CCI launches iGP, Canada’s executive training program for 21st century corporate governance

TORONTO – Today, the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) launched the Innovation Governance Program (iGP) to equip executive leaders with the skills and resources they require to help Canada’s fastest-growing companies scale-up globally. iGP’s initial six-week Fall Term begins November 4 and consists of 10 sessions that will provide current and prospective corporate directors with training to effectively identify and analyze modern governance challenges facing high-growth technology companies.  

“The rate of growth at Canada’s leading technology companies outpaces the availability of qualified talent at every level. At CCI, we identified a need for qualified corporate directors who can offer guidance on cybersecurity, intellectual property, data and financial issues unique to the innovation economy,” said Benjamin Bergen, executive director of the Council of Canadian Innovators. “By equipping more aspiring leaders with the tools they need to steer companies throughout their growth journey, we will be able to help increase diversity on Canadian boards while supporting our country’s most promising 21st century businesses.”

Successful participants in iGP will be added to CCI’s Board Member Advisory Program (BMAP), a specialized referral program that helps Canadian companies identify prospective candidates for board roles. CCI has established the link between iGP and BMAP to create new pathways for women, members of visible minorities, Canadian Aboriginal persons and persons with disabilities to join corporate boards in Canada.

iGP is offered in partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), CPA Ontario, and Export Development Canada (EDC), and will bring together expert partners to provide a cutting-edge curriculum covering the issues that matter to companies in the innovation economy.

The Innovation Asset Collective (IAC) will offer training on issues relating to intellectual property, data and governance to help provide future directors with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate the intangible economy. Cycura will offer training on cybersecurity and governance, to help corporate leaders understand the modern threat landscape, and how to mitigate cyber risk. Deloitte will develop training on risk, compliance, finance and controls, examining the specific pathway from venture capital fundraising through to IPO. Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) will help ensure iGP develops critical missing capacity in Canada’s innovation ecosystem, enabling future growth and more strategic guidance for Canada’s most innovative entrepreneurs.

“To become global technology champions, companies need to better understand the importance of IP and how to build formidable IP and data positions to support growth,” said Mike McLean, CEO, Innovation Asset Collective (IAC). “This was one of the insights that led to the development of IAC, where we are empowering Canadian companies to take control of their innovation. We firmly believe that a good IP strategy is incomplete until it involves a plan that supports a business’s ability to successfully commercialize innovation and drive revenue. Through iGP, we will explore concepts of IP generation and how an IP portfolio can impact a firm’s valuation. This will give future directors the tools to help guide founders and C-suite leaders towards long term business growth on a global scale.”  

“Cybersecurity is an integral part of the risk landscape for every business today,” said Iain Paterson, CEO of cybersecurity firm Cycura. “Not every board member needs to be a cybersecurity expert, but every business leader needs to be equipped to understand the risks, resource requirements and security culture required to protect your company. Through iGP, Cycura will help a new generation of directors bring these perspectives to the boardroom table.”

“High-growth scaling companies face a different set of issues when it comes to compliance, finance and governance,” said Prashant Masand, Deloitte Canada’s National Services Leader for Board Governance. “Directors of scale-up companies need to understand fiduciary oversight, and capital fundraising from venture capital investment through to IPO.” In addition, the risks to board of directors for employment law compliance are increasingly complex: “the world of work has changed, with the advent of remote and flexible work, among other trends” said Jessica Kearsey, Deloitte Legal Canada’s national leader for Employment and Labour Law. “Directors need to be thinking about compliance not just from a regulatory perspective, but also from a broader talent retention, people and culture strategic lens.”

“Today’s fastest-growing companies need corporate directors who understand how the modern intangible economy driven by intellectual property and data operates differently from the traditional economy of the 20th century, and ask the right questions at boardroom tables” said Leah Lawrence, President and CEO of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). “We’re supporting iGP because we need to be training today’s entrepreneurs and executives to be expert navigators of the 21st century global innovation economy.”

Enrolment for the Fall Cohort of iGP is open now. Interested applicants can visit http://igp.canadianinnovators.org  for more information.

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About the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI)

The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) is a national business association representing over 140 of Canada’s fastest-growing companies. Since September 2015, CCI has advocated on behalf of Canada’s innovation sector by advancing strategies focused on accelerating the growth of homegrown innovators and updating Canada's digital policy toolkit for the 21st Century global innovation economy.

Currently, the Council is composed of over 140 CEOs leading high-growth companies and the Council is chaired by Jim Balsillie, retired Chairman and co-CEO of BlackBerry, and John Ruffolo, Founder & Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity, and Founder of OMERS Ventures.

Media Contact:‍

James McLeod
jmcleod@canadianinnovators.org

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