Menu
Log in

WOMEN GENERAL
COUNSEL CANADA

Your Account

 Connect with Us

Welcome to GCU

Whether you are just beginning your career as a legal leader or an experienced GC with a record of executive roles in leading organizations, GCU can help you to perform your role more effectively.

GCU is committed to providing GCs with a curriculum that’s strategically mapped to top Competencies that will enhance your contribution to the C-suite and advance the business. Each course will include learning objectives from at least two such Competencies. The Most Sought GC Program is based on Korn Ferry’s global competency framework, derived from qualitative, quantitative and market-based data, and relying on comprehensive and rigorous analysis, external research literature etc. WGCC commissioned Korn Ferry to identify key competencies, traits, drivers of GCs that are requisite to be the “Most Sought” GC and we have used that research to frame this Program.

GCU is grateful to the sponsors and partners of GCU who support our program by collaborating on and delivering top quality programming in support of GCU.  

For a complete overview of the program and its benefits, see GCU Overview




GCU in the News

From Law.com


Hear what people are saying about GCU!

Ratika Gandhi
Head of Legal & Compliance, Alcon Canada
Cohort 1, GCU Graduate

GCU exceeded my expectations! The curriculum was marked by rich content and nuggets of wisdom that is beneficial for all types of GCs. But most importantly, I will forever carry with me the network of inspirational women leaders that I can now call my friends and GC confidantes.

Bindu Cudjoe
Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Laurentian Bank of Canada
Cohort 1, Valedictorian and GCU Graduate 

As a graduate, I can say that it was a profound and perspective changing experience for me, both professionally and personally, and the network and connections I have within my cohort are for a lifetime. 



PROGRAM DELIVERY

GCU will offer multiple related sessions as a “concentration” of certain themes (Korn Ferry Factors).

Some GCU sessions may be qualified for CLE/CPD accreditation in applicable Canadian jurisdictions.

We will deliver GCU programs virtually for the first term (October to December 2021), and in creative formats to best facilitate your learning experience in the future.

DESIGNATION PROCESS

GCU will provide Orientation to onboard two cohorts (limited to 12 participants each) per year. We will introduce the cohorts to the GCU structure and the 12 differentiating Competencies as part of this Orientation.

To obtain a GCU designation, candidates must:

  • Complete the program of required courses
  • Deliver a final capstone paper (~1000 words) on a topic to be determined by the candidate and their coach
  • Be a current WGCC member in good standing

USE OF THE GCU DESIGNATION

As a GCU grad and holder of the GC designation, you have committed to achieving the highest standard of corporate legal leadership.

The GCU designation is granted to members of GCU who have completed the GC Program and are current members in good standing of WGCC.

This designation represents a commitment to excellence in legal leadership, to be the most effective general counsel you can be. You will be recognized as a leader who can balance your organization’s most complex legal issues with its business interests, who can build and lead extraordinary teams of legal talent, and who can raise the bar on issues ranging from equity, diversity and inclusion, to environmental social responsibility.

After completing the GCU Most Sought GC’s program and the delivery of a final capstone essay, you will be granted a GCU designation that will represent a lifelong commitment to learning and maintaining excellence in corporate legal departments. In the current, rapidly evolving competitive environment, this GCU designation will help you be better at what you do, and ultimately, create better opportunities for your career.

GCU PROGRAM BENEFITS

  • Korn Ferry’s Personalized Professional Development Assessment
    Korn Ferry has created a “best in class” success profile of a General Counsel role which is based on our research, data and market insights. Within this profile there are Competencies/Traits/Drivers and Responsibilities. As part of the GCU program, your first step will be to undergo a Korn Ferry Professional Development Assessment, to obtain a baseline of how you measure against the best-in-class Profile, and identify your opportunities for improvement. We hope this will provide insights into your leadership style and readiness for Most Sought GC roles.
  • DISC Personalized Assessment
    Measure your Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness to better understand communication styles and how to build more effective relationships.
  • Individual Coaching 
  • National Networking
  • Korn Ferry’s For Your Improvement (FYI) Book


Capstone Project

GCU is designed with the Korn Ferry leadership competencies creating an opportunity for personal reflection as part of each participant’s personal leadership journey. The page at the end of the individual Korn Ferry assessment reports, provided to each participant at the commencement of GCU, sets out Development Priorities and is an important guide to develop a plan.

