Thought Capital

Hugessen Consulting is making an important addition to its leadership by appointing Marie-Lise Gauthier as the Partner, Quebec Leader, entrusted with the leadership of our Montreal office. Since the founding of the firm in 2006, Hugessen has enjoyed a strong presence in Quebec; the appointment of Marie-Lise Gauthier highlights our commitment to our valued clients and friends in this market while strengthening the capabilities of the firm.

Marie-Lise brings 20+ years in corporate finance and governance, excelling in global mergers, acquisitions, and strategic planning. Notable roles include Vice-President Corporate Development at Celestica, Global Head of M&A at Bombardier, and senior finance positions at Bell Canada Enterprises. Holding an INSEAD MBA and a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering, Marie-Lise's expertise informs board decisions, ensuring strategic success.

In the latest edition of our 'Insights in Action' video series, Marie-Lise Gautier discusses her extensive background in corporate development and as a director. She emphasizes the challenges faced by board members, especially in sensitive areas like executive compensation. The goal is to leverage Hugessen's expertise and Marie-Lise's executive experience to enhance client satisfaction and performance.

Boards across Canada understand that organizational culture is a key role in driving performance. As a result, culture is appearing more frequently on-board agendas. However, many boards are grappling with how to truly understand culture, how to oversee it from the boardroom, and how to incentivize culture change that drives performance

Shareholders expect Board’s to self-reflect, take actions for improvement, and report transparently on their governance practices. The largest companies, perhaps subject to heightened scrutiny, are at the forefront of adopting and exemplifying these practices. Yet, the evolution in Board Effectiveness practices should not solely be motivated by shareholder expectations; rather, it should stem from the intrinsic motivation of Boards to excel and enhance the value they provide. 

In today's fast-paced business world, a well-defined Compensation Philosophy is the cornerstone of any successful talent management program.

As part of our annual review of the 2023 TSX60 issuer proxy circulars, we have analyzed the shareholder proposals submitted to these issuers to better understand how shareholder expectations / concerns have evolved over the years.

Board evaluations are not evaluations at all, or at least they shouldn’t feel like one.

Every year, Hugessen Consulting conducts a review of the proxy circulars filed by the constituents of the S&P / TSX60 Index to report on trends in executive compensation and related governance practices among Canada’s largest and most influential companies. This article summarizes our findings related to ESG metrics in these companies’ executive compensation programs in respect of fiscal 2022.

Part 5 of our series outlined how to effectively weigh considerations when determining the importance of metrics in incentive programs This article focuses on the key considerations for calibrating and setting targets when incorporating ESG metrics into incentive plans.

Hugessen hosted a webinar in connection with the ICD in which we delved into the key observations and learnings from the 2022 pay disclosure while offering invaluable insights into the emerging issues and topics shaping the governance landscape in the coming months.