News Releases

The Directors College Announces Accreditation by Institutional Shareholder Services

TORONTO, May 16, 2005 – The Directors College* is pleased to announce that it has been accredited by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), the world’s leading provider of corporate governance services.

"We are delighted that ISS has accredited our program after a very rigorous review of our curriculum," said Dr. Chris Bart, Principal and Lead Professor at The Directors College. "This puts The Directors College among an elite group of programs that meet the stringent requirements set out by ISS for educating directors on corporate governance best practices."

The Directors College is a comprehensive professional development and certification program for corporate directors. It is the only program of its kind in Canada that leads to formal university accreditation – the Chartered Director (C.Dir.)* designation.

"This international recognition of The Directors College puts the College in a leading position on the world stage," said Anne Golden, President and CEO of The Conference Board of Canada. "We are proud to be a part of Canada’s highest quality director training and certification."

Founded in 1985, ISS is the world's leading provider of end-to-end proxy voting and corporate governance solutions. ISS provides comprehensive corporate governance solutions that enhance the interaction between shareholders and companies, designed to help shareholders manage risk and drive value.

ISS’ Corporate Governance Quotient (CGQ) is the industry standard for rating companies on their governance structure and practices. In determining CGQ scores, ISS gives credit to companies whose directors attend an education program it has accredited.

Other national sponsors of The Directors College are The TSX Group, Ernst & Young, the Society of Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada), The Hay Group and SAP Canada Inc. Program sponsors are The Caldwell Partners International, HKMB International Insurance Brokers, McCarthy Tétrault and NATIONAL Investor Relations.

Media inquiries:
Erica Belling
NATIONAL IR
(416)848-1404
ebelling@national.ca

General inquiries:
Dr. Chris Bart
Principal and Lead Professor
The Directors College
(905) 525-9140 ext. 2-3967
bartck@mcmaster.ca

David A.H. Brown
Executive Director
The Directors College
(613) 226-3216
brown@conferenceboard.ca

* "The Directors College", "Chartered Director" and "C.Dir." are official marks of McMaster University.

About The Directors College
The Directors College is a joint venture of The Conference Board of Canada and the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. The Directors College is a comprehensive professional development and certification program for corporate directors. It is the only program of its kind in Canada that leads to formal university accreditation - the Chartered Director (C.Dir.)* designation.

About The Conference Board of Canada
The Conference Board of Canada is the foremost independent, not-for-profit applied research organization in Canada. We help build leadership capacity for a better Canada by creating and sharing insights on economic trends, public policy issues, and organizational performance. Our members include a broad range of Canadian organizations from the public and private sectors. The Conference Board of Canada has an annual budget of $30 million, with 200 staff located in Ottawa, and offices in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto.

About McMaster University
McMaster University, one of Canada's top three research-intensive universities, has world-renowned faculty and state-of-the-art research facilities. McMaster's culture of innovation fosters a commitment to discovery and learning in teaching, research and scholarship. Based in Hamilton, the University has a student population of more than 20,000 and more than 108,000 alumni in more than 125 countries around the world. McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business is one of the leading business schools in Canada and internationally.

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