Past Agenda

Conference Program
Flip through the past conference agenda and discover what was in focus in January 2023.
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- At a Glance
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Add-Ons
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Pre-Conference Workshops
Workshop A — Working Group on Essential Strategies for Developing Strong Relationships Between Crown Corporations and Ministries
Jan 17, 2023 9:30am – 12:30pm
Speakers

Rick Hancox
Governor, Chair, Governance Committee, Board of Governors
New Brunswick Community College (NBCC)
Chair, Human Resources Committee
Credit Counselling Canada
Former CEO
Financial & Consumer Services Commission

Okenge Yuma Morisho
Deputy Minister
Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Government of British Columbia
Workshop B — A Crown Corporation’s Guide to ESG Essentials: Everything You Need to Know to Transition Your Crown Corporation to an ESG Framework
Jan 17, 2023 1:30pm – 4:30pm
Speakers

Ivy Lumia
CEO and Founder
Best in Governance Inc.

Rachel Guthrie
Vice President, Sustainable Business Enablement
Export Development Canada
Day 1 - Wednesday, January 18, 2023
7:30 |
Continental Networking Breakfast and Registration |
8:30 |
Co-Chairs’ Welcome Remarks |
9:00 |
Focus on ESGA Crown Corporation’s Guide to Building a Solid Framework for a Successful ESG Program |
10:00 |
Morning Coffee Break |
10:15 |
Environmental Governance: What Every Crown Corp Needs to Know About Reducing its Environmental Impact |
11:15 |
Continuing the Crown Corp DEI Conversation: From the Boardroom to Throughout the Office |
12:15 |
Networking Luncheon |
1:15 |
Governance RoundtableA Discussion with Crown Corporation Executives and Minister on Accountabilities and Transparency |
2:30 |
Maximizing the Value of Board Committees: Delegating Within the Board of Directors |
3:30 |
Afternoon Refreshment Break |
3:45 |
Exploring Creative Avenues for Revenue Generation in Crown Corporations |
4:30 |
Developing Strategies for Successful Reporting: Effective Techniques for Annual Government Reports and Internal Audits |
5:30 |
Closing Remarks — End of Day 1 |
Day 2 - Thursday, January 19, 2023
8:00 |
Continental Networking Breakfast and Registration |
9:00 |
Opening Remarks Day Two and Recap of Day One by Co-Chairs |
9:15 |
Focus on Talent Retention Replacement and RecruitmentSecuring the Best Talent: Developing Successful Strategies for Employee and Board Retention |
10:15 |
Morning Coffee Break |
10:45 |
Filling in the Gap: Addressing Challenges Surrounding Renewal and Replacement of Board of Director Positions |
11:45 |
Productivity and Work Environment: Shifting From Working at Home to Back in the Office |
12:45 |
Networking Luncheon |
1:45 |
The Evolution of the Arms-Length Relationship: Understanding the Changing Dynamic Between Crown Corporations and Their Respective Ministries |
2:45 |
Afternoon Refreshment Break |
3:00 |
Cyber Security Risk Management: Everything Board Members Need to Know Including When to Panic! |
4:00 |
A Guide to Managing Conflicts of Interest Challenges That Arise in Crown Corporations |
5:00 |
Recap and Closing Remarks |
5:15 |
End of Day 2 — Conference Adjourns |
Day 1 - Wednesday, January 18, 2023
7:30 |
Continental Networking Breakfast and Registration |
8:30 |
Co-Chairs’ Welcome Remarks![]() Colleen Ouellette ![]() Teresa Woo-Paw ![]() Thomas H. Yeo In the last year, Crown Corporations have experienced the aftereffects of the pandemic including the current economic fallout. Like their private sector counterparts, they look forward to a post-pandemic recovery, but remain mindful of current realities. Our co-chairs will provide an overview of recent developments and what Crown Corporations can expect in 2023.
|
9:00 |
Focus on ESGA Crown Corporation’s Guide to Building a Solid Framework for a Successful ESG Program![]() Melanie Debassige, MBA, ICD.D ![]() Simon Kamel
|
10:00 |
Morning Coffee Break |
10:15 |
Environmental Governance: What Every Crown Corp Needs to Know About Reducing its Environmental Impact![]() Chantal Guay ![]() Nick Xenos
|
11:15 |
Continuing the Crown Corp DEI Conversation: From the Boardroom to Throughout the Office![]() Teresa Woo-Paw ![]() Anne-Cécile Lequain ![]() Angela Cassie
|
12:15 |
Networking Luncheon |
1:15 |
Governance RoundtableA Discussion with Crown Corporation Executives and Minister on Accountabilities and Transparency![]() David Field ![]() Aaron Friedenthal ![]() Okenge Yuma Morisho ![]() Teresa Woo-Paw ![]() Glenn Campbell Crown Corporate Executive and Board of Director roles often overlap. However, each role plays a crucial part in reaching targets and obtaining sound governance. Join us as we have a roundtable discussion on the roles of a Minister, CEO/President, Chair, and Corporate Secretariat and how each player affects and interacts with one another. Understanding what each role entails can solidify transparencies and progress to an overall Crown’s obligations.
|
2:30 |
Maximizing the Value of Board Committees: Delegating Within the Board of Directors![]() David Beatty ![]() Jane Halford ![]() Colleen Ouellette
|
3:30 |
Afternoon Refreshment Break |
3:45 |
Exploring Creative Avenues for Revenue Generation in Crown Corporations![]() Michael Yee
|
4:30 |
Developing Strategies for Successful Reporting: Effective Techniques for Annual Government Reports and Internal Audits![]() Jeff Miller ![]() Darinka Pejic ![]() Kenneth Jull
|
5:30 |
Closing Remarks — End of Day 1 |
Day 2 - Thursday, January 19, 2023
8:00 |
Continental Networking Breakfast and Registration |
9:00 |
Opening Remarks Day Two and Recap of Day One by Co-Chairs![]() Colleen Ouellette ![]() Thomas H. Yeo ![]() Teresa Woo-Paw |
9:15 |
Focus on Talent Retention Replacement and RecruitmentSecuring the Best Talent: Developing Successful Strategies for Employee and Board Retention![]() Nadim Kara ![]() Natalie Kinloch
|
10:15 |
Morning Coffee Break |
10:45 |
Filling in the Gap: Addressing Challenges Surrounding Renewal and Replacement of Board of Director Positions![]() Frédéric Duguay ![]() Jane Halford
|
11:45 |
Productivity and Work Environment: Shifting From Working at Home to Back in the Office![]() Joanne Larocque-Poirier ![]() Chantal Guay
|
12:45 |
Networking Luncheon |
1:45 |
The Evolution of the Arms-Length Relationship: Understanding the Changing Dynamic Between Crown Corporations and Their Respective Ministries![]() Randy Jackiw ![]() Jacqueline Nelson
|
2:45 |
Afternoon Refreshment Break |
3:00 |
Cyber Security Risk Management: Everything Board Members Need to Know Including When to Panic!![]() Ruth Promislow While cybersecurity threats were already significant before the onset of COVID, the mass shift to remote work and virtual meetings has magnified concerns further. Risks associated with increased reliance on remote technology have moved cybersecurity to the top of many organizations’ — including crown corporations — corporate agenda. Join us for an in-depth discussion as well as hypotheticals specifically designed around cybersecurity risk prevention for Crown Corporations.
|
4:00 |
A Guide to Managing Conflicts of Interest Challenges That Arise in Crown Corporations![]() Thomas H. Yeo ![]() Carol Hansell
|
5:00 |
Recap and Closing Remarks |
5:15 |
End of Day 2 — Conference Adjourns |
Workshop A — Working Group on Essential Strategies for Developing Strong Relationships Between Crown Corporations and Ministries

