ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program (DEP)

Description

Current Offerings

•  

  City§	Course Code	Application Deadline (4:00 p.m. ET)	Module I	Module II	Module III	Module IV
  Calgary	DEP 38	August 31, 2023	October 26-28, 2023	December 7-9, 2023	February 22-24, 2024	April 18-20, 2024
  Edmonton	DEP 17	July 20, 2023	September 21-23, 2023	October 26-28, 2023	November 30-Dec 2, 2023	January 18-20, 2024
  Halifax	DEP 6	September 21, 2023	November 16-18, 2023	January 11-13, 2024	March 7-9, 2024	May 9-11, 2024
  Montreal	DEP 23	February 9, 2024	April 19-21, 2024	June 7-9, 2024	September 13-15, 2024	November 1-3, 2024
  Toronto	DEP 106	April 13, 2023	June 9-11, 2023	September 22-24, 2023	November 3-5, 2023	December 8-10, 2023
  Toronto	DEP 107	August 4, 2023	October 2-4, 2023	November 6-8, 2023	December 11-13, 2023	January 22-24, 2024
  Virtual	DEP 5	August 17, 2023.	October 16-18, 2023	November 30-December 2, 2023	January 29-31, 2024	March 21-23, 2024
  Winnipeg	DEP 6	August 17, 2023	October 12-14, 2023	December 14-16, 2023	March 7-9, 2024	May 23-25, 2024

  
  ^§The city listed refers to the location of the business school out of which the program will be delivered.
  
  The ICD, Rotman and our Partner Schools continue to monitor the evolving COVID situation daily. We are committed to following the guidance of Public Health officials as well as Provincial and University Guidelines.
  It remains our sincere hope that we can offer most upcoming DEP modules safely in-person. Currently, all partner business schools are encouraging all members of their communities to be fully vaccinated. Please be aware that masking is no longer required.  If you are unable to attend in-person modules due to these restrictions, or other safety concerns, please contact Maureen Finlan at mfinlan@icd.ca to discuss your options.

Eligibility

• The course itself is focused primarily on for-profit governance with an emphasis on the governance of publicly-traded corporations. As such, the course is most appropriate for directors with for-profit governance experience or those directors and professionals with near-term opportunity to serve on for-profit boards.

  Eligibility:

  Admission into the DEP is granted to those applicants who meet the minimum national experience standard (the ‘bar’). The bar reflects the focus of the DEP on for-profit director effectiveness. The bar represents a combination of business acumen and professional experience, board service and director experience, and other factors such as education and honours, supported by appropriate references. Your application will be reviewed by an admissions committee and it is, therefore, important that you provide as much detail as necessary within this online application form. If you have any questions about your eligibility for the DEP please contact Hadi Hassani at education@icd.ca or 416-593-3348.

  Board Experience:

  Except in exceptional situations all admitted participants will have appropriate experience as a director. Preference is given to DEP applicants who have experience on for-profit boards. Preference is also generally given to those who have held independent board positions, as opposed to executive or ex-officio positions. Crown corporation boards and large non-profit boards that act as oversight boards are preferred over management boards or boards focused primarily on singular activities such as fundraising. While some consideration may also be given to applicants who have not served directly on boards but have extensive experience advising or otherwise working with boards (e.g. professionals who may have been prohibited from serving on boards by virtue of their professional capacity but advise and serve boards extensively), it should be noted that the DEP Admissions Committee does not consider this to be a substitute for experience as a sitting director, but rather as a complementary piece.

  Executive Experience:

  In addition to board experience, DEP applicants should also have a highly successful track record of senior executive or professional experience and be able to demonstrate significant business acumen. The DEP Admissions Committee is looking for individuals that have shown an ability to lead, innovate and inspire success at the highest professional levels, and have developed both a breadth and depth of experience as a result – the same qualities that will, in turn, serve them well as directors of for-profit corporations and complex organizations.

