered by panellists Fariba Anderson, Chief Executive Officer at AcuteNet, and Laurel Murray, a member of the Board of Directors of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. The consensus from these women after their years of experience on public and private boards in the consumer goods, health, education sectors is that every board wants confident, competent, critical thinkers. Tips On Getting Sponsors And Mentors There are formal mentoring and sponsorship programs out there to help advance you onto corporate boards, but they are selective based on the right qualifications. So how do [...]

2403, 2015

The Risks and Realities of Being on Boards: Advice from Beverly Topping

By |March 24th, 2015|Event Blog|0 Comments

Beverly Topping, founder of Today’s Parent magazine and former president of the Institute of Corporate Directors, gave a rousing and informative talk at Women Get On Board’s inaugural roundtable event on February 10th, 2015. Women in today’s business environment are standing up and speaking out but there’s still a long way to go towards achieving gender parity on corporate boards in Canada.  Beverly gave sound advice to the roundtable on how to get on corporate boards and how to be an effective board member. Here are the highlights from Beverly’s talk: Being Visible Canadian boards are becoming more diverse and data shows that companies with women on their boards are more effective. However, real work still needs to be done so that more women and minorities can become directors, as it’s easy for people not to notice when boards aren’t diverse. Speaking Up “Don’t underestimate what you already know” — that [...]

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