Program graduates will obtain the Accredited Board Director designation
The Board Diversity Network’s Board Readiness Program has been accredited, enabling graduates to obtain the Accredited Board Director designation.
The designation will apply to expertise in corporate governance; CEO performance and strategy; ESG and stakeholder accountability; cybersecurity, AI, and risk management; and board dynamics and effectiveness.
The Board Diversity Network program focuses on equipping Indigenous, race, LGBTQ+ and gender diverse executives with the skills, knowledge, talent, and network to secure board seats. The program consists of four modules: “Getting Board Ready,” “Board Recruitment and Interviewing,” “Contributing To The Boardroom Effectively,” and “Building Your Network.”
In the “Getting Board Ready” module, program participants are educated on board governance by board directors. In the “Board Recruitment and Interviewing” module, participants learn about board member responsibilities and the recruitment process through nominating committee chairs and recruiters.
Under the “Contributing To The Boardroom Effectively” module, participants are educated on boardroom risks and how to mitigate them. In the “Building Your Network” module, participants will join networking events to connect with cohorts, recruiters, board members, and Board Diversity Network partners.
The Board Diversity Network was founded by board directors Lori-Ann Beausoleil and Oliver Jordan. Beausoleil is the strategic business advisor at corporate, securities and business transactions law firm Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, which is a founding partner of the network. She was previously a senior partner at PwC heading up its compliance and governance, national forensic, and national real estate practices.
Jordan is a special advisor to the government of Barbados on the restructuring of several state-owned entities across certain industrial sectors. He was a partner in PwC’s Caribbean advisory practice, leading the government and public sector offering.
“This accreditation reflects the strength of BDN’s curriculum, expert faculty and hands-on learning approach. It’s a meaningful step toward making board service more inclusive and accessible,” Wildeboer Dellelce said in a statement on its website.
Other Board Diversity Network partners include Marsh McLennan, PwC, Women Get On Board, Toronto Metropolitan University, Ted Rogers School of Management, and RBC.
