FREE SESSION RECORDING · APRIL 21–22, 2026

Learn How Strong Governance Drives
Organizational Success

Watch this free session with Dr. Haniyeh Yousofpour and Sanjay Dhebar — then decide if the full two-day course at Schulich Executive Education is right for you.

⚡ The April 21–22 cohort is partially filled — spots are limited

Schulich School of Business Executive Education · York University · Leonnova

Board Governance Fundamentals — Free Session

Watch in full · Then register below — the April cohort is partially filled

$2,450 + HST · In-person or hybrid · Schulich, Toronto

Who this program is for

Designed for leaders committed to governance excellence

Aspiring Board Members

Gain foundational skills and knowledge for your first board role
Understand governance frameworks and board responsibilities
Build the confidence and credential to compete for board appointments

Current Board Members

Strengthen your effectiveness with modern governance practices
Master risk management and strategic oversight frameworks
Develop the accountability structures your organization needs

Program highlights

A transformative learning experience

2-Day Intensive

Focused, immersive sessions that accelerate your governance expertise in a single weekend.

Actionable Frameworks

Walk away with practical governance tools and templates you can apply immediately.

Expert Faculty

Learn from governance professionals with real board experience — not just academics.

Schulich Digital Badge

A verifiable York University credential to showcase your governance expertise on LinkedIn.

Why governance literacy matters now

The gap most professionals don't know they have

Most professionals who want to serve on a board have never had governance fundamentals explained to them clearly. This session changes that.

Unclear Responsibilities

Most board members don't fully understand the difference between governance and management — and it shows up on day one.

Weak Risk Management

Risk governance is a core board responsibility — yet most new board members have no framework for identifying, assessing, or escalating risk.

Ineffective Strategic Guidance

Boards that don't understand strategic oversight either rubber-stamp management decisions or overstep into operations. Both are costly.

What this session covers

The inside picture most professionals never get

Drawn directly from the four-module course curriculum taught at Schulich Executive Education.

What boards actually do

Strategic oversight, financial stewardship, risk governance, and executive accountability — the four core responsibilities made concrete with real non-profit and public sector examples.

How boards are structured

The board chair, committees, and individual directors — how decisions actually move through the structure, and why most first-time board members don't understand this until it's too late.

The three fiduciary duties

Duty of care, duty of loyalty, duty of obedience. The legal and ethical framework every board member is accountable to — most professionals have never had these explained clearly.

Governance in practice

A real governance scenario — financial shortfall, leadership transition, risk event — and how a board that understands its role handles it differently from one that doesn't.

On the final day of the course, you're in a room managing a real board crisis — making decisions under pressure, applying every framework from the modules, and receiving feedback from practitioners in real time. Every cohort we've run, this is where the biggest shifts happen. Not in the lectures. In that room.

Your instructors

People who've been in the room

Dr. Haniyeh Yousofpour

Co-Founder, Leonnova · Governance Specialist

Educator and organizational development specialist. Co-creator of the Fundamental Governance Course in partnership with Schulich Executive Education at York University.

Sanjay Dhebar

Co-Founder & Instructor, Leonnova · Board Chair, EQAO

Leadership and organizational development professional. Board experience spanning education, healthcare, and public sector. Currently serving as Chair of the EQAO board, appointed by the Minister of Education.

What past participants say

From people who were in your seat

I gained overall great foundational knowledge on board governance and some key actionable strategies to implement in my professional career that I can also use outside of a boardroom.

The course was delivered by amazing instructors. Very engaging — and I loved the opportunity to apply the learning into a real board experience at the end of the course.

I have always wanted to be on a board but did not know where to start. The course gave me clarity about board member responsibilities and real ways to explore those opportunities.

The biggest takeaway for me was the importance of financial acuity and how important it is for all board members to have a basic understanding of the financial reports.

The course

Fundamental Governance Course for Public and Non-Profit Boards

A two-day intensive at Schulich Executive Education, York University — Canada's top-ranked business school.

Four modules

Foundations of Non-Profit and Public Sector Governance

Core principles, legal frameworks, and fiduciary duties.

Board Operations and Effectiveness

Structure, roles, meeting management, accountable decision-making.

Strategic Governance and Risk Management

Oversight, risk identification, stakeholder accountability.

Ethical Leadership in Action

Ethical frameworks, accountability — and the board simulation.

Dates April 21–22, 2026

Location Miles S. Nadal Management Centre
Toronto · Hybrid available

Credential Schulich Executive Education
Digital Badge · York University

Investment $2,450 + HST

⚡ This cohort is partially filled — spots are limited.

Ready to grow your career?

The April cohort is partially filled.

Registration closes soon. If you're considering this course, now is the time.

$2,450 + HST · In-person or hybrid · Schulich Executive Education, York University

Learn How Strong Governance Drives Organizational Success