ESG Competent Boards Certificate Program for Business Professionals

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever; Annette Verschuren, Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Air Canada; Jim Hagemann Snabe, Chair, A.P Moller – Maersk and Siemens; Michael Treschow, Chair, Wallenberg Foundations Investment Committee; Bjarne Graven Larsen, Former CIO, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan; Kevin Coon, Partner, Baker McKenzie Toronto; Paul Dickinson, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, CDP; Thomas Thune Andersen, Chair, Ørsted ; Jessica Fries, Executive Chair, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S); David Pitt-Watson, Former Chair, Hermes Focus Asset Management; Peter Dey, Chair, Paradigm Capital Inc.; Nancy Lockhart, Board Member, George Weston Limited; Richard Howitt, Former CEO, International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC); Erika Karp, Founder & CEO, Cornerstone Capital Group; Andrew Winston, Founder, Winston Eco-Strategies; Robert G. Eccles, Founding Chair, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board; Tim Youmans, North American Lead, Hermes EOS; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Organizational purpose – how does it add value?
• Trust and integrity – the boards’ role in relation to shareholder and stakeholder communication
• Mega-trends – how geopolitical and environmental concerns, COVID-19, and human values are changing expectations of businesses, investors, and boards
• How a tsunami of soft laws, regulations, and frameworks are impacting a business’ license to operate
• New disruptive business models (e.g. circular economy, sharing economy, gig economy, the future of work, artificial intelligence) and how they are being influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic
• Different views and understandings of the fiduciary duty across regions

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever; Annette Verschuren, Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Air Canada; Jim Hagemann Snabe, Chair, A.P Moller – Maersk and Siemens; Michael Treschow, Chair, Wallenberg Foundations Investment Committee; Bjarne Graven Larsen, Former CIO, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan; Kevin Coon, Partner, Baker McKenzie Toronto; Paul Dickinson, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, CDP; Thomas Thune Andersen, Chair, Ørsted ; Jessica Fries, Executive Chair, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S); David Pitt-Watson, Former Chair, Hermes Focus Asset Management; Peter Dey, Chair, Paradigm Capital Inc.; Erika Karp, Founder & CEO, Cornerstone Capital Group; Matthew Arnold, Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Claus Stig Pedersen, Head of Global Sustainability & Public Affairs, EMEA, Novozymes; Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO, PensionDanmark; Peter Damgaard Jensen, Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); Sarah Keohane Williamson, CEO, FCLTGlobal; Ariel Fromer Babcock, Research Director, FCLTGlobal; Amy Larkin, Author, Environmental Debt: The Hidden Costs of a Changing Global Economy, Nik Gowing, Founder, Director, Co-author ‘Thinking the Unthinkable’; Sam Palmisano, Former CEO and Chair, IBM; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Thinking the Unthinkable – how to plan for major disruptions to ensure resiliency and business continuity in light of COVID-19
• The board of directors’ role in relation to strategy and setting the cultural tone from the top
• Balancing short-term and long-term goals, objectives, compliance, and accountability amidst COVID-19
• Dealing with shareholder expectations – How to deal with ratings, rankings, shareholder letters & proposals, activist investors, and a growing number of disclosure expectations
• Incentives – how incentives can drive wanted or unwanted behaviour

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever; Annette Verschuren, Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Air Canada; Jim Hagemann Snabe, Chair, A.P Moller – Maersk and Siemens; Michael Treschow, Chair, Wallenberg Foundations Investment Committee; Bjarne Graven Larsen, Former CIO, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan; Kevin Coon, Partner, Baker McKenzie Toronto; Paul Dickinson, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, CDP; Thomas Thune Andersen, Chair, Ørsted ; Jessica Fries, Executive Chair, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S); Erika Karp, Founder & CEO, Cornerstone Capital Group; Claus Stig Pedersen, Head of Global Sustainability & Public Affairs, EMEA, Novozymes; Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO, PensionDanmark; Peter Damgaard Jensen, Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); Nancy Lockhart, Board Member, George Weston Limited; Helene Li, CEO and Co-Founder, GoImpact Capital Partners; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• What are the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and how are they being addressed by regulatory trends and government incentives during the pandemic?
• Why and how are companies and investors embracing the SDGs and using them as a catalogue of innovation and investment opportunities?
• How to use the SDG-framework as a strategic tool to understand the world’s biggest pain points and determine risks and opportunities
• The link between purpose, the SDGs, and a business’ license to operate and grow
• Using the SDGs as a common language to communicate with stakeholders
• Oversight – how to question the relevance of the internally selected SDGs, targets, and strategies