  References:

  The DEP Admissions Committee considers references to be an important part of the applicant’s overall admissions package and encourages appropriate referees.Both reference letters must be received by the ICD no later than the application deadline. Applicants are encouraged to provide references from fellow directors, professional peers or superiors, or other senior leaders who can comment on the applicant’s experience, character, and suitability for the program. Preference is given to references from DEP graduates, members of the ICD, and sitting directors who are familiar with the DEP focus and the DEP learning environment. Referees should be free of any material conflict with the applicant and applicants should avoid references from direct reports (which would include, for example, a CEO serving as a referee for a member of his/her board) and suppliers (including a service provider to the applicant - or to the organization of the applicant - serving as a reference, such as lawyers, accountants, auditors, etc.) who may feel encumbered due to the nature of the relationship.

ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program (DEP) Diversity Scholarship

• This scholarship program enables underrepresented individuals to gain a strong governance education through Canada's leading director education program, the ICD-Rotman DEP. Preference is given to those who demonstrate a financial need and belong to one of the following groups: women, Indigenous Peoples, people with visible or invisible/episodic disabilities, members of racialized communities, and those who identify as 2SLGBTQI+.
   
  Click here for additional information on the scholarship, application, and review process. 
   
  The scholarship has been made possible by the Institute of Corporate Directors, the Rotman School of Management, and their network of partner business schools across Canada.

Objectives

• Complemented by some of Canada’s most accomplished and highly respected directors-in-residence, this course is taught by leading governance experts and is delivered in 4 modules, currently consisting of 5-6 half-day online sessions each. Module delivery format subject to change in 2021.
  
  The program offers experiential learning through breakouts and board simulations tailored to meet the needs of directors from public and private companies, Crown corporations, public institutions, co-operatives, and large not-for-profit organizations across Canada.

Benefits

• • DEP Alumni benefit from becoming part of a national network of 7,300 program graduates and  more than 16,500 ICD members across Canada.

  • A dynamic learning environment rich with peer-to-peer insights, director dilemmas, board and committee simulations and case studies.

  • Benefit from the collective knowledge and experience of an unparalleled faculty - national and local academics, seasoned directors and leading governance experts.

  • Expanded networking opportunities with an unparalleled group of professional peers, locally and nationally.

  • Flexible scheduling to meet your unique needs - modules may be taken in any of the eleven cities where the DEP is offered.

  • The first step towards the ICD.D designation upon completion of a written examination and a board meeting simulation chaired and vice-chaired by some of Canada's most senior directors.

  • Non-members of the ICD receive a one-year membership upon application.

  • The ICD is a founding member of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI), opening the door to the global director community.

Admission

• Admissions Process:

  The DEP is not an open-enrollment program, and has a competitive admissions process. Space is limited and there is no guarantee of admission into the program.

  Applications for each program are accepted up until that program’s respective application deadline, after which they are all evaluated collectively by the DEP Admissions Committee. You will receive notification of the Admissions Committee's decision by email about one month prior to the program start date.

  Applications are weighed on their own merits, and against one another, and only those applicants that meet the DEP eligibility requirements will be considered for admission into the program.

  How to Apply:

  Once you’ve reviewed the DEP eligibility requirements and confirmed that you meet all the necessary criteria, fill out the application form for the DEP in the location of interest and submit supplementary documents as per the instructions on the application form.

  Pre-Approvals for future DEP Cohorts:

  In the event that more applicants meet the DEP’s eligibility requirements than there are spaces in the program, the Admissions Committee will put together a class from the approved applicants that best meets the desired balance described above. Those applicants that are approved for admission to the DEP, but cannot be accommodated in that specific cohort, will be pre-approved for the next DEP cohort in that city.

DEP Graduates

• • Calgary

  • Edmonton

  • Halifax

  • Montreal

  • Ottawa

  • Toronto

  • Saskatchewan

  • St.Johns

  • Vancouver

  • Winnipeg

Curriculum Overview

• MODULE I Strategy Oversight & Foresight:

  Module I provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental board tasks and processes including director legal duties and responsibilities, overseeing strategic decisions, as well as managing group dynamics and decision-making in the boardroom.

