Luis Navas Trains a New Generation of Leaders at The Directors College

Luis Navas, a distinguished professional in the field of executive compensation issues, serves as Vice Chair of Global Governance Advisors, which is headquartered in Toronto. He additionally assists in fostering the professional development of up-and-coming business leaders through his work as a faculty member at The Directors College at McMaster University.

The Directors College established its program in 2003 based on widely approved principles of board governance created by The Conference Board of Canada. In doing so, it became the first Canadian-based development program for corporate directors to receive university accreditation. McMaster’s DeGroote School of Business and The Conference Board worked together to establish the program using a principle-centered model of best practices in governance. The model is built around the concepts of stewardship of leaders, transparent communication, determination of performance measures, ongoing professional education, executive empowerment, and social responsibility.

Leaders in other Canadian business programs have noted the need for today’s executives to learn such crucial skills as risk management and evaluation of corporate strategy — the type of higher-level instruction that The Directors College aims to deliver. In a business climate that increasingly values accountability and transparency in all aspects of board governance, instructors and alumni alike have praised the program for going beyond the basics to provide knowledge of the foundations of governance structures and of executive and board behavioral styles. Mr. Navas hopes to continue to utilize his experience to assist other business professionals in their ongoing education.