Rick Hancox
Governor, Chair, Governance Committee, Board of Governors
New Brunswick Community College (NBCC)
Chair, Human Resources Committee
Credit Counselling Canada
Former CEO
Financial & Consumer Services Commission

Okenge Yuma Morisho
Deputy Minister
Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Government of British Columbia
What is it about?
This session is offered only in person.
Crown corporate leaders often have difficulties engaging with their direct counterparts at the executive level. This distance can prevent critical strategic conversations from taking places and confuse accountability principles. This session will assist you in developing a stronger model for an open line of communication.
- Understanding existing challenges and obstacles to open communication
- Examining how to integrate communication strategies between government and Crown Corporation leaders into your annual review process
- Clarifying formal relationships and reporting procedures between the provincial legislature, executive government, and Crown Corporations
- Implementing relationship management training programs and relationship charters for your board
Workshop B — A Crown Corporation’s Guide to ESG Essentials: Everything You Need to Know to Transition Your Crown Corporation to an ESG Framework

Ivy Lumia
CEO and Founder
Best in Governance Inc.

Rachel Guthrie
Vice President, Sustainable Business Enablement
Export Development Canada
What is it about?
This session is offered only in person.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks continue to evolve in many sectors. Shareholders’ and various stakeholders’ expectations are driving many organizations, including Crown Corporations, to re-imagine new goals, objectives, and accountabilities aimed at sustainability. As shown over time, ESG has become a market differentiator for many corporations and a source of value creation leading to process improvements, monitoring, and reporting to address and comply with ethical standards and applicable legislation. This session will assist Crown Corporation leaders in developing and implementing an ESG framework that has the power to drive impact and provide a solid foundation for more in-depth ESG discussions in the main program.
- Defining the standard for ESG and the standard for disclosure
- Reporting on physical risk, including climate change impacts on assets and operations
- Reporting on transition risk, such as transitioning to a lower carbon economy, including policy, legal, technology, market, and reputational risks
- Developing a strategy for governance and reporting on government recommendations
- Re-evaluating policies to reflect long-term environmental stewardship
- Articulating strategies for effectively responding to shareholders about climate change implications