David Brown

David is Canada’s leading thinker, speaker, writer and practitioner in corporate governance. As Executive Vice-President and the team’s lead consultant, David has helped countless organizations improve their governance and board effectiveness.
David cares deeply about corporations and their innate capacity to do good – as well as their inherent risk of doing bad. His life’s work is helping leaders make better choices for themselves and everyone they touch. With over 30 years’ experience in corporate governance, David has trained thousands of board members and C-suite executives. He’s served as a consultant, coach and mentor for hundreds more.
David’s also co-founded over a dozen board governance education programs, including university-accredited certification programs, The Professional Director Certification Program®, the Directors College, and more.
Prior to joining Governance Solutions in 1995, David had a distinguished 20-year career in Canada’s financial services industry. As an insolvency specialist, he learned hard lessons about the necessity for good corporate governance – and how badly things can go in its absence.
David holds a B.Comm (Hons) from Queen’s University in addition to Chartered Director and Professional Director designations in corporate governance. He’s also served as an accredited faculty member of several universities, including the Universities of St. Michael’s College, Toronto, Saskatchewan, and McMaster University.
David has authored dozens of articles and publications on corporate governance, and co-authored several books, including the best-selling ESG Matters: How to Save the Planet, Empower People, and Outperform the Competition and Governance Solutions: The Ultimate Guide to Competence and Confidence in the Boardroom.