Brian Friedrich wins 2014 Gil Bennett Governance Award - Presentation made at 10th annual graduation event

TORONTO, April 11, 2014 /CNW/ - Brian Friedrich, Principal in "friedrich & friedrich," a professional research, standards and education consultancy firm, and Vice Chair of the Certified General Accountants Association of BC (CGA-BC), is the 2014 winner of the Gil Bennett Gold Standard Governance Award.

The award recognizes dedication to corporate governance and was presented Thursday at the 10th annual graduation ceremony for newly certified Chartered Directors (C.Dir.) of The Directors College, a joint initiative of McMaster University and The Conference Board of Canada.

"Given the extremely high degree of governance acumen that I saw in my colleagues throughout this program, I must admit that it was with some surprise that I received the call. I am deeply honoured to be this year's award recipient," said Mr. Friedrich. "It was terrific to share best practices with directors from a wide range of industries and institutions, and learn from everyone's rich experiences. There is a strong recognition in the program that developing as a great director requires not only the competence embodied in sound technical skills, but also bringing the curiosity and courage to ask questions and act when needed; the numerous sessions devoted to enhancing these all-too-often "assumed" elements were invaluable," he said.

Named in honour of former Canadian Tire Chair, Gil Bennett, this award has been presented annually since 2006 to a Directors College graduate dedicated to raising the bar for professional standards in corporate governance through progress in the Chartered Director program. This year, Mr. Bennett himself also received the inaugural Distinguished Faculty Award in acknowledgement of his contribution to the Directors College - where he has generously shared his own experiences through his many years of corporate and board leadership in Canada.

"Whatever the challenge, whatever the sector, the difference between success and failure is often the quality of governance. Mr. Friedrich embodies the technical and personal characteristics that are central to excellent leadership and to the core teachings of The Directors College program. With this award, we salute his achievement," said Dr. Chris Bart, Lead Faculty, The Directors College.

Criteria for the award include scoring in the top 10 per cent on the final exam for Chartered Directors; providing a positive contribution to the class discussion; and displaying constructive behavior as a director during the unique Board Simulation exercise that is part of the program.

Mr. Friedrich's professional clients have included universities, global accounting bodies, the World Bank, and government agencies. He has helped lay policy, procedural and governance groundwork for several established and emerging professional and regulatory organizations.

He is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC (CPA BC) Transitional Steering Committee, which is an interim Board for CPA BC. Mr. Friedrich chairs the CGA-BC Discipline Committee and represents BC nationally on the CPA Canada Public Trust Committee. Past committee membership has included work in the areas of ethics, auditing, and professional standards.

Brian Friedrich is currently also completing a Master of Laws degree specializing in Administrative Law at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Recent winners of the Gil Bennett Governance Award have included Dr. Richard Florizone, Reena Sangoo and Jim Adamson.

Founded in 2003, The Directors College is Canada's first university accredited corporate director development program. For more information visit http://thedirectorscollege.com/#sthash.bigXf3lB.dpbs

SOURCE: Conference Board of Canada

Yvonne Squires, Media Relations, Tel.: [phone] ext. 221
E-mail: [email protected]