ICSA Canada

Governance as a Driver of Organizational Success
Calgary, AB - June 13, 2008

We will be looking at ways good governance practices contribute to a thriving organization. Speakers will discuss the value of governance from a practitioner's perspective, the evolving trend of leadership governance, and planning for good governance. Chartered Secretaries Canada is currently undertaking a study on the relationship between good governance and share prices and profitability, and will provide an update at the Forum. Your take-away, as a participant at this event, will be a clearer idea of how you can take advantage of good governance practices to drive success in your organization. This Forum will be of particular interest to corporate secretaries, governance and compliance officers, general counsel and lawyers and accountants whose practice includes regulatory compliance and governance.

If you belong to a professional association with continuing professional development requirements, you may be able to use this event as credit towards meeting your requirement.

For many years, the primary measure of business success has been profit and profitability. Recently, however, business and society have begun to consider broader indicators, often referred to as the “triple bottom line”. This extends the definition of success to include social and environmental factors as well as economic benefits. Increasingly, an organization must deliver value beyond a return to shareholders; the trend towards corporate social responsibility is an indicator of this. In her presentation, governance consultant Janis Riven will explore this larger context and discuss the role of governance professionals in monitoring and promoting the triple bottom line.

Proponents of good governance have long touted Board and Director evaluations as best practice. Now, they are coming of age as a tool to drive success. Join USC Education Savings Plans’ corporate secretary Suzanne Mascarenhas as she discusses the processes she has developed for her Board’s evaluation and the way her organization is using evaluations to identify not only areas for improvement but the skill sets Directors need to enhance the company’s growth and success. In this presentation, you will hear from a practitioner and learn how to adapt her experience to your own organization.

Chartered Secretaries Canada’s President Bruce Murrary will address the study CSC is currently conducting on “The Value of Governance”. Much has been said and written in recent years about whether governance translates to stronger share prices and a better bottom line. In this session, you will hear a summary of existing research and our approach to the question. He will also share with you recent developments at CSC, including new strategic partnerships, and will talk about ways CSC is advancing the practice of good governance in Canada.

Good governance practice is always evolving. It comes from experience (both good and bad), regulatory action and rulings, legislation, and case law. Fred Enns, a partner in Borden Ladner Gervais, will review recent developments in the legal arena to identify important factors you and your organization should consider as you look at your own practices and move them towards (and even beyond) current best practices. Your take-away from this session will be a better understanding of how the courts are applying existing laws to corporate governance so you can keep “ahead of the curve”.

If profit is a measure of success in governance as well as in business generally, it pays for financial and governance professionals to understand one another. Join Mike Whiston, a treasury professional, as he talks about his own experiences in appreciating the importance of governance and shares ideas on how treasury and governance pros can work together to enhance organizational success.

Governance is more than just compliance. Increasingly, governance is becoming a proactive endeavor. David Petrie, Chartered Secretaries Canada’s Executive Director, will discuss adapting the strategic planning model to governance to allow your organization fully to incorporate governance as part of its successful strategy. Your take-away will include a tool set that will enable you to identify factors affecting your organization’s ability to implement best practices and help you promote those practices internally.

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