Governance
For Boards of Municipal, Provincial and Federal Agencies, and Not-For-Profit Organizations
4-Day ProgramOrganizational benefits
Enhancing the knowledge and skill sets of Board members will have a profoundly positive impact on the organization.
- Implement proper governance within the organization
- Make more informed decisions with a clear understanding of the associated financial risks
- Learn how to transform the Board into a high-performance team that can fully utilize the talents and experiences of each member
- Improve long-term planning and evaluate processes and results against the planned objectives
- Create a more productive working relationship between the Board and senior management
- Enhance the Board’s involvement in critical decision making
- Bring back practical solutions to critical problems and proven strategies for dealing with contentious issues
Personal benefits
The concepts and tools taught in the program will greatly enhance your strategic planning knowledge and skills.
- Enhance your understanding of issues and responsibilities relating to governance
- Expand your financial acumen and understanding of risk management
- Learn valuable governance concepts and frameworks
- Increase your personal contribution to the Board and the broader organization
- Develop the confidence and ability to ask the right questions
- Network with a group of experienced peers from a variety of organizations
Program content
The Program leverages the educational power of multiple teaching tools, including class discussions, exchange of ideas and perspectives with faculty and fellow participants, one-on-one coaching, exercises, and the development of a self-directed action plan for improving personal effectiveness.
The Program is built around a four-step process:
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Governance and the role of the Board
Understanding current expectations of Boards and how the role of the Board has evolved over time.
- The two major roles of the Board
- The four hallmarks of an effective Board Chair
- Barriers to effective governance, governance models and Board member responsibilities
- The impact of governance scandals and how Boards and individual directors can influence organizations
- The five ways management can support the Board
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Board accountability for financial reporting and audit
Understanding key financial statements and the role of the auditor and the audit committee.
- How better governance and accountability benefits organizations
- The basics of accrual accounting and using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to make and justify financial reporting decisions
- Reading financial statements and interpreting financial patterns and trends
- The roles and responsibilities of the audit committee and how audits add value to the organization
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Risk Management and Boards
The role of the Board of Directors, key Board committees and top managers in risk management.
- Define risk and how to measure and manage it
- Examine environmental, political and strategic risks
- Identify the four alternatives for effective risk management
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The Board and Strategic Planning
How the Board can review and contribute to the organization’s strategic plan.
- Develop a shared conception of the purpose of strategic planning
- Discuss common pitfalls in the strategic planning process
- Use tools for both internal and external strategic analysis
- Evaluate whether or not the strategic plan is effective in implementation
Session Leaders
Session leaders include senior professors from Queen's School of Business and knowledgeable experts from industry. These outstanding teachers are constantly in touch with today's business world through real-world business experience, Board memberships and their own consulting practices.

Dr. Scott Carson - Strategy and Corporate Social Responsibility, Queen's School of Business
Scott Carson is Director of the Monieson Centre and a former Director of the Queen’s Full-Time MBA program at Queen’s School of Business. He is an authority on Business Ethics, Corporate Governance and Strategic Management. Prior to joining Queen’s, he was Dean of the School of Business at Wilfrid Laurier University. During his business career, he was Vice President and Head of Corporate Finance for CIBC and also worked as an executive at Chemical Bank of Canada (J.P. Morgan Chase) and the Mercantile Bank (National Bank). While on leave from Wilfrid Laurier, he was CEO of the Ontario Government’s Privatization Secretariat. He has also served on numerous boards in both the corporate and not-for-profit sectors.

Dr. David Detomasi - International Business, Queen's School of Business
David Detomasi is an authority on globalization, corporate and non-profit governance, and corporate strategy. He is an active business case writer and researcher, and is regularly featured in the media. In the private sector, he has consulted with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and The World Economic Forum, examining the strategic and governance practices of the world's most influential companies.

Mr. John Moore - Financial Accounting, Queen's School of Business
John Moore is an experienced and award-winning executive educator who is highly regarded in the accounting profession. He has conducted executive development seminars on financial tools for senior managers at Alcan, BMW, DuPont, Canon, Mitel, Shoppers Drug Mart, New Brunswick Power Corporation, Mountain Equipment Co-op, and Canada Post. He also works with members of senior management teams to integrate financial accounting concepts into strategic planning. He is a six-time winner of the MBA Teaching Excellence Award from Queen’s School of Business; a recipient of the Silver Medal from CMA Canada; a Fellow of the Society of Management Accountants of Canada; and the author of five accounting textbooks, including a study guide for students preparing for the CA designation.

Dr. Elspeth Murray - Strategy, New Ventures and MIS, Queen's School of Business
Elspeth Murray is the Associate Dean of MBA Programs at Queen’s School of Business and CIBC Faculty Fellow in Entrepreneurship. As well, she leads the School’s Centre for Business Venturing. In this role she has spearheaded the development of the Dare to Dream Internship Program, designed to kick-start graduates’ entrepreneurial ventures, and the Tri-Colour Fund, a student-led early stage investment fund. The New Venture Management course that she developed has been recognized by Bloomberg BusinessWeek as one of the world’s top 10 Executive MBA courses. Additionally, she serves as a Director of Parteq, the commercialization organization for Queen’s University. She is also the co-author of Fast Forward – Organizational Change in 100 Days with Peter Richardson.