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever; Annette Verschuren, Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Air Canada; Jim Hagemann Snabe, Chair, A.P Moller – Maersk and Siemens; Bjarne Graven Larsen, Former CIO, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan; Kevin Coon, Partner, Baker McKenzie Toronto; Paul Dickinson, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, CDP; Claus Stig Pedersen, Head of Global Sustainability & Public Affairs, EMEA, Novozymes; Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO, PensionDanmark; Peter Damgaard Jensen, Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); Nancy Lockhart, Board Member, George Weston Limited; Matthew Arnold, Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., Chair, CIBC; Herman Mulder, Co-founder and Chair, Impact Economy Foundation; Albert Wong, Citizenship Judge, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; Peter Dey, Chair, Paradigm Capital Inc.; Upkar Arora, CEO, Rally Assets Inc.; Christian Leitz, Head, Corporate Responsibility Management and Historical Archives, UBS; Philippe Zaouti, CEO, Mirova; Jules Kortenhorst, CEO, Rocky Mountain Institute; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Reducing risks and capitalizing on opportunities – how climate change is impacting businesses, supply chains, customers, employees, and the societies they operate in
• How to manage transitional and political risks including carbon tax vs. cap-and-trade programs
• Growing expectations from investors – the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), CDP, UNPRI, the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, and other investor driven initiatives
• How businesses, investors, and insurance companies are responding to growing demands for climate action
• Scenario analysis, disclosure expectations, adaptation, mitigation, and transition strategies
• Oversight – how to question the relevance of climate goals, targets, and strategies

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Annette Verschuren, Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Air Canada; Bjarne Graven Larsen, Former CIO, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan; Kevin Coon, Partner, Baker McKenzie Toronto; Paul Dickinson, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, CDP; Thomas Thune Andersen, Chair, Ørsted ; Jessica Fries, Executive Chair, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S); Erika Karp, Founder & CEO, Cornerstone Capital Group; Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO, PensionDanmark; Peter Damgaard Jensen, Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); Nancy Lockhart, Board Member, George Weston Limited; Paul Druckman, Chair, World Benchmarking Alliance; David Pitt-Watson, Former Chair, Hermes Focus Asset Management; Matthew Arnold, Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Wes Hall ICD.D, Executive Chairman and Founder, Kingsdale Advisors; Hakan Lucius, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Civil Society, European Investment Bank; Richard Howitt, Former CEO, International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC); Robert H. Herz , Board Member, Morgan Stanley and Fannie Mae; Herman Mulder, Co-founder and Chair, Impact Economy Foundation; Upkar Arora, CEO, Rally Assets Inc; Aron Cramer, President and CEO, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR); Georg Kell, Chair, Arabesque and Founding Director, United Nations Global Compact; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Growing expectations of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) disclosure – what are investors asking for and why does it matter?
• How ESG disclosure issues are leading to securities class actions and civil litigation
• Understanding the ESG ratings, rankings, indices, integration frameworks, and materiality risk and opportunity assessments
• How companies are responding to growing demands for ESG disclosure – and how the pandemic has elevated ESG reporting
• How to integrate emerging risks into ERM-frameworks such as the COSO framework
• Oversight – how to question the relevance of ESG goals, targets and strategies

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Annette Verschuren, Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Air Canada; Kevin Coon, Partner, Baker McKenzie Toronto; Paul Dickinson, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, CDP; Jessica Fries, Executive Chair, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S); Peter Damgaard Jensen, Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); Nancy Lockhart, Board Member, George Weston Limited; Paul Druckman, Chair, World Benchmarking Alliance; Matthew Arnold, Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Herman Mulder, Co-founder and Chair, Impact Economy Foundation; Upkar Arora, CEO, Rally Assets Inc; Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever; Michael Treschow, Chair, Wallenberg Foundations Investment Committee; The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., Chair, CIBC; Claus Stig Pedersen, Head of Global Sustainability & Public Affairs, EMEA, Novozymes; Jennifer Koury, Independent Director; Timothy Mohin, CEO, GRI; Gerry Tidd, Executive Vice President, Corporate, BlueScope; Harald Friedl, CEO, Circle Economy; Michael Kobori, Former Vice-President, Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co.; Andrew Wallis OBE, CEO, Unseen and Modern Slavery Helpline; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Child labour, forced labour, modern slavery, etc. – Do you have human rights risks in your supply chain?
• Identifying, assessing, and managing salient risks – how the pandemic has made it even more difficult
• The impact of environmental and social disasters on your supply chain
• Aligning the power of procurement with incentives
• The responsibility of the corporation and the board with regards to regulatory demands and expectations from stakeholders, including how to disclose support for major international norms and soft law initiatives
• Oversight – how to question the relevance of human rights and supply chain goals, targets, and strategies

