Advancing Canada's Competitive Advantage – A national forum on management

Workshop with simultaneous translation

Friday October 2nd

Introduction: The Enron saga and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act have drawn attention on the importance of governance in business management. Since it came in office, the Obama administration has closely studied the governance practices of several businesses in the financial sector. During this time, several heads of state have expressed doubt about the compensation practices authorized by the boards of some major companies. Since then, the governance practices of private and public corporations alike have been scrutinized… and this will continue.

Governance and Management, Moving Towards a New Form of Capitalism (9:15 to 10:45 am)

Speaker:

• Yvan Allaire, Emeritus Professor, UQAM; Adjunct Professor, HEC Montréal; Chair of the Board of Directors, HEC Montréal and Concordia University Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (IGPPO) [slideshow in pdf format]

Abstract

Yvan Allaire will develop the idea according to which sound governance is essential to emerge from this crisis and to renew capitalism. He will propose ways to improve governance. Some of the solutions he puts forward consist in nominating independent, legitimate and credible directors as well as board members who take their responsibilities, and forming watchful audit committees.

Moderator:

• Michèle Boisvert, Assistant to the Director of Information and Editor-in-Chief of La Presse Affaires, La Presse

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Governance and Governments (11:00 am to 12:30 pm)

Speaker:

• Gilles Paquet, Professor Emeritus, Telfer School of Management; Senior Research Fellow at the Centre on Governance, University of Ottawa

Abstract

Gilles Paquet will explain his critical view of governments’ and agencies’ behavior in terms of governance. He will outline new ways of reinventing governance, ways that go beyond what is being discussed among high-ranking civil servants.

• “Reforming IMF Governance”
  Bessma Momani, Senior Fellow, Centre for International Governance and Innovation; Assistant Professor, Departments of Political Science and History, University of Waterloo

  Abstract

  IMF Governance reform that has been on the agenda of IMF members for several years, particularly after the Asian crisis, and that, more recently, has been a commitment on the part of the G20. This presentation will discuss some of the political issues surrounding IMF governance reform and the challenges involved in getting governments’ consensus to change IMF Executive Board, IMF members’ quotas and voice, and opening the selection process of the Managing Director.

Moderator:

• Diane Bérard, Chief Editor, Revue Commerce

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Partner:

• HEC Montréal and Concordia University Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations (IGPPO)