  Time	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
  07:00-08:00	Breakfast
  08:00-08:30	Introduction/Overview	Lesson Learned from Day 1	Lessons Learned from Day 2
  08:30-10:00	Introduction/ Overview	Understanding Directors' Duty of Care	Avoiding Decision Failure in the Boardroom
  10:00-10:30	Morning Break
  10:30-12:00	Board Functions and Duties	Legal Framework: Board Duties, Responsibilities and Liabilities	Avoiding Decision Failure in the Boardroom (continued)
  12:00-13:00	Lunch
  13:00-14:30	Strategy	Strategic Innovation	Boardroom Negotiations Applied: Ensuring Effective Outcomes
  14:30-15:00	Afternoon Break
  15:00-17:00	Strategy (continued)	Strategic Innovation (continued)	Boardroom Negotiations Applied: Ensuring Effective Outcomes (continued)
  End of Module 1
  17:30	Cocktail Reception: Guest Speaker

  MODULE II Financial & Stakeholder Oversight:

  Module II focuses on the board’s responsibility to oversee and monitor financial performance, health, and disclosure. Participants take part in group exercises that illustrate how to effectively organize and run audit committees, as well as improve their personal effectiveness in the board meeting context.

  Time	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
  07:00-08:00	Breakfast
  08:00-08:30	Introduction/Overview	Lesson Learned from Day 1	Lessons Learned from Day 2
  08:30-10:00	Overseeing Strategic and Stakeholder Issues	Discretionary Accounting: Financial Reporting & Directors' Responsibilities	Shareholder Engagement Issues and Trends
  10:00-10:30	Morning Break		10:00-10:15
  10:30-12:00	Overseeing Strategic and Stakeholder Issues (continued)	Discretionary Accounting Financial Reporting & Directors' Responsibilities (continued)	10:15-11:15 Shareholder Engagement Issues and Trends (Continued)
  12:00-13:00	Lunch
  13:00-14:30	Social media & Competitive Intelligence	Roles and Duties of the Audit Committee KPMG	13:30-15:00 Crisis Management
  14:30-15:00	Afternoon Break		15:00-15:15
  15:00-17:00	Social Media and Competitive Intelligence (continued)	On Being an Effective Director- Hot Topics for Audit Committees PwC (continued) OR Roles and Duties o the Audit Committee KPMG	15:15-17:00 Crisis Management (continued)
  End of Module 1

  MODULE III Value-Added Boards & Organizations:

  Module III focuses on the board’s role in enhancing human performance, including the appointing, evaluation, compensation and renewal of the executive team. This module also examines how to structure boards with the appropriate set of director skills and experiences.

  	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
  Time	SETTING THE COURSE Human Performance	SETTING THE BOUNDARIES Compensation Policies	TRANSFORMING IT INTO ACTION Managing Board, Committees & Relationships
  07:00 - 08:00	Breakfast
  08:00 - 08:30	Introduction/Overview	Lessons Learned from Day 1	Lessons Learned from Day 2
  08:30 - 10:00	Evaluating the CEO & Succession Planning	Role of the Compensation Committee and Key Themes	Building More Effective Boards
  10:00 - 10:30	Morning Break
  10:30 - 12:00	Evaluating the CEO & Succession Planning (continued)	Role of the Compensation Committee and Key Themes	Building More Effective Boards
  12:00 - 13:00	Lunch
  13:00 - 14:30	The Changing World of Director Liability	Difficult Conversations in the Boardroom	Directing the Controlling CEO: A Case Study
  14:30 - 15:00	Afternoon Break
  15:00 - 17:00	Legal Liability Issues	Difficult Conversations in the Boardroom (continued)	Directing the Controlling CEO: A Case Study (continued)
  End of Module 3

   

  MODULE IV Risk Management: 

  In Module IV, participants integrate their learning across the four modules by employing an enterprise risk management framework that helps directors identify and prioritize the wide range of issues influencing their organizations. Some of the specific risks and issues include mergers and acquisitions, technology investments, operations crises, finance irregularities, human capital failures and governance breakdowns.