In order to successfully finish GCU, each participant must provide 1,000 word personal essay about the development opportunity identified in their Korn Ferry personal assessment, how they set about to tackle it, and what they have learned and achieved (or failed!). The essays will be read in confidence by the Dean. They are not marked; this is really a way for GCU participants to hold themselves accountable.

Capstone Project Deadline - Cohort 2:  Capstone essay is due on Monday, January 16, 2023.

Capstone Project Deadline - Cohort 3:  Capstone essay is due on Monday, May 1, 2023.


Course Schedules: Cohort 2 (Jan - Dec 2022)   Cohort 3 (Oct - Apr 2023) 

Cohort 2 Jan - Dec 2022 
All times are Eastern Daylight/Standard Time
Program schedule subject to change
All sessions will be virtual unless otherwise indicated

Session  Competency Fall 2022 Speakers

Thriving through Change and Transitions


October 1 (Hybrid Session: Virtual and in-person)
11:00am - 12:30pm ET

Paula Vital, MT Mindfulness Consulting 

Global Perspectives on the Rise of Real-Time Corporate Morality Tests ("Surge Effects")
***

Global Perspective

October  1 (Hybrid Session)
1:00pm - 3:00pm ET

Awi Sinha, Patrice Rouse, Wendy Berman, Gillian Kerr, Dorothy Charach, McCarthy Tétrault, Gillian Smith, NATIONAL Public Relations
Design Thinking for GC's ***  Collaboration October 28
12:00 pm - 2:00pm ET
Gillian Scott and Jennifer Thompson, Osler
GC as an Entrepreneur
***
 Cultivates Innovation October 28
2:00pm - 4:00pm ET
Gary Kalaci, Alexa Translations; Sacha Fraser IBM Canada
Developing Your Talent: Strategies for Advancing as a Leader
***
 Develops Talent

November 18
12:00pm - 2:00pm ET

Keya Dasgupta, Heidi Reinhart, Norton Rose; Conni Gibson, Interac; Shanin Lott, Russell Reynolds Associates
The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership
***
Instills Trust

November 18 
2:00pm - 4:00pm ET

Jeff Davis, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
DiSC  Assessment: What is your Leadership Style? 
***
 Manages Ambiguity

December 9
12:00pm - 2:00pm ET

Sandra Abitan, Lori Gauld, Osler

Becoming an Inclusive Leader
***

 Engages and Inspires

December 9
2:00pm - 4:00pm ET

Joanna Harper, Vandana Juneja, Catalyst Canada
Capstone & Graduation   January 26 WGCC

*** Cohorts 2 & 3 together

 To access Fall 2022 Speakers Bios and detailed Course description, click here!

Cohort 3 - October 2022 -  April 2023
Cohort 3 October 2022- March 2023; Program schedule subject to change.
All sessions will be virtual unless otherwise indicated

Session  Competency Fall 2022  Speakers
Korn Ferry Leadership Model and Professional Development Assessment

October 1
11:00am - 1:00pm ET

WGCC, Cleo Kirkland and Kendra Marion, Korn Ferry, Brian Martin, Made in Measure
Global Perspectives on the Rise of Real-Time Corporate Morality Tests ("Surge Effects")
***
 Global Perspective

October 1
1:00pm - 3:00pm ET

Awi Sinha, Patrice Rouse, Wendy Berman, Gillian Kerr, Dorothy Charach, McCarthy Tétrault, Gillian Smith, NATIONAL Public Relations

Design Thinking for GC's ***

Collaboration

October 28
12:000pm - 2:00pm ET

Gillian Scott and Jennifer Thompson, Osler
GC as an Entrepreneur
***
Cultivates Innovation

October 28
2:00pm - 4:00pm ET

Gary Kalaci, Alexa Translations; Sacha Fraser IBM Canada
Developing Your Talent: Strategies for Advancing as a Leader
***
 Develops Talent

November 18
12:00pm - 2:00pm ET

Keya Dasgupta, Heidi Reinhart, Norton Rose; Connie Gibson, Interac; Shanin Lott, Russell Reynolds Associates
The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership
***
Instills Trust

November 18
2:00pm - 4:00pm ET

Jeff Davis, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan
DiSC  Assessment: What is your Leadership Style? 
***
 Manages Ambiguity

 December 9
12:00pm -2:00pm ET

Sandra Abitan, Lori Gauld, Osler

Becoming an Inclusive Leader
***

 Engages and Inspires  

December 9
2:00pm - 4:00pm ET

Joanna Harper, Vandana Juneja, Catalyst Canada

 

*** Cohorts 2 & 3 together

To access Fall 2022 Speakers Bios and detailed Course description, scroll up to pull down menu at top of page.

