Training for Boards is a 6-session program that provides practical and pragmatic approaches to professionals who aspire to be directors and board members.
This series of 6 sessions will feature 22 Senior Professional Leaders who share their knowledge and expertise, connect with the audience, answer your questions, and speak about available opportunities to serve on boards.
The exclusively designed program provides the opportunity to:
- Learn from and network with high-performing Directors, Chairpersons and Senior Leaders, who have served on various recognized Corporate For-Profit and Not-For-Profit Boards across Canada
- Enhance awareness of Board opportunities from open discussions that help maximize the prospects of participating on Boards
- Gain insights on how to serve effectively with an overview of the knowledge, boardroom practices and competencies that form the basis of effective Board membership and are expected from directors in today’s environment
The speakers are all leaders in their profession and include Board Members of Rogers, Canadian Tire, Brookfield, Loblaw, Toronto Metropolitan University, Cineplex, DREAM Residential REIT, Sick Kids Foundation, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and various other boards.
MAX Training for Boards (MTB) was launched to facilitate representation and encourage the participation of an under-represented community, Muslims in Canada, on profit and not-for-profit Boards.
Participants who complete all 6 sessions will be recognized at MAX Gala 2023 at the Ritz Carlton on Saturday, September 30, 2023, and receive a program completion certificate from MAX.
Agenda for Each Training Session:
- 60 minutes – Keynote/Teaching component by Guest Speaker
- 60 minutes – Panel Discussion
- 15 – 30 minutes – Q&A
- 15 minutes – Discussion on Board opportunities
- 45 minutes – Virtual networking
Session Overview & Timelines
SESSION 1: October 27, 2022
Topic: Board 101
Date & Time: Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 5:30 pm
Location: Torys LLP Head Office, 33rd Floor, 79 Wellington St W, Toronto
Speakers: Richard Rooney, Sacha Haque, Nadir Patel, Zehra Sheerazi, Earl Davis
About the event
Join us for an interactive exchange, as Richard Rooney, Vice Chair and Co-Founder at Burgundy Asset Management, shares about the significance of serving on Boards, Sacha Haque, Partner, General Counsel & Secretary at Sagard, helps break this down further and sets the foundation for our program with a Board 101 training, followed by a stimulating panel discussion with distinguished guest panelists where valuable experience and insights are shared.
- Role of the Board
- Board Committees and Functions
- Director’s Legal and Fiduciary Duties
- Board Composition
- Best in Class Board Meetings
- Board Effectiveness Tools
SESSION 2: December 7, 2022
Topic: The Board’s Focus on Strategy
Date & Time: Thursday, December 7, 2022 at 6:30 pm
Location: Virtual
Speakers: Fahad Khan, Faisal Kazi, Nabeela Ixtabalan
- Board Vision and Setting Direction
- The Goal of the Board
- Board Strategies
- Decision-making under different circumstances
- Corporate Governance
SESSION 3: January 26, 2023
Topic: Legal, Risk & Compliance
Date & Time: Thursday, January 26, 2023 at 6:00pm
Location: Virtual
Speakers: Walied Soliman, Nader Hasan
- Types of Risks
- Risk oversight
- Risk management
- Legal
- Compliance
SESSION 4: March 2, 2023
Topic: Finance & Audit
Date & Time: Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 5:30pm
Location: Ernst & Young Corporate Office, 40th Floor, 100 Adelaide St W, Toronto
Speakers: Stephanie Bowman, Nadir Patel, Salma Salman, Zahid Fazal
Part A Finance:
- Financial Planning
- Alignment of Financial planning to strategic planning
- Capital Budgeting
- Evaluating performance: KPI monitoring
- Role of the Treasurer
Part B Audits:
- Board Accountability
- Oversight of Public Disclosures
- Financial Reporting
- Non-Financial Reporting
- Relationship with Management and Auditors
- Ensuring policies are in place
SESSION 5: May 17, 2023
Topic: Governance, Nomination & Board Development, Compensation & HR
Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 5:30pm
Location: Deloitte – Bay Adelaide Centre East 8, Adelaide St W 5th Floor, Toronto
Speakers: Dr. Lachemi, Beth Wilson, Atir Syed, Rita Achrekar, Peter Lindley
Part A Governance, Nomination and Board Development:
- Nominating and voting
- Performance evaluation of Board members and management
Part B Compensation and HR:
- Succession planning
- Remuneration
- Policies
- Human capital development
SESSION 6: June 15, 2023
Topic: Running a Board
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 5:30pm
Location: Torys LLP Head Office, 33rd Floor, 79 Wellington St W, Toronto
Speakers: Richard Rooney, Goldy Hyder, Earl Davis, Sahezad Pardhan, Rima Ramchandani, Zubair Sobani
- Board process
- Dissemination of board package
- Creating the agenda
- Chairing the Board
- Building consensus
- Managing conflict and critique
Certificates and Felicitation for participants completing all 6 sessions: MAX Gala 2023 | Ritz Carlton, Toronto | September 30, 2023