  	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
  Time	Enterprise Risk Management	Mergers and Acquisitions	The Effective Board and Committee Meeting
  07:00 - 08:00	Breakfast
  08:00 - 08:30	Introduction/Overview	Lessons Learned from Day 1	Lessons Learned from Day 2
  08:30 - 10:00	Mergers and Acquisitions	Information Technology and Cybersecurity Risk	Comparative Governance
  10:00 - 10:30	Morning Break
  10:30 - 12:00	Mergers & Acquisitions	Information Technology and Cybersecurity Risk	Interactive Board Simulation
  12:00 - 13:00	Lunch
  13:00 - 14:30	Enterprise Risk Management	Ethics and Reputational Risk	Interactive Board Simulation
  14:30 - 15:00	Afternoon Break
  15:00 - 17:00	Enterprise Risk Management (continued)	Ethics and Reputational Risk	Graduation

Academic Directors

Rick Powers

National Academic Director, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
 

Rick Powers

National Academic Director, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
 

An internationally recognized expert in both corporate and not-for-profit governance, Richard is the National Academic Director of The Directors Education Program (DEP) and the Not-For-Profit Governance Essentials Program (GEP) (in partnership with the Institute of Corporate Directors – ICD). Richard also serves as the Academic Director of the CUES Governance Programs in Canada. He also teaches in Rotman’s Executive MBA, OMNIUM, MBA and Executive Education Programs.
 
Richard has led and taught in the DEP and GEP for over 15 years, and has assisted in designing and implementing the programs at 13 universities across Canada. The DEP is recognized as one of the most robust governance programs in the world. In addition to his responsibilities with the DEP, Richard has worked with numerous boards, associations and organizations in identifying, creating and developing best governance practices.
 
He is a director and chairs the Governance & Compensation committee of TSX-V listed Pivotree Inc. and serves on the boards and committees of several not-for-profit organizations including Commonwealth Sport Canada (President) and the Canadian Olympic Committee.  Richard frequently comments on legal and governance issues in various media across Canada. 

Michael Robinson CFA, ICD.D

Co-Academic Director, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
 

Michael Robinson CFA, ICD.D

Co-Academic Director, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
 

Dr. Robinson is a Professor and the Chen Fong Fellow in Entrepreneurial Finance in the Haskayne School of Business, an organization he joined in 1990. He has a B. Math degree (Majoring in Computer Science) from the University of Waterloo, and an MBA and Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Western Ontario. He also is a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation granted by the CFA Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the certified corporate director designation (ICD.D) from the Institute of Corporate Directors in Toronto, Ontario.
 
Dr. Robinson has taught investments, portfolio management, new venture finance, and corporate governance to undergraduate, MBA, Executive MBA, and executive education students. He founded the Calgary Portfolio Management Trust (CPMT) program, a hands-on student investment fund, at the Haskayne School of Business in 1993. For the past fifteen years he has served as an Academic Director of the Haskayne Directors’ Education Program (DEP), a joint initiative of the Haskayne School of Business, the Rotman School of Management, and the Institute of Corporate Directors. He was the first site lead for the Creative Destruction Lab Rockies program and continues to serve as its Academic Director. He was awarded the Haskayne Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence for the 2005/2006 academic year and the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service Leadership in 2017.
 

Dr. Robinson has published several books and academic research papers that study Canadian capital markets, market efficiency, and methods of raising equity capital for developing firms. His most recent interests include corporate governance practices in Canada, the role of a firm’s board of directors in growth oriented firms, and the role of the private and junior public equity markets in financing developing firms in Canada.

Loren Falkenberg, PhD

Co-Academic Director, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
 

Loren Falkenberg, PhD

Co-Academic Director, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
 

Loren Falkenberg has been a faculty member in the Haskayne School of Business for more than 30 years. She has taught decision making, business ethics and negotiations.  She was an Associate Dean in the faculty for over 10 years, overseeing research and graduate programs. 
 
She actively consults with boards on strategy and decision making.  She chaired the board of a larger not-for-profit board in Calgary, and was a strategic advisor to the Calgary Parking Authority.  She is currently a member of the City of Calgary Economic Resiliency task force, and chaired a sub-committee on community engagement for hosting the Olympics.
 

Loren has published in the Academy of Management Review, Academy of Management Perspectives, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Management and California Management Review. And, was a Section Editor for the Journal of Business Ethics.  Loren has won six awards for best papers published in journals or presented at conferences. As well, she has recently published Strategic University Management: Future-proofing your institution.

Michael Parent

Academic Director, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University
 

Michael Parent

Academic Director, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University
 

Dr. Michael Parent is a recognized expert on Corporate Governance in Canada, with a focus on cybersecurity and IT governance. He has been an academic for over 25 years and is currently a Professor at the Segal Graduate School, Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada.
 
