Indigenous leadership on corporate boards strengthens governance and promotes good business development. Despite comprising 5% of Canada’s population, Indigenous Peoples hold only 0.4% of Canadian corporate director roles. Increasing Indigenous board representation requires identifying Indigenous leaders, creating pathways to board roles, and ensuring recruitment values merit, diverse perspectives, and long-term success. This session will feature the US Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA). In 2024, the association facilitated 550+ executive introductions and 140+ board searches. LCDA has helped Latinos secure 5.4% of Fortune 500 board seats, positioning the association as a key force in diversifying corporate leadership. The subsequent panel will convene Indigenous professionals and corporate leaders to explore the challenges and opportunities for similarly increasing Indigenous board representation in Canada.
Introduction by: Jessica George, Partner, Gowlings WLG
» Shawn Cooper, Managing Director, Board and CEO Advisory Partners, Russell Reynolds Associates
» Roberta Jamieson (Six Nations of the Grand River), RBC Board Director
» Oswaldo “Ozzie” Gromada Meza, CEO, Latino Corporate Directors Association
» Moderator – Dr. Marie Delorme (Métis), CEO, The Imagination Group of Companies