The ICD leads the way in Board Diversity, awards $220,000 in Scholarships for the ICD-Rotman DEP

TORONTO, Aug. 17, 2015 /CNW/ - For the fifth year, the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) has awarded 13 scholarships to qualified individuals of diverse background applying to its flagship ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program (DEP). As a strong advocate of board diversity, the ICD has granted a total of 58 scholarships valued at almost $1 million since the DEP Diversity Scholarship launch in 2011.

"Board diversity is a topical and increasingly global issue and the ICD views the DEP Diversity Scholarship as a significant investment in the direction of greater diversity in the boardroom," says Stan Magidson, President and CEO of the ICD. "We believe that all qualified individuals should have access to director education and the means to further develop their skills as effective directors."

The ICD, a member-based association representing Canadian directors and boards, firmly believes that greater board diversity, defined as gender, ethnicity, age, business experience, and geographic background, can contribute to better corporate governance.

This year's recipients were selected from more than 70 applicants from across the country of diverse backgrounds and financial need. The Diversity Scholarship Selection Committee, comprising board directors and corporate governance experts, chose the recipients from three diversity categories: women, visible minorities, and Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples.

The scholarships will enable the recipients to participate in the DEP, the flagship 12-day course developed to help directors optimize their board performance and add value to their organizations. The program, jointly developed by the ICD and the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, is offered at leading business schools across Canada in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Regina, Saskatoon, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg.

About the ICD-Rotman Directors Education Program
The Directors Education Program was jointly developed by the ICD and University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management to help directors strengthen their skills, expand their knowledge and be more effective in creating and protecting value for the organizations and corporations they serve. The DEP is taught by leading business faculty, experienced directors and governance experts at top business schools in Canada: University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, Asper School of Business at University of Manitoba; Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University; McGill Executive Institute; Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan; Haskayne School of Business at University of Calgary; Levene Graduate School of Business, University of Regina; Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary's University; and the University of Alberta School of Business. Since the launch of the DEP, over 3,800 directors have completed the program. To learn more, visit www.icd.ca/DEP.

About the ICD
The Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) is the definitive 'go-to' resource and voice for Canada's directors and boards in the for-profit, not-for-profit and Crown sectors.  As the national community for directors, the ICD is a not-for-profit, member-based association with more than 10,000 members and a network of 11 chapters across Canada. Representing the interests of directors, the ICD fosters the sharing of knowledge and wisdom through education, professional development programs and services, and thought leadership and advocacy to achieve the highest standard of directorship. For more information, please visit: www.icd.ca.

SOURCE Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD)

Maliha Aqeel, Director, Communications, Institute of Corporate Directors, Tel: [phone], ext. 229, Email: [email protected]