HALIFAX, Aug. 19, 2013 /CNW/ - Winners of the 1st annual Excellence in Governance Awards were announced last night by the Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries ("CSCS") at the inaugural awards ceremony held at the Westin in Halifax. Peter Dey, Chairman of Paradigm Capital, considered Canada's 'Godfather of corporate governance' for the 1994 'Dey Report' was also honoured for his contribution to corporate governance in Canada.
The awards ceremony was attended by close to 300 of Canada's top governance practitioners and leaders from the corporate, non-profit, crown and public sectors. "In this first inaugural year, we received an impressive 80 nominations across all industry sectors," says Lynn Beauregard, CSCS President. "We couldn't have been more pleased with this outcome and I believe that this validates that these awards are indeed a very important and welcome program for the Canadian governance community."
The evening's winners, recognized in 8 categories, were:
| Category - Winners | Winning Company - Person Accepting |
| Best overall governance | BCE - Alain Dussault, Corporate Secretary |
| Best approach to board and committee support | Tarion Warranty Corporation- Lesley Ross, Corporate Secretary, Tarion Warranty Corporation, Tarion |
| Best sustainability, ethics and environmental governance program | Telus - Maria Preovolos, Associate General Counsel and Assistant Corporate Secretary, Telus |
| Best practices in managing boardroom diversity | Shoppers Drug Mart - Adam Grabowski, V.P. Legal Affairs, Shoppers Drug Mart |
| Best use of technology in governance, risk and compliance | BMO - Neil Puddicombe, Vice President and Corporate Secretary, BMO Financial Group |
| Best shareholder/stakeholder engagement | Canada Council for the Arts - Michelle Chawla, Corporate Secretary and Director, Strategic Initiatives, Canada Council for the Arts |
| Joyce Borden-Reed CSCS distinguished contribution award | Joan Wilson, MBA |
| CSCS Peter Dey Governance Achievement Award | Peter Dey, Chairman, Paradigm Capital |
| CSCS Peter Dey Governance Achievement Award | Anna Tudela, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Corporate Secretary, Goldcorp Inc. |
| Category - Honourable Mentions | Company Receiving Honourable Mention - Person Accepting |
| Best overall governance | MTS Allstream - Pierre Blouin, Chief Executive Officer & Paul Beauregard, Chief Administrative Officer & Corporate Secretary |
| Best approach to board and committee support | Mountain Equipment Co-operative - Accepting on behalf of MEC: Renee Walton, Director of Marketing at The Cross Border Group |
| Best sustainability, ethics and environmental governance program |
Port Metro Vancouver - Dean Readman, Director, Legal Services & Corporate Secretary |
Judging Panel
CSCS is grateful to the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association representatives Grant Borbridge QC, Emergo Group of Companies; Cathy Cummings, Canadian Corporate Counsel Association; and Terri Uhrich, K+S Potash Canada for reviewing all submissions and determining the shortlist of nominees.
CSCS put together an illustrious panel of expert judges consisting of Brendan Sheehan, The Illawong Group; Gigi Dawe, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants; Stephen Griggs, Smoothwater Capital Corporation; Carol Hansell, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP; Sylvia Groves, Governance Studio; Dr. Richard Leblanc, York University; Andrew MacDougall, Spencer Stuart; Paul Schneider, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan; Elizabeth Watson, Watson Inc. This all-star team of governance leaders identified the best practitioners of governance in Canada to be celebrated at the first ever CSCS Excellence in Governance Awards.
About the Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries (CSCS)
The Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries is recognized as the most important organization for corporate governance professionals in Canada.
As the principal advocate for those who work in corporate governance, CSCS strives to enhance the public's awareness of the importance of good governance. CSCS is the voice of corporate governance professionals in Canada and participates with other stakeholders, including capital markets participants, government bodies and regulators, in fostering a governance environment that sets Canada apart in the world. CSCS supports its membership with continuing education and networking opportunities that are second to none.
Image with caption: "First-ever CSCS Peter Dey Governance Achievement Award recipients Peter Dey (middle-left), Paradigm Capital, and Anna Tudela, Goldcorp Inc (middle-right) accept their awards at the Excellence in Governance Awards on August 18, 2013. (CNW Group/Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130819_C6839_PHOTO_EN_29970.jpg
SOURCE: Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries
Lynn Beauregard, President
Canadian Society of Corporate Secretaries
255-55 St. Clair Avenue West / Toronto / ON / M4V 2Y7
416-921-5449, ext 306 / Toll Free: 1-800-774-2850 / fax: 416-967-6320
[email protected] / www.cscs.org
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