Governance - Governing with Intent
Course Description
Governance – Governing with Intent
Governance without intent is just compliance. This intensive two-day program uses a case-based approach to equip new directors with the tools, frameworks, and judgment needed to govern with confidence. Through real-world scenarios, participants move beyond box-checking to practice genuine strategic oversight. Asking the questions that shape an organization’s future, not just approve its past. The curriculum draws on both Western governance frameworks and Indigenous knowledge systems, preparing directors to lead effectively in organizations where both worlds intersect.
Course Details
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Duration
2 days -
Delivery Method
In-person (Montreal – Hotel Chateau Vaudreuil) -
Fees
$3,990.00
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Upcoming Sessions
September 28, 29, 2026
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Topics Covered
- Governance roles and responsibilities
- Board oversight versus operational management
- Fiduciary duties: care, loyalty, and obedience
- Conflict of interest and recusal processes
- Financial due diligence and committee oversight
- Strategic governance and generative thinking
- Asking effective governance questions
- Board accountability and decision-making
- Indigenous governance perspectives
- Two-Eyed Seeing governance approaches
- Western governance frameworks
- Board consultation and consent processes
- Crisis governance simulations
- Strategic planning simulations
- Ethical leadership and governance practices
Course Benefits
At the end of this course the participants will be able to:
- Identify the boundaries between the board’s role (strategy and accountability) and the leadership role (execution and management).
- Show understanding of legal duties (care, loyalty, obedience), including recognizing and disclosing conflicts of interest, and practicing financial due diligence.
- Apply “generative thinking” to board discussions, moving beyond rubber-stamping reports to asking probing, strategic questions that shape the organization’s future.
- Integrate Indigenous governance perspectives and Western governance frameworks into board decision-making practices.
Intended Audience
This workshop is designed for current and emerging board members, council representatives, directors, executives, managers, and governance professionals working within Indigenous organizations, public organizations, not-for-profit organizations, and private enterprises that interact with Indigenous communities.
Meet our Instructors
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Gopinath Jeyabalaratnam, M.Sc.
Gopinath Jeyabalaratnam is a versatile executive with a diverse background in corporate strategy, governance, public affairs and education. As Chief of Staff for Medicom Group, one of the world’s leading providers of infection prevention and control solutions, he plays a strategic role in advising the Founder and Executive Chairman. In this role, he works closely with his principal to design and implement transformational initiatives to drive growth and optimize operational efficiency.
Gopinath is also a lecturer at McGill University, where he teaches public administration and strategic planning. In this capacity, he shares his expertise in government affairs and public policy analysis, gained in large part from his experience as a policy advisor to the Quebec Minister of Finance.
He holds a Master’s degree in International Public Administration from ENAP and has also completed the Program for Leadership Development (PLD) at Harvard Business School (HBS)—the HBS alternative to an EMBA.
This unique combination of business experience, academic commitment, public affairs expertise and social responsibility makes Gopinath a forward-thinking leader determined to make a positive impact on both the business world and society.
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Linda L. Shecapio B.A/M.A. (Candidate)
Linda L. Shecapio is her legal name, and ‘kashkuwin iskweu’ means ‘Cloud Woman’ as her spirit name. She is iiyiyiuskweu/iinuuskweu from Mistissini, possessing over twenty years of frontline experience across Eeyou Istchee in the fields of Cree governance, Indigenous policy, community development, health and social services, education system transformation, and women’s leadership. Her work is firmly rooted in iiyiyiu/iinuu identity, language, culture and way of life, knowledge systems, history, and the lived reality of navigating colonial institutions on behalf of her people.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, concentration in Public Affairs and Policy Analysis, from Carleton University and is nearing completion of a customized Master’s degree in Indigenous Studies at UQAT. Her academic background is closely tied to her lived expertise as iiyiyiuskweu/iinuuskweu, having served her community and nation across every major institutional sector in Eeyou Istchee.
Ms. Shecapio leads with humility, confidence, and integrity. She serves as a catalyst, advocate, and knowledge seeker, preserving and transmitting iiyiyiu/iinuu knowledge, worldview, and perspectives deeply rooted in the teachings of her parents, grandparents, family, Elders, ancestors, and knowledge-keepers. This foundation informs her understanding of identity, culture, language, land, history, and governance, and it is this very foundation that makes her consulting practice indispensable. No external firm can replicate what she offers: precise expertise rooted in Cree community life, political governance experience within Cree structures, and the capacity to discuss Cree cultural institutions free from colonial framing or bias.
Her consulting practice centers on Indigenous self-determination, sovereignty, and liberation. She delivers results-oriented work that benefits Indigenous communities, promotes political accountability, and creates a legacy that enhances Indigenous capacity beyond individual projects. She honours her ancestors’ wisdom and actively carries on their legacy in various roles.
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Konrad Sioui
Konrad Sioui is one of Canada’s most respected Indigenous leaders, bringing more than 40 years of experience in governance, public policy, Indigenous rights, and organizational leadership. A hereditary Chief of the Bear Clan of the Wendat Nation, he served as Grand Chief of Wendake from 2008 to 2020 and has held numerous influential leadership positions throughout his career, including Executive Director of the Innu Nation of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam, Senior Advisor to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, and national spokesperson for the Assembly of First Nations on constitutional reform and Indigenous rights. He also represented the Assembly of First Nations internationally in Geneva and has been a strong advocate for Indigenous self-determination, nation-building, and effective governance.
Mr. Sioui is widely recognized for his role in the landmark Supreme Court of Canada case R. v. Sioui (1990), which affirmed the validity of the 1760 Huron-British Treaty and remains a significant decision in Indigenous rights jurisprudence. In 2021, he became Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), further demonstrating his commitment to public service and leadership. In recognition of his lifelong contributions, he received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Public Service in 2020. Today, he continues to share his expertise with organizations, governments, and educational institutions, offering valuable perspectives on governance, leadership, reconciliation, and Indigenous knowledge systems.