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Anna Tudela, Former Vice-President, Diversity, Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Secretary, Goldcorp Inc.; Bjarne Graven Larsen, Chair, KIRK Capital; Paul Druckman, Chair, World Benchmarking Alliance; Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO, PensionDanmark; Jessica Fries, Executive Chair, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S); Upkar Arora, CEO, Rally Assets Inc.; Carol Liao,  Assistant Professor and Director, Centre for Business Law, UBC Allard School of Law; Annette Verschuren O.C , Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Air Canada; Paul Dickinson, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, CDP; Erika Karp, Founder & CEO, Cornerstone Capital Group; Peter Damgaard Jensen,  Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); Nancy Lockhart, Board Member, George Weston Limited; Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever; Wes Hall, Executive Chairman and Founder, Kingsdale Advisors; Robert H. Herz, Board Member, Morgan Stanley and Fannie Mae; Herman Mulder, Co-founder and Chair, Impact Economy Foundation; Peter Dey,  Chair, Paradigm Capital Inc.; Dottie Schindlinger, Vice President of Thought Leadership, Diligent; Catherine McCall, Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance; Jane Diplock, AO, Chair, Regulatory Committee, Abu Dhabi Global Market; Kathleen Taylor, CM, Chair, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC); Hans Koeleman, Chief Corporate Communication & Corporate Social Responsibility, KPN; Jens W. Moberg, Chair, Grundfos; Julie Gebauer, Global Head of Human Capital & Benefits, Willis Towers Watson; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Expectations from investors and society to foster a pipeline of truly diverse talent and proactively address employee misconduct and workplace culture issues
• Board composition, board structure, and the role of the board nomination committee
• Ability to manage complex issues and spot innovation potential
• Performance evaluation, incentives, and accountability
• Oversight – how to question the relevance of diversity goals, targets, and strategies
• Diversity of thought – the many forms of diversity and the value they bring

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever; Peter Damgaard Jensen , Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., Chair, CIBC; Huguette Labelle C.C., Ph.d., LL,D, Former Chair, Transparency International; Gerry Tidd, Executive Vice President, Corporate, BlueScope; Hentie Dirker, Chief Integrity Officer, SNC-Lavalin; Nancy Lockhart, Board Member, George Weston Limited; Peter Dey, Chair, Paradigm Capital Inc; Ian Robertson, Vice President, Director and Portfolio Manager, Odlum Brown; Catherine McCall, Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance; Jonathan Drimmer, Partner, Paul Hastings LLP; José R. Hernandez,  Author, Broken Business: Seven Steps to Reform Good Companies Gone Bad; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Changing risks and expectations associated with anti-corruption, ethical business practices and transparency
• Developing and testing the hallmarks of an effective anti-corruption compliance program
• Steps companies can take to reduce fraud and corruption, including facilitation payments
• Public disclosure and self-disclosure – how much should company reputation matter in decision-making?
• Managing and overseeing investigations
• Oversight – questions to ask management to test the robustness and effectiveness of its anti-corruption approach

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Robert H. Herz, Board Member, Morgan Stanley and Fannie Mae; Josée Morin, ASC/C.Dir, P. Eng, Corporate Director; Tyson Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, CyberNB; Thomas Gann, Chief Public Policy Officer, McAfee; Dottie Schindlinger, Vice President of Thought Leadership, Diligent; Nik Gowing, Founder, Director, Co-author ‘Thinking the Unthinkable’; Hans Koeleman, Chief Corporate Communication & Corporate Social Responsibility, KPN; Daniel Oh, Managing Director, Corporate Governance, Morrow Sodali; The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., Chair, CIBC; Lisa Reshaur,  General Manager, Digital Security and Risk Engineering – Governance, Risk, Continuity and Compliance, Microsoft; Kersi Porbunderwala, President and CEO, Copenhagen Compliance; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Ethical considerations of the use of data, including big data and AI generated opportunities
• How can cyber risks impact a company’s reputation
• Cyber propaganda and ‘Fake News’
• Cybersecurity and how it can be linked to the SDGs
• Increased organizational and personal data-protection vs. the use of data for good
• Data collection, stakeholder privacy concerns, and the ethical management of confidential information
• Disaster containment, recovery, and business continuity – what can be learned from the pandemic?
• Oversight – how to question the strategy for the use of data and the cybersecurity strategy

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Timothy Mohin, CEO, GRI; Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever; Catherine McCall, Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance; Huguette Labelle C.C., Ph.d., LL,D, Former Chair, Transparency International; Hentie Dirker, Chief Integrity Officer, SNCLavalin; Daniel Oh, Managing Director, Corporate Governance, Morrow Sodali; Hakan Lucius, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Civil Society, European Investment Bank; Jane Diplock, AO, Chair, Regulatory Committee, Abu Dhabi Global Market; Mark Hawkins, President and Chief Financial Officer,  Salesforce; Mark Reid, Global Leader Rewards and Executive Compensation, Willis Towers Watson; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Impact of the pandemic on tax, investment and pay strategies
• When tax optimization is no longer responsible
• The cost of ownership in a volatile world – dilemmas when investing for the long-term
• How to question the socioeconomic impact of potential business decisions
• What information is needed to make well-informed capital investment and capital expenditure (CapEx) decisions
• When executive compensation is hurting the business
• Oversight – how to question financial decisions and the impact on the business’ reputation and longevity