From 2015-2017 he was a Professor and Vice-Dean at the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Professor at the Richard Ivey School of Business. He also held appointment as a Senior Special Advisor to the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada, Government of Canada, in 2018-2019.
 
Michael received his MBA and PhD degrees from Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada, and qualified for the Institute of Corporate Directors’ ICD.D designation. Before becoming an academic, he spent over a decade in the high technology industry in IT, new product development and marketing.
 
His current research centres on governance practices at the Board, cybersecurity, IT governance, and luxury brands. He has published extensively in leading practitioner and academic journals. Michael has also written over 50 teaching case studies and co- authored three books.
 
Michael is an active executive educator, and has taught programs for the federal and provincial governments in Canada, Crown Corporations, as well as a number of organizations.
 

He is the Academic Director for the Vancouver cohort of the Directors’ Education Programs for Canada’s Institute of Corporate Directors, co-Academic Director for the Montréal cohort, Founding Academic Director of the Ottawa cohort, and teaches the IT and Cybersecurity Risk module nationally. He is also co-founder of the ICD’s Board Oversight of Technology Program.

Michael S. Maier

Edmonton DEP Academic Director

Associate Dean, Masters Programs, Alberta School of Business
 
 

Michael S. Maier

Edmonton DEP Academic Director

Associate Dean, Masters Programs, Alberta School of Business
 
 

Michael Maier is an award-winning professor who has been recognized for teaching excellence at the University of Alberta as a two-time recipient of the McKenzie MBA Teaching Excellence Award. He is currently the Associate Dean for Master’s Programs in the Alberta School of Business.  He was instrumental in the development of the first graduate degree program in Alberta that is accredited by CPA Alberta leading towards the CPA designation and has taught extensively in masters programs designed for senior level executives.
 
Michael has published in leading accounting and economics journals along with articles in accounting practitioner publications.  Current research focuses on technology and decision making in accounting, banking, regulatory and market microstructure settings.

Margaret Mckee, PhD, ICD.D

Academic Director, Sobey School of Business, St. Mary’s University
 

Margaret Mckee, PhD, ICD.D

Academic Director, Sobey School of Business, St. Mary’s University
 

Margaret is the Academic Director of the Halifax Directors Education Program, and the Associate Dean of Undergraduate and Professional Graduate Programs in the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University. Her teaching and research is focused on business ethics, CSR/sustainability and governance, with her latest research examining boards of directors from the perspective of diversity and inclusion.

Margaret transitioned to academia after a 20-year career as a professional communicator and strategist with publicly-traded companies, federal and provincial government departments, and consulting firms in Halifax and Toronto.

Over her career, Margaret has served on several not-for-profit boards. She is currently on the Board of Governors for Saint Mary’s University and a member of the Executive Committee for the ICD Maritimes Chapter. She has completed the ICD-Rotman Not-for-Profit Governance Essentials Program (GEP), and the Directors Education Program, earning her ICD.D designation in 2016.
 

Nathan Greidanus

Academic Directors Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba
 

Nathan Greidanus

Academic Directors Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba
 

Nathan S. Greidanus is an award-winning professor at the Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba.  He is also the Academic Director for Manitoba’s ICD Directors’ Education Program and the Manitoba representative for the Canadian Global Entrepreneurship Monitor team. His research and teaching interests intersect the broad areas of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Sustainable Development and Governance.  Dr. Greidanus’ research ranges from exploring why firms fail on commitments to entrepreneurship’s relationship with ADHD; creativity; disasters; the natural environment; subjective well-being; indigenous people; and economic inequality.

Norman Sheehan

Co-Academic Director, Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan
 

Norman Sheehan

Co-Academic Director, Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan
 

Norman T. Sheehan has been a financial analyst in Canada, a divisional controller for a junior gold exploration company in Guyana, and a corporate controller for an offshore oil exploration firm in Norway. After gaining 10+ years working experience, Norman earned his PhD in strategy in 2001 in Norway and now consults, publishes and facilitates in the areas of strategy, risk management, governance and performance measurement. Norman was a board member of Affinity Credit Union for six years serving on its CEO Comp, Audit & Risk and Governance committees. Norman is also involved in developing and presenting materials in the CPA Professional Education Program and facilitates in CPA Canada’s Performance Management and Strategy Certificate Capstone Course.