Corporate Governance in Canada, and around the world, faces ongoing challenges and change. Directors are being called on to help navigate and provide guidance on topics as far ranging as diversity, sustainability, technology security and more. Join Rahul Bhardwaj, CEO and President of the Institute of Corporate Directors, as he moderates a panel of leading Canadian Board Chairs and Directors to examine and dissect the complex issues facing Boards today. The panel, comprised of Thomas O’Neill (Scotiabank), Heather Munroe-Blum (CPPIB) and Jochen Tilk (PotashCorp), will also discuss new challenges on the horizon.
Thomas O’Neill
Chairman of the Board, Scotiabank
Thomas O’Neill is Chairman of the Board of Scotiabank. He is the retired Chair of the Board of PwC Consulting. Mr. O’Neill was formerly Chief Executive Officer of PwC Consulting, Chief Operating Officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Global, Chief Executive Officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Canada, and Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Price Waterhouse Canada. He holds a B.Comm. from Queen’s University and is a chartered accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario). In September 2013, Mr. O’Neill received the ICAO Award of Outstanding Merit from CPA Ontario, which is CPA Ontario’s highest honour.
Dr. Heather Munroe-Blum
Chairperson of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), O.C., O.Q., PhD., F.R.S.C.
Heather Munroe-Blum serves as Chairperson of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and is Principal (President) Emerita of McGill University. She is a Director of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and Chair of RBC’s Corporate Governance Committee, Director of CGI Group and Director and Vice-Chair of the Gairdner Foundation. She is a member of the Board of Stanford University’s Centre for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS), the Tanenbaum Open Science Institute, the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation and the Trilateral Commission.
A distinguished academic administrator and renowned scholar in the fields of psychiatric epidemiology and public policy, Dr. Munroe-Blum led for over a decade as Principal and Vice-Chancellor McGill University, and before that as Vice-President (Research and International Relations), University of Toronto. A leader in governance she has more than 25 years serving on corporate boards holding responsibility on executive, risk, human resources and compensation, governance and investment finance committees.
Munroe-Blum led the University of Toronto’s research commercialization and technology transfer activities (’94-’02), and was a founder and founding director of the Toronto-based Medical and Related Sciences Discovery District (MaRS) and Montreal’s Quartier de l’Innovation. She has served on the boards of Canada’s largest teaching hospitals and numerous scientific networks and community-based not-for-profit organizations.
Dr. Munroe-Blum is a Specially Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and, an Officer of the Order of Canada and l’Ordre National du Québec. She is a graduate of McMaster University, Wilfrid Laurier University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received a Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology (with distinction).
She is the recipient of numerous national and international honorary degrees and merit awards in recognition of her leadership contributions.
Munroe-Blum is married to screenwriter, Leonard S. Blum; together they have one child, daughter, Sydney R. M. Blum.
Jochen Tilk
President and Chief Executive Officer, Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.
Jochen Tilk is President and Chief Executive Officer of PotashCorp. He joined the company in 2014 in his current capacity. He serves as a director of Canpotex Ltd., The Fertilizer Institute and the International Fertilizer Association and is also a member of the Business Council of Canada and the C. D. Howe Institute.
Mr. Tilk came to PotashCorp after a 30-year career in the mining industry, most recently serving as President and CEO of Inmet Mining Corp., a Canadian metals company with operations and projects in numerous countries around the world, between 2009 and 2013.
During his 24 years at Inmet, Mr. Tilk helped grow that company’s market capitalization through asset optimization, organic growth and strategic acquisitions. He led a multi-billion dollar capital expenditure program – including new mine developments in Spain and Central America – and helped establish a portfolio of assets that was recognized as a leader in quality and cost.
Rahul Bhardwaj, LL.B, ICD.D
President and Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Corporate Directors
Rahul Bhardwaj is president and CEO of the Institute of Corporate Directors. He is an accomplished executive and director with a long and successful track record in the business, community and not-for-profit sectors. Most recently, he served for nine years as president and CEO of the Toronto Foundation.
Mr. Bhardwaj began his career as a corporate lawyer at Meighen, Demers, Barristers & Solicitors, now part of Norton Rose Fulbright, and subsequently served as a vice-president for Toronto’s 2008 Olympic bid. He currently serves as a director of Metrolinx, Rideau Hall Foundation, Canadian Foundation for Governance Research, and Community Foundations of Canada (past chair).
He has also previously served as chair of the 2012 Ontario Games, co-chair of TO2015 IGNITE (Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games), chair of the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, a director of George Brown College (vice-chair) and director of Upper Canada College and Stratford Festival, among others.
In 2012, Mr. Bhardwaj’s commitment to city building was recognized as he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He has been named one of the 50 Most Influential People in the city by Toronto Life magazine and was recently named to the Leader Council at the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at the Ivey Business School, the Quadrangle Society at Massey College and the Ultimate List of Social CEOs on Twitter. His vision for Toronto and Canada has made him a popular presenter and speaker locally, nationally and internationally, particularly on issues relating to leadership and governance.