Winter 2023 - Schedule to Follow

Driving Innovation, Delivering Results: Inspiring Women Legal Leaders - January 27, 2023

Strategic Execution  - February 24, 2023

Effecting Change Through Strategic Law Firm Collaboration - February 24, 2023 

Beyond the Law: Ensuring Your Seat at the Table - March 24, 2023

Responding to Risk through Internal Investigations, Capstone & Graduation - April 21, 2023

Cohort 1 - October 2021 -  May 2022
Program schedule subject to change. All sessions will be virtual unless otherwise indicated.

Session Fall 2021 Speakers
Korn Ferry Professional Development Assessment 

October 1
12:00m - 5:00pm ET

WGCC, Cleo Kirkland and Kendra Marion, Korn Ferry
THOUGHT + RESULTS + Competencies 

October 2

 11:00am - 12:30pm ET

 Cleo Kirkland and Kendra Marion, Korn Ferry 
Being the Change: Trailblazing Women Legal Leaders

October 2

 1:00pm - 3:00pm ET

Christine Holmes, LawyersInHouse, Hon. Suzanne Duncan and Cleo Kirkland 

Design Thinking for GCs

October 29

 12:00 - 1:45pm ET

Team Innovation, Osler

GC as Entrepreneur 

October 29

 11:00am - 12:30pm ET

Gary Kalaci, Alexa Translations

Getting Back to the Middle 

November 18

12:00pm - 2:00pm ET

Peter Carayiannis, Conduit Law
PEOPLE + SELF + Competencies 

November 19 

12:00pm -1:45pm ET

Cleo Kirkland and Kendra Marion, Korn Ferry
Global Mindset: Approaches to Working, Leading and Managing Globally

November 19 

2:00pm -5:00pm ET

Shanin Lott and Sacha de Klerk, Norton Rose

DiSC Assessment: What is your Leadership Style? 

 

December 10 

12:00pm -2:45pm ET

Osler
The Art of Feedback

December 10 

3:00pm -5:00pm ET

Osler 



Session Winter 2022 Speakers
Strategic Vision*

January 8

1:00-4:00pm ET

Dale Ponder, Osler; Simon Fish, BMO
Building and Leading a Strong Culture* 


January 29

1:00-4:00pm ET


Jamie Pytel, Kingsgate Legal

Addressing Ambiguity in Responding to Risk Through Internal Investigations*

February 25

 12:00pm - 2:30pm ET

Shane D'Souza, Andrew Matheson, Julie-Martine Loranger, Christine Wadsworth, Shana Wolch, and Susan Wortzman, McCarthy Tétrault

Effecting Change through Strategic Law Firm Collaboration*


February 25

 2:30-5:00pm ET


Miranda Lam, Matthew Peters, and Judith McKay, McCarthy Tétrault

Beyond the Law: Ensuring Your Seat at the Table*


March 25

 12:00pm - 2:45pm ET


Anne Drost and Stacy McLean, Blakes - TBD

Capstone & Graduation


May 7

12:00-2:00pm ET


WGCC


Session Winter 2022 Speakers Strategic Vision*

January 8

1:00-4:00pm ET

Dale Ponder, Osler; Simon Fish, BMO
Building and Leading a Strong Culture* 


January 29

1:00-4:00pm ET


Jamie Pytel, Kingsgate Legal

Addressing Ambiguity in Responding to Risk Through Internal Investigations*

February 25

 12:00pm - 2:30pm ET

Shane D'Souza, Andrew Matheson, Julie-Martine Loranger, Christine Wadsworth, Shana Wolch, and Susan Wortzman, McCarthy Tétrault

Effecting Change through Strategic Law Firm Collaboration*


February 25

 2:30-5:00pm ET


Miranda Lam, Matthew Peters, and Judith McKay, McCarthy Tétrault

Beyond the Law: Ensuring Your Seat at the Table*


March 25

 12:00pm - 2:45pm ET


Anne Drost and Stacy McLean, Blakes - TBD

Capstone & Graduation


May 7

12:00-2:00pm ET


WGCC

PROGRAM FEE & APPLICATION

PROGRAM FEE
$5,000 (plus applicable taxes). 

APPLICATION
CLICK HERE to apply for the program. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance. 

Note: this program is only available to current WGCC  Members. Visit your profile to ensure your membership is up-to-date!


Privacy Policy        --        Terms of Use

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software