Program Overview

Canada's Leading Program For Directors is Coming To Edwards. Advance Your Contributions To Canada's Boardrooms And Beyond

The Directors Education Program (DEP), jointly developed by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management is offered nationally at Canada's top business schools.

The Saskatchewan DEP is being coordinated provincially by the Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan. The continued growth of Saskatchewan's diverse economic and business landscape highlights the importance of this partnership and offering.

Complemented by some of Canada’s most accomplished and highly respected directors-in-residence, this 12-day course is taught by leading governance experts delivered in four three-day modules. The program offers experiential learning through breakouts and board simulations tailored to meet the unique challenges of directors of public companies, Crown corporations, public institutions and large not-for-profit organizations.

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 in Saskatchewan.

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Module Descriptions

The Directors Education Program is delivered in four three-day modules in cities across Canada. Modules are taught by leading faculty of prominent business schools, some of Canada’s most experienced directors, and leading governance experts.

• Module I
• Module II
• Module III
• Module 4

• Why take the Directors Education Program

  Optimize your governance mission and fully exercise your leadership potential as a board director.

  • 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.
• Eligibility Criteria

  DEP Focus:  The DEP is not an entry-level director education course. It has been developed for experienced directors who wish to hone their skills and be more effective. 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.
   
  DEP 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.

• What Is Included
  • 90 CPHR Saskatchewan Continued Professional Development (CPD) Hours

   

   

ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program (DEP) Diversity Scholarship

The ICD-Rotman DEP Diversity Scholarship aims to facilitate the development of a diverse representation in boardrooms across all sectors of the Canadian economy by providing access to governance education, to advance and strengthen directors' contributions to Canada's boardrooms and beyond.

This scholarship program allows underrepresented individuals to gain a strong governance education through Canada's leading director education program, the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program (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 program has been made possible by the Institute of Corporate Directors, Rotman School of Management, and its network of partner business schools across Canada.

Academic Directors

Norman T. Sheehan, MBA, Ph.D, FCPA, FCMA, CGA, ICD.D is a Professor in the Department of Accounting at the Edwards School of Business and USask Sustainability Fellow at the University of Saskatchewan. Norman has been a financial analyst in Canada, a divisional controller for a junior gold exploration company in Guyana and Suriname, 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 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 was recognized as a Master Teacher at the U of S and is currently the Academic Director of the Saskatchewan DEP and is also involved in developing and presenting materials in CPA Canada’s Professional Education Program.

Rick Powers, MBA, LL.B; National Academic Director 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.

Partnership Program

Together with our partners, we continue to add value and enhance our educational experiences to our community through professional development and training in a supportive and welcoming environment.

This Edwards Executive Education program was jointly developed by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

Cancellation Policy

For information regarding our cancellation and refund policy please visit our terms and conditions.