|
|
President's Message
The CSCS held its Annual Conference and Awards last week in Montreal and without a doubt in everyone's mind, this was our most successful and well-attended event yet. With a total of 393 including 50 speakers, a best in class show of sponsors and exhibitors, great discussions, hot topics and fun social events featuring traditional Quebec folklore dancing and lumberjack demonstrations... there was definitely a great buzz in the air over the 2 ½ days of the event. To start things off, the opening reception followed by the awards dinner was an elegant evening of celebration for the 2015 Excellence in Governance Award winners, featuring a keynote address by Jean Charest, who was eloquent, entertaining and a huge hit. For more information on the winners, I invite you to scroll below and to have a look at the evening video montage. You can also read the full 2015 EG Awards Judges' Report here. The conference covered many topics including major trends in governance, risk, diversity, ethics, shareholder engagement, whistle blowing, cyber security, subsidiary governance and oversight, governance committees, board composition, CEO succession planning, the evolving role of the corporate secretary and more. The event's highlight however, was by far the luncheon keynote discussion with Andrew Fastow, Former Chief Financial Officer of Enron Corp, who dubs himself the 'Chief Loophole Officer' for his time spent at Enron. CSCS invited Mr. Fastow after much thought and careful deliberation, as his role i We are very pleased that Mr. Fastow was so well received and we have already secured his participation in next year's conference, in order to build on the lessons and insights he shared at this event.n the Enron debacle sheds uncompromising and unprecedented light on what it takes for a massive governance failure to happen. Indeed, his presentation provided unique and educational insights into the practices of a company as it moved into the murky gray zone between compliance and breach, and on to the dire consequences of one of the largest corporate failures in recent memory. There were many takeaways from his presentation and I would invite you to read the Globe and Mail article on his presentation here. CSCS continues to work with its members to have its finger on the pulse of evolving issues and there is no better place to gather than its annual conference. If you haven't attended a CSCS conference yet, we invite you to be a part of this growing community and education opportunity that is unlike any other in Canada. MARK YOUR CALENDAR for next year's conference which will take place in In closing, I would like to extend a note of thanks to the CSCS Conference Committee: Madeleine Bertrand, David Masse, Alain Dussault, Denise Wanner and Tommy Tremblay, whose valuable insights and guidance on the program were greatly appreciated and contributed to the success of the conference. Last but not least, a very big note of appreciation to the CSCS staff: Tina Hutchinson, Pamela Smith, Olga Kasjanova, Mikila Haldane and our conference helper Alicia Dilollo(below), who worked extremely diligently to make all of the elements that make this conference seamless look so effortless. A very special thank you also to Senait Ghebru (Financial Controller) and Seare Araya (IT Manager) whose behind the scene contributions were equally as significant.
Lynn Beauregard EG Awards UpdateThe Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries ("CSCS") The following winners were selected in these categories:
Left to right: top row - Gina Zapras, Selma Lussenburg, Brigitte Catellier, Stephanie Kelly,
Middle row - Karen McCarthy, Jackie Baron, Sean Quinn, Glenn Keeling, Bottom row - David Beatty, Susan Belcher, Stuart McKellar A huge congratulations to our 2015 winners! We invite you to have a look at the Awards night video montage below: The other exciting announcement is that the 2016 EG Awards ceremony will take place in the fall of 2016 in Toronto as a separate event. Be sure to check your CSCS emails to find out more about next year's event and how to enter and nominate your organization. Conference UpdateThank you!
