Director & Executive Education

The future isn’t knocking on the door - it is already inside the organization and rearranging the furniture. It shows up as a nonstop stream of data and possibilities that creates decision fatigue, slows decision making, and leaves a lingering sense of dissatisfaction when a choice is finally made because another option might have been better.

It feels harder than ever to make decisions and move forward with confidence, and there is no reprieve in sight. The pace of change keeps accelerating as technology reshapes business models, threats emerge from new and unexpected places, and member expectations shift faster than ever. The pace of change is now so rapid that the familiar rhythms of governance risk falling out of sync with the environment in which the organization operate.

In this session, we will focus on how to assess your board and executive’s capacity to operate in this environment. You’ll also learn practical ways to strengthen decision-making in a fast-changing environment so your organization can remain resilient, focused, and strategic.

This session is geared for board directors, CEOs and executives.

Participant Takeaways.

1. Participants will gain insight into how the accelerating pace of change is disrupting traditional governance approaches.
2. Participants will learn how to assess your board and executive’s capacity to operate in a fast-moving environment.
3. Participants will gain practical tips for making sound decisions when faced with too much information and too many choices.

The last few years have wrought enormous structural changes across the economy, and every industrial sector and each market in our nation has experienced once-in-a-generation changes. Organizations are tasked with pivoting and re-orienting to a new future in a state of great uncertainty. While the “right” path forward through these challenges will look different to each business, the board processes, practices and skills that will identify winning strategies will be common. This course will present specific experiences and ideas that can help your board or executive team develop a more effective strategic orientation and promote a culture of thinking “24-7 strategic thinking” to stay ahead of change. These tools can help your business to be ready and confident to confront the challenging decade ahead, whatever awaits.

This session is geared for board directors, CEOs, and executives.

Participant Takeaways

• Participants will be able to define board culture and comprehend the relationship between individual behaviours and dynamics.
• Participants will explore individual competencies that support a strategic culture.
• Participants will reflect on their own board processes and how they foster (or not!) a strategic culture.

In this insightful session, Miranda will lead participants on a journey to unlock organizational success through the art of strategic questioning. Discover the transformative power of how by asking the right questions, at the right time, boards and executives can shape the future of their organizations, for the better.

This session examines how strategic questions act as a catalyst for change and growth, help build bridges to other points of view, and how strategic questions can drive success, continuous improvement and the discovery of new possibilities for your organization. Enhancing board directors and executives ability to ask strategic questions will help the organization to create and protect value for key stakeholders.

This session is geared for all board directors, CEOs, and executives.

Participant Takeaways

• Participants will learn the importance of strategic questions in decision-making.
• Participants will be able to understand the difference between strategic questions versus operational questions.
• Participants will explore how to formulate strategic questions.

In every board meeting, there are often unspoken issues—those "elephants in the room" that everyone is aware of but is hesitant to address. Whether it’s a critical business challenge, a looming external threat, or internal dynamics that hinder progress, these unspoken truths can stifle growth and ideation. This session will explore strategies for surfacing and tackling these difficult conversations head-on with your board. This session will provide actionable insights into recognizing, addressing, and resolving these issues, ultimately strengthening your organization.

This session is geared for board directors, CEOs and executives.

Participant Takeaways:

1. Participants will learn techniques to recognize and name the unspoken issues that hinder progress within your board.
2. Participants will gain strategies for guiding constructive conversations that address the unspoken issues without escalating tensions.
3. Participants will learn how to assess the effectiveness of your efforts to address the unspoken issues.

Strategic thinking can be somewhat of an elusive topic and may not be intuitive or reflexive for boards and executives. It is forward-looking, synthesizing creativity, critical analysis, and ambition, and derives from a commendable willingness to ask “why?” and “why not?”

Strategic thinking is a difficult behavior to ingrain – but offers the ability to spot opportunities and risks before your competitors. Like any worthwhile objective, it takes practice, deliberate focus, and commitment to make it a reality. An organization’s commitment to superior strategic thinking helps to create and protect value for its key stakeholders.

This session is geared for all board directors, CEOs, and executives.

Participant Takeaways

• Participants will be able to define Strategic Thinking and how it differs from Strategic Planning.
• Participants will be able to describe the framework and principles of Strategic Thinking.
• Participants will learn how Strategic Thinking can be applied in practice.
• Participants will understand the importance of dedicating resources to enable Strategic Thinking.

Analyzing performance is an important oversight function of both boards and CEOs, but what if your scorecard is a sea of green and yet the organization was deteriorating? This session examines the use of the scorecard at the board/CEO level, choices of metrics on scorecards and their respective pitfalls, and the ramifications of metrics on people. Effective oversight of organizational performance will help to create and protect value for key stakeholders.

This session is geared for all board directors, CEOs, and executives.

Participant Takeaways

• Participants will be able to define and understand the importance of a scorecard to evaluate performance.
• Participants will explore key metrics on scorecards and their respective pitfalls.
• Participants will comprehend the relationship between metrics and behaviours.

In today's fast-paced financial landscape,  success hinges on strong leadership. Ensure your CEO's performance consistently aligns with the organization's mission, vision, values, and strategic objectives through a well-structured evaluation process. By defining clear performance metrics and expectations, the evaluation process provides actionable insights and valuable feedback for the CEO to follow while fostering a culture of accountability and transparency. Embrace the transformative power of the CEO evaluation approach to optimize leadership potential, foster excellence, and drive your organization towards sustained growth and success. 