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Matthew Arnold, Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance, JPMorgan Chase & Co; Catherine McCall, Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance; Thomas Thune Andersen, Chair, Lloyd’s Register Group Limited and Ørsted; Nancy Lockhart,  Board Member, George Weston Limited; Peter Damgaard Jensen, Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); Wes Hall ICD.D, Executive Chairman and Founder, Kingsdale Advisors; Daniel Oh, Managing Director, Corporate Governance, Morrow Sodali; Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO, PensionDanmark; Bjarne Graven Larsen, Chair, KIRK Capital; Kevin Coon, Partner, Baker McKenzie Toronto; Jane Diplock, AO, Chair, Regulatory Committee, Abu Dhabi Global Market; Erika Karp, Founder & CEO, Cornerstone Capital Group; Paul Dickinson, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, CDP; Robert H. Herz, Board Member, Morgan Stanley and Fannie Mae; Richard Howitt, Former CEO, International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC); Annette Verschuren O.C, Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Air Canada; Dr. Allen L. White, Co-founder, Global Reporting Initiative; William Jannace, Senior Counsel, Ross PLLC; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• Determining the material issues to manage and communicate to shareholders and stakeholders
• The rise in shareholder activism proposals and how the proxy season impacts companies and boards
• Engagement strategies before the proxy season and beyond – consistent messaging
• The most commonly-used standards and frameworks including Integrated Reporting (IIRC), Climate Reporting (CDP, CDSB), TCFD, SASB, GRI, UN Global Compact, SDGs, etc.
• SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) and Stock-exchange requirements
• What are the future trends in reporting? – How will the pandemic impact the dos and don’ts in reporting?

You will also benchmark your views and benefit from the insight of the following leaders:

Claus Stig Pedersen, Head of Global Sustainability & Public Affairs, EMEA, Novozymes; Erika Karp, Founder & CEO, Cornerstone Capital Group; Paul Druckman, Chair, World Benchmarking Alliance; Jessica Fries, Executive Chair, The Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project (A4S); David Pitt-Watson, Former Chair, Hermes Focus Asset Management; Paul Dickinson, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, CDP; Bjarne Graven Larsen, Chair, KIRK Capital; Peter Dey, Chair, Paradigm Capital Inc.; Christian Leitz, Head, Corporate Responsibility Management and Historical Archives, UBS; Matthew Arnold, Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., Chair, CIBC; Catherine McCall,  Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance; Paul Polman, Former CEO, Unilever; Hakan Lucius, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Civil Society, European Investment Bank; Dottie Schindlinger, Vice President of Thought Leadership, Diligent; Gerry Tidd, Executive Vice President, Corporate, BlueScope; Hans Koeleman, Chief Corporate Communication & Corporate Social Responsibility, KPN; Josée Morin, ASC/C.Dir, P. Eng, Corporate Director; Daniel Siciliano, Co-Founder & Fellow, Stanford’s Rock Center for Corporate Governance; Nik Gowing, Founder, Director, Co-author ‘Thinking the Unthinkable’; Peter Damgaard Jensen, Chair, Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); Nancy Lockhart, Board Member, George Weston Limited; Thomas Thune Andersen, Chair, Ørsted; Philippe Zaouti, CEO, Mirova; Kevin Coon, Partner, Baker McKenzie Toronto; Annette Verschuren O.C,  Board Member, Liberty Mutual Insurance and Air Canada; Herman Mulder, Co-founder and Chair, Impact Economy Foundation; Robert H. Herz, Board Member, Morgan Stanley and Fannie Mae; Michael Treschow, Chair, Wallenberg Foundations Investment Committee; Albert Wong, Citizenship Judge, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; Upkar Arora, FCPA, FCA, ICD.D, CEO, Rally Assets Inc.; Harald Friedl, CEO, Circle Economy; Jim Hagemann Snabe, Chair, A.P Moller – Maersk and Siemens; Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO, PensionDanmark; Wes Hall ICD.D, Executive Chairman and Founder, Kingsdale Advisors; Jane Diplock, AO, Chair, Regulatory Committee, Abu Dhabi Global Market; Mervyn King, Chair Emeritus, King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa; Huguette Labelle C.C., Ph.d., LL,D, Former Chair, Transparency International; R. Gopalakrishnan, Author, Doodles on Leadership: Experiences within and Beyond Tata; and Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, ESG Competent Boards.

Engage in an online learning experience discussing the following:

• A summary of the previous weekly topics and what they mean for the future of good governance, the role of the board, executives and stakeholders – including shareholders