Excellence in the Boardroom: Best Practices inCorporate Directorship
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More About This Title Excellence in the Boardroom: Best Practices inCorporate Directorship

English

William A. Dimma has had a long and distinguished career as a director, serving on over fifty corporate boards and another forty not-for-profit boards. For almost forty years, he has been sought after for the knowledge and understanding he brings to the field of corporate governance, as well as for his dedication to, and passion for, improving the practice of directorship.

Mr. Dimma has served as a director or chairman for the following organizations, among many others: Delta Hotels, Enbridge Corporation, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, London Life Insurance Company, Monsanto Canada, Sears Canada, Torstar Corporation, Trizec Corporation, and Union Carbide Canada Limited.

In addition to his illustrious career as a director, Mr. Dimma has also held numerous senior management positions at companies such as Union Carbide Canada, Torstar Corporation and Toronto Star Newspapers, A. E. LePage, and Royal LePage.

He is a former Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Administrative Studies at York University. He holds honorary degrees from Saint Mary's University and York University, as well as the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario.

The Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) is the national association for corporate directors in Canada. Their membership represents directors who serve corporations of all sizes, from the largest public companies to the smallest private firms. The goal of the ICD is to ensure that directors are well prepared to deal effectively with the responsibilities of their positions, and are informed about the ever-changing demands of corporate governance. The ICD acts as a resource to all corporate directors by providing information, educations, advocacy, and networking. 

English

Foreword.

Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

PART I: ON THE BOARD: DEFINING A VISION.

Chapter 1. The Perfect Board.

Chapter 2. Board Manners and the Director From Hell.

Chapter 3. Things Boards Could Do Better.

Chapter 4. Ten Best Practices of Modern Corporate Governance.

Some Personal Experiences as a Director (I).

PART 2: GETTING IN GEAR: HOW TO MAKE IT WORK.

Chapter 5. Board and Director Evaluation.

Chapter 6. Advisory Boards.

Chapter 7. Board Responsibilities.

Some Personal Experiences as a Director (II).

PART 3: THE FINE PRINT: COMPENSATION AND ACCREDITATION.

Chapter 8. Compensation of Company Directors.

Chapter 9. Director Accreditation.

Some Personal Experiences as a Director (III).

PART 4: THE RUBBER MEETS THE BOARD: CHALLENGES FACING CORPORATIONS.

Chapter 11. Corporate Responsibility.

Chapter 12. Institutional Investors.

Chapter 13. Some Contemporary Board Issues: Hostile Takeovers.

Some Personal Experiences a a Director (IV).

Appendix A: Public Company Director Accreditation.

Appendix B: Past and Current Boards of the Author (1963-2002).

Index.

English

"After over thirty-five years on more than fifty boards, Bill Dimma has informed opinions on most issues that any director will ever faceâ?? and he states them straightforwardly. Anyone who is, or hopes to be, a director can benefit immensely from reading this delightful, well-written book."
â?? James Gillies, Professor Emeritus, Schulich School of Business, York University, and Author of Boardroom Renaissance: Power, Morality and Performance in the Modern Corporation

"This is the kind of book that every CEO and Chairman of a Board should read. It's refreshing material from someone with a great deal of experience. Bill Dimma writes in a very clear manner and presents invaluable advice and insights from many perspectives."
â?? Larry Tapp, Dean, Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario

"Bill Dimma's insight into what modern board governance is all about sparkles with intelligence, wisdom, and a healthy dose of common sense. This practical book should be required reading for all directors."
â?? Elaine Minacs, President & CEO, Minacs Worldwide Inc.

"This is an easy-to-read, well-written book. It will be invaluable to those who want to learn about, or increase their knowledge of, corporate governance. Teachers of the subject will find the book most helpful."
â?? Purdy Crawford, Chairman, AT&T Canada, and Counsel, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt

"Bill Dimma dares to open the boardroom door to show us governance in action, commenting with clarity and humour! He engages the veteran director while informing a broader audience about the challenges of the boardroom."
â?? Gail Cook-Bennett, Chairperson, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

"Bill Dimma, with his forty years experience of directorship, has explored the most pressing governance issues in today's complex business environment in an invaluable resource book. This is a must-read for current and future directors." 

â??Jack L. Cockwell, Co-Chairman, Brascan Corporation

"Written by an experienced practitioner and long-term advocate of good corporate governance, Bill Dimma's Excellence in the Boardroom is a proctical, sensible, pragmatic collection of observations and comments on the many facets of this important topic."

â??Lynton Wilson, Chairman of the Board, Nortel Networks Corporation

"Excellence in the Boardroom presents the insider's view on successful corporate directorship. In combining extensive coverage on key issues in board governance with insightful, first-hand reflections, Bill Dimma gives us powerful knowledge with practical sense."

â??C. Douglas Caldwell, Chairman, The Coldwell Parners

"As a fellow director, I have observed Bill Dimma's knowledge of, and didication to, the art of corporate governance. He has created a wonderful, comprehensive reference book base on a lifetime of experience."

â??Richard F. Haskayne, Chairman,

TransCanada Pipelines and Fording Inc.

"Guided by his extensive experience. Bill Dimma provides excellent insight into how corporate boards and directors should function."

â??Richard M. Thomson, Retired Chairman and CEO,

Toronto-Dominion Bank

"Excelllence in the Boardroom is a common sense treatise on governance founded on Bill Dimma's exceptional breadth and depth of personal experience on corporate boards."

â??Dr. John Evancs, Board Chairman, Torstart Corporation

"Bill Dimma has an extraordinary ability to distill general teachings from his wide practical experience. And he is couteous to his readerâ??his writing is engaging and well organized. There is much current literature on corporate governance, but this book adds a different and valuable perspective."

â??James C. Baillie, Counsel, Torys LLP

"This is an interesting, and at times provocative, analysis of corporate governance practices from a seasoned and thoughtful board leader. Bill Dimma's experience has led him to form strong views on how boardrooms should operate to support the creation of value for shareholders. He tacleds all the tough issues."

â??JalynH. Bennett, C.M., President,

Jalynn H. Bennett & Associates Ltd

"Recent events have shown that Bill Dimma is right when he argues that good corporate governance matters and is crucial for good

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