Just a couple of weeks ago, CSCS welcomed a total of 393 participants to their Annual Corporate Governance Conference in Montreal, QC: 318 conference attendees; 23 companions; 31 award evening attendees; 14 media representatives and 7 staff. This is comparable to last year in Banff, AB where we had a total of 372. The CSCS staff and board want to thank all of our attendees for their participation and feedback - it is greatly appreciated! We really do consider all of your comments, suggestions and ideas to continue to enhance, not only the conference programming, but all of the CSCS initiatives. So THANK YOU! Our success is clearly your success. The more we continue to grow, the more programming and networking opportunities we can build together and the better become a stronger organization for governance professionals. And with that, we want to hear from our members! What can we add, remove, enhance or adapt for our programming so that we can create the best conference program and experience for you next year. Please send any comments, ideas, suggestions, etc. to conference@cscs.org. Also, to every contributor - sponsor, partner, director and speaker - each of you keep stepping up to the plate and committing to making this conference a success. For this, a big round of applause and a great big THANK YOU! To our loyal sponsors: THANK YOU! We know there are budget challenges and choices when selecting your partner organizations. Thank you for choosing to commit to CSCS and for the relationships that we continue to cultivate. We look forward to working with you again soon. We look forward to next year's event and what it has in store. Yes, we are already deep in the planning of activities - especially the fun night! Hope to see you all in Whistler in August 2016! Tina HutchinsonDirector, Conference & Sponsorship Membership NewsCanadian Society of Corporate Secretaries Announces New Directors of the Board
The Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries (CSCS) is pleased to announce that five new directors were elected to its board at its annual meeting on August 17th,. The addition of these new members rounds out the organization's skills set, expertise, sector and national representation. New directors include:
Chairman of the Board, David Masse notes, "I am very pleased to welcome Alain, Brigitte, Carmel, Glen, Heather and Sally to our board. They each bring a tremendous wealth of experience to the organization. The benefit from their combined expertise will help us continue supporting CSCS' ongoing growth and innovation." As the organization continues with the implementation of its Strategic Plan, the new directors compliment the strong suite of directors currently servicing the board. Masse also expressed CSCS's gratitude to two retiring directors, Ms. Laurel Savoy, who has served on the board since 2002 and Ms. Leah Fitzgerald, who joined the board in 2010. Their valued contributions to the organization have been greatly appreciated. As the organization continues with the implementation of its Strategic Plan, the new directors compliment the strong suite of directors currently servicing the board. Continuing board members, re-elected at the Annual Meeting, include:
 Board member bios are available on the CSCS website at http://www.cscs.org. Pamela Smith Joyce Borden-Reed Distinguished Contribution Award
The Board of Directors of CSCS is pleased to announce that Glenn Keeling has been chosen as the 3rd recipient of the Joyce Borden-Reed Distinguished Contribution Award. Glenn was honoured at CSCS' 17th Annual Corporate Governance Conference in Montreal, QC. The Joyce Borden-Reed is given by CSCS to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to CSCS over a period of years. Named after one of the founding board members of CSCS, it aims to identify those who have directly advanced the interests of CSCS and furthered the organization's place in the Canadian governance community. Over the course of his career, Glenn has developed significant expertise in the shareholder engagement and corporate governance arenas. He has broad expertise and a network of contacts and associates in the legal, investment banking and Issuer communities in Canada and the U.S., and has emerged as an authority in Canada for issues involving strategic solicitation or corporate governance advisory issues. Glenn has been a very strong supporter and active member of CSCS for over a decade and he has contributed to the Society by being an ongoing advocate and active contributor for the organization. Glenn's long-time involvement as an active CSCS member continues as he was just elected to the CSCS Board of Directors and will serve as a member of the new Sponsorship Engagement Committee. CSCS Donation to Breakfast Club of Canada - Quebec RegionLisa Clowery, National Corporate Relations Director, represented Breakfast Clubs Canada - Quebec Region at the 2015 CSCS Corporate Governance Conference on Wednesday, August 19th when she accepted a donation of $3,000 from CSCS President Lynn Beauregard. The organization welcomed CSCS' support of their 278 school clubs, in Quebec where breakfast is served daily to 16,722 children. That added up to 2,348,050 breakfasts served last year. In lieu of speaker gifts and believing that a donation to CSCS' Charity of Choice is an effective way to acknowledge conference speakers, funds were directed to Breakfast Club of Canada - Quebec Region. Donations for professional headshots by Monique de St. Croix of Unique Perspectives added to the total donated. The Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries is proud that it is having a significant impact on children, teachers and ultimately, on society, which benefits from productive, engaged young people. And it all starts with a nutritious breakfast. To learn more about the Club or to get involved, visit their website at www.breakfastclubcanada.org. To see what they are all about, here is a video that shows firsthand the impact the organization has in communities across Canada. News and Updates
|
Governance Matters is the monthly e-newsletter of the Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries and is sent to our members and subscribers. Each issue of Governance Matters covers hot topics affecting our members and provides relevant up-to-date information about corporate governance issues.
Past Issues2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 |
handed out the third annual Excellence in Governance Awards/Prix d'excellence en gouvernance at the opening gala of the CSCS' 17th Annual Corporate Governance Conference held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montréal, Québec, on August 16, 2015.
