It has been a very busy first quarter at our CSCS headquarters. We have kicked off the year with great new initiatives and an exciting 2013 Halifax Conference program for August!

 

Here are some highlights of the fruits of our labour:

 

Launch of the CSCS Inaugural Excellence in Governance Awards
Nominations are now open for the inaugural Excellence in Governance Awards (EG Awards). The CSCS EG Awards will recognize the important contribution governance professionals make to the best practices that build shareholder and stakeholder value in Canadian organizations across sectors and industries. This is your chance to be recognized for your own efforts or another organization's in governance, so enter or nominate someone now! The shortlist of finalists will be announced in June, 2013 and winners will be announced and celebrated on August 18, 2013 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at the opening dinner of CSCS' 15^th Annual Conference. For further details about these awards and to enter your nomination, click here.

 

New CSCS 2013 Corporate Governance Best Practices Survey
CSCS is teaming up with global management consulting firm Hay Group to conduct a comprehensive survey on corporate governance practices in the Canadian market. This survey will assist in obtaining valuable insight into the current corporate governance landscape and on the leading practices implemented across organizations and across sectors in Canada. The deadline for survey submissions is March 29 2013. We encourage you to participate by clicking here and you will receive a complimentary 2013 Corporate Governance Practices Survey Report by August 2013. Shorty after we have gathered the best practices survey results , we will also be working with Hay Group on the '2013 Compensation Benchmarking Study' for Corporate Secretaries - stay tuned!

 

New Two-Day CSCS Governance Essentials Workshop for the Corporate Secretary
This Seminar, being offered in Vancouver on May 23-24, 2013 and in Toronto on November 7-8, 2013, was formerly a one-day workshop at our annual conference. We have stretched the session over two days - allowing for a deeper dive into the issues and for more fulsome discussion with the workshop leaders. This two-day seminar is a great way to get up to speed or to expand your corporate secretariat skill set. It will examine the responsibilities, roles and accountabilities of the corporate secretary's position, explore best practices and provide practical solutions to current governance challenges. This session will be of great benefit to you if you are new to the profession or need a refresher, or if you are someone responsible for governance processes and/or compliance processes in your organization. Register now for the Vancouver session by clicking here!

 

Last, but not least ...

Early-bird registration is now open for the 15th Annual CSCS Corporate Governance Conference! August 18-21, 2013 Halifax, Nova Scotia
We are very excited to unveil the draft conference program agenda for this 15^th annual CSCS conference! Join over 300 of your colleagues and like-minded professionals to network and engage in discussions on the latest issues in corporate governance. This year's program will feature plenary discussions and keynotes with leading minds in governance in Canada, as well as a streamed program with subject matter experts in 3 areas - Critical Issues in Governance; The Board and the Corporate Secretary; and Practical Matters for the Corporate Secretary. Plus, leading expert keynote addresses, workshops and plenary sessions will address issues that will appeal to all sectors and industries across Canada. Make this YOUR annual conference as it is not to be missed! For the full program details and to register, click here!

 

We look forward to seeing you at these exciting events and to hearing from you on our important surveys and our awards program!

 

Sincerely, 

 

Lynn Beauregard
President 

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Do you have a question you need an answer to? Looking for best practices? Our Request for Assistance service is an easy way to receive information from your peers. Below are some recent requests. Your responses will be appreciated.

 

Best practices on restructuring/merging sub-boards 

This not-for-profit corporation's governance structure has a Board of Trustees and sub-boards (similar to advisory boards/committees) representing different industry sectors. The organization is considering merging two of the industry sector boards, where there is considerable overlap. Are any best practices we can draw on from other organizations (for profit or not-for-profit) that have gone through a similar restructure process.

Drafting Materials for Board Meetings

We have recently taken on an initiative to streamline and slim back on the amount of paper that our Board and Committee receives at each meeting. We are looking for guides or reference materials that may be of assistance to our management team . Does anyone have any suggestions or materials that they could share?

Rules of process re: Board meetings, minutes

A not-for-profit organization would like to access rules of procedure regarding board meeting processes, for use by staff - has anyone used Robert's Rules of Order or a similar source?

Guidance for rules for capitalization of job titles, committees, board of directors

The rules for capitalization of job titles, committees, board of directors, etc., seem to have changed over the years. I have googled for guidance material and found discrepancies which leads me to believe that people make up their own rules. Is there a reliable source that anyone can recommend?

Board's Oversight for IT

Our Board is considering incorporating an IT Committee to its Governance Structure. How do other Boards manage their fiduciary responsibility for IT ? We'd appreciate any best practices, mandates, terms of reference, etc.

To Respond:

Please submit your response by going to CSCS Forum.

 

If you wish to remain anonymous, click here for instruction on how to manage your privacy setting.  

 

To view responses to previous Request for Assistance, please click here or login and click on Members Only Section > Request for Assistance Responses.

In an increasingly competitive global environment, it is critical that directors focus on overseeing the establishment, growth and development of sustainable Canadian enterprise for the longer term. Are shareholder activism and short- and long-termism on a collision course or are there opportunities for alignment?

Win for Charity - CICA Survey on Corporate Governance Information - The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) is inviting all CSCS members to participate in a short online survey (approximately 10 minutes) to better understand what types of information boards of directors are interested in and to ensure that the information the Institute provides is relevant All survey answers will be kept strictly confidential and results will be viewed in aggregate. At the end of the survey, you will be provided with the opportunity to be entered into a draw to win a $500 donation to a registered charity of your choice..

To start the survey, please click on the following link: http://survey-na.researchnow.com/wix/p533216800.aspx?src=96&l=9 

Board evaluations started off as a good idea - an opportunity for the board to reflect on its performance and consider areas for further enhancement. But in the past 10 years, since this once "best practice" became widely adopted, it has largely devolved to a box-ticking exercise. Rather than generating constructive ideas from self-reflection, it's become little more than a compliance item whereby the Governance Committee satisfies itself that there are "no issues here" and quickly closes the file. (Read More)