This session is geared for board directors and CEOs.

Participant Takeaways

• Participants will learn the importance of a rigorous and objective evaluation process.
• Participants will explore the key questions that shape the CEO evaluation process.
• Participants will understand the common pain points in CEO evaluations.

If your organization’s differentiator sounds like one of these….

We are committed to member's success.

We are here for our community.

We are a different kind of business.

….it might be time for a refresh.

A clear and compelling differentiator is more than a statement - it’s a strategic asset. It aligns organizational strategy, sharpens board and executive decision-making, and drives performance that delivers measurable impact. This session explores how a well-defined differentiator becomes the foundation for strategic clarity, confident leadership, and high-performing boards.

Through real-world examples, board-level insights, and practical tools, this session is a roadmap for translating differentiation into performance. You’ll leave with actionable insights to help your organization define, monitor, and measure its differentiator – staying grounded in what makes your organization unique while delivering outcomes that matter.

This session is geared for board directors, CEOs and executives.

Participant Takeaways:

1. Participants will gain an understanding of why a strategic differentiator matters, how it drives organizational performance, and how it supports confident, aligned decision-making at the board level.
2. Participants will learn how to identify and develop a strategic differentiator.
3. Participants will leave with practical tips for measuring their differentiator – equipping them to assess alignment, evaluate outcomes, and ensure accountability.

Strengthening Credit Union resilience has never been more important with unpredictable and unprecedented changes in our future. History reminds Credit Union Directors and Executives of the significant ramifications ‘unknown unknowns’ may have on our businesses. Resilience is not simply about surviving the next crisis, it is about emerging stronger from it. In the context of systems thinking, Credit Union resilience will arise from four dimensions: Financial Resilience, Internal Resilience, Brand Resilience and System Resilience. It is fostered both through strategy setting and embedded in day-to-day activities. A Credit Union’s deeper understanding and application of the three dimensions of resilience will help to create and protect value for its members, communities, and the credit union system.

This session is geared for credit union board directors, CEOs, and executives.

Participant Takeaways

• Participants will be able to define Strategic Resilience and comprehend the relationship between resilience and risk.
• Participants will use the dimensions of resilience to reflect their own Credit Union’s resilience.
• Participants will explore new areas of oversight to monitor resilience.

The board agenda design is often overlooked and undervalued- it is the first step in setting the tone and expectations for board meetings. It can: encourage (and easily discourage) director/CEO engagement, promote operational or strategic thinking, assist in addressing issues identified in meetings, and help to support directors fulfill their fiduciary responsibility. The board’s commitment to improving the board agenda design will ultimately help to create and protect value for your key stakeholders.

This session is geared for board directors, CEOs, and governance executives.

Participant Takeaways

• Participants will be able to articulate the value of a well-designed board agenda.
• Participants will learn how to make their board agenda more effective.
• Participants will learn best practices from other participants.

This session is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the distinct yet collaborative roles of the board and management at the board table. Effective governance is crucial for the success and sustainability of any Credit Union, and a clear delineation of responsibilities between the board and management is essential. Through this course, participants will explore the dynamics of board governance, gaining insights into the roles each entity plays in shaping organizational strategy, oversight, and decision-making.

This session is geared for board directors, CEOs, executives and governance professionals. 

Participant Takeaways

• Participants will understand the board’s responsibilities and be able to identify the distinct roles of board vs. management.
• Participants will examine the intersections of the board and management’s role.
• Participants will understand the importance of effective communication between the board and management.

This session is designed to walk you through the essential steps to prepare for the CEO interview process. Miranda will share what boards are looking for in a CEO candidate, how to develop the skills/experience, and how to position yourself accordingly. Whether you're a current executive aiming for the CEO role or preparing for a future opportunity, this session will provide you with practical tips and strategies to stand out in the interview process. Don’t miss the chance to hear from Miranda who has helped boards recruit CEOs, has hired CEOs herself as a board director, and has coached several CEOs through her consulting practice.

This session is geared for CEOs looking to change roles, executives, and aspiring leaders. 

Participant Takeaways.

1. Participants will learn what boards are looking for in CEO candidates and how to position their skills, experience, and readiness to stand out in a competitive interview process.
2. Participants will gain practical strategies on how to develop the skills/experience required to become a CEO.
3. Participants will walk through important steps in the CEO interview process, gaining a clear understanding of each stage and how to prepare for success.

A well-crafted strategy is only as effective as the management systems that bring it to life. Even the most well-designed plans hold little value without disciplined execution. Several interconnected systems work together to ensure alignment, accountability, and agility. This session explores the key systems that drive execution, their interdependencies, and their impact on the organization’s ability to remain competitive.  Let’s start turning strategy into reality.

This session is geared for CEOs, executives and senior leaders.

Participant Takeaways:

1. Participants will be able to identify what key management systems influence strategy execution.
2. Participants will understand how these management systems interact to drive effective strategic execution.
3. Participants will reflect on their existing management systems, learn from peers, and explore opportunities for refinement.

We are able to build custom sessions tailored to any audience on the topics of governances and strategy. Please reach out to chat further on your needs.