CSC2023 - THANK YOUS

It has been profoundly gratifying to see the many wonderful posts about #CSC2023 from Conference members over the past 10 days. The renewal of these global leadership conferences – called the “great experiment” by the Duke of Edinburgh - was a personal labour of love that involved many friends coming together, and the happy start of many new and lasting friendships around the world. To see such positive feedback from the members makes everything feel thoroughly worthwhile!

This is an unusually long post to recognize some of the many people involved in bringing CSC2023 to life.?We started with the vision of renewing the program on its original construct: Two weeks (not the original three), 300 members (the most in 40 years), all sectors represented, gender equal, no conference fee.?This meant engagement by a host of volunteers, very significant fundraising in Canada for a program with no profile at the time, and a group of international alumni stepping up for recruitment, selection and support.

The first discussion about a Canadian-led renewal took place during a winter blizzard in Toronto with me and Robert Taylor, legendary Conference builder and 1980 alumnus. We resolved then to put the proposition to Princess Anne in London – which she embraced immediately when we met her some months later.?

The key Canadian action started with Paul Desmarais, Jr., Lorraine Mitchelmore and Ron Mannix – all alumni and senior corporate leaders - coming together to convince BMO CEO Darryl White to become Chair of CSC2023.?Darryl took on this role at a time of disruption in his industry (COVID only part of it) and his first major acquisition as CEO. He and his key staff were incredibly positive throughout, and his leadership in Banff and Montreal made a major contribution to the program.

We moved quickly from there to form the CSC Canada Committee of alumni where key elements of the program – such as the 2023 theme, the study tour goals, the plenary locations, social media strategy, goals for Indigenous membership, Canadian recruitment – were established. Thanks to all committee members for being there from start to finish – and very glad so many of you witnessed in Banff and Montreal the results of your engagement! ?

The Association of Commonwealth Leadership Conferences was the platform for international outreach.?With P Balaji from India as Chair, Hanaa Wong from Malaysia as Vice Chair, Agnes Di Leonardi from Canada as Secretary, and Robert Goh and Brian Pickett providing wise counsel throughout, ACLC was integrally involved from start to finish (and we will hear much more from ACLC as an enabler for future conferences – CSC2023 is definitely a renewal, not an end!

Balaji and Hanaa set a global standard for CSC2023 member recruitment in their home countries. We had an early goal of ensuring record representation from the global south, and this meant expanding African recruitment dramatically from past conferences. Key players were Patricia Muia in Kenya (key from day one), Dr. Patrick Tolani in Nigeria (a leader across Africa and now chairing CSC Africa), the formidable Dr. Elizabeth Mkoba in Tanzania (now vice chair of CSC Africa), Joseph Matome in Botswana, Ilka Dunne in South Africa, Hadija Nabukenya and Dr. Agnes Apea in Uganda, Canadian alumnus Kuthula Matshazi in Zimbabwe.?

In Australia, Cynthia Payne led recruitment and selection with John Anderson and John Thompson – Cynthia’s active involvement crossed geographic boundaries into all facets of program support and communications. ?In NZ, alumnus Hayden Montgomerie stepped up to select the exceptional and diverse NZ members. In the vast Pacific the alumni leaders included Peter John Aitsi in Papua New Guinea, Naziah Ali in Fiji, Robert Goh in the Solomons, Nadia Meredith-Hunt in Samoa.?In Sri Lanka, Marissa Jayamanne led recruitment and selection.

In the Caribbean, two amazing leaders long involved in the Caribbean-Canada conferences – Lisa Bell in Jamaica and David Bynoe in Barbados – ensured Caribbean participation exceeded targets and the island members had a wonderful impact on the Conference itself. In Malta, alumnus Norman Aquilina called me to ask how he could help – and recruited two exceptional Maltese members.

In the UK, the Trustees group focused on other priorities while the UK alumni came together separately starting with a happy coordination meeting at Westminster with alumnus Lord Clive Brooke.?Jo Salter, Mohammed Ali, Andy Davidson, John Thompson, Ashley Barrett, Ian Govinder, Ladi Dariya were all key to recruitment and selection of the UK cohort. Mohammed was also exceptionally important for helping establish a strong group of Pakistani applicants – who will now be the new alumni base in their country. Ladi was instrumental in Nigeria as well as the UK.

The Board of the Canadian charity that was the vehicle for conference hosting was attentive and hands off throughout, as a board should be.?Most important, they stuck with the plan when things got pretty tough and uncertain. Board Chair Agnes Di Leonardi was a constant positive and supportive board leader from start to finish.

Fundraising is always a struggle but for CSC2023 (with no conference fee) it was vitally important and was handled more or less entirely by Darryl White, Lorraine Mitchelmore, and me.?Thank you to Ron Mannix and Paul Desmarais, Jr., for the important final push. The Conference donors included many Canadian unions as well as governments and corporations.?We cannot give the donors enough recognition and you can find them listed here .

The CSC Canada Committee believed from the start that speakers should be global and it was a team effort recruiting the top-notch speakers for the opening plenary. Balaji was entirely responsible for convincing Dr Sharma to come halfway around the world. Marc-André Franche introduced me to Dr Adil Najam. Sybil Wa reached out to Bruce Mau. Sir Richard Gozney opened the door to the gracious and brilliant Ndidi Nwuneli in Lagos. Ambassador Bob Rae responded with his unique enthusiasm to my call out of the blue. Dr Alika Lafontaine and CLC Chair Beatrice Bruske are both Canadian friends who gave memorable addresses to the Conference.?Conference member Dennis Schultz introduced me to Laura Kilcrease.?It was among the best opening plenaries I’ve experienced.

The hard work and long hours designing and organizing the study tours was done by an incredible group of Canadian alumni who I posted about last week.?Everyone who cares about CSC2023 should take another moment to celebrate the regional chairs here !?Huge thanks to Kirby Brown, Joanne Hansen, Michael Hale, Rebecca Alty, Wanda Charles, Marie Buchan, Michael Jolliffe, Eric Labelle and Roxanne Morin, Catherine Dallaire, Patrick Dorsey and Dan Campbell, the incredible Ed McHugh, and Michelle Snow. Without you and your superb regional committees, CSC2023 could not possibly have gotten off the ground.

The orientation session for the 15 study group chairs was handled immaculately by Jordan LeBel, professor at the John Molson School at Concordia University.?We were stretched for budget and Jordan did the program virtually instead of in-person. Jordan’s wise counsel on everything from servant leadership to crafting group charters was impactful regardless and we had fun doing the “booster” for the chairs just before Banff.

Aileen O’Rafferty’s work on the closing plenary arrangements in Montreal, including the reunion of alumni, was incredibly important as it allowed us to focus on Banff and all of its unexpected challenges (last-minute visa issues, flight delays and cancellations, forest fires, a threatened pilots strike – I am sure there were other worries!). CSC Canada Committee members Matt Wayland and Marie Buchan, along with Siobhan Vipond from the CLC, were essential for trade union outreach, recruitment and selection of outstanding members in Canada.

Among our suppliers, a very special word for the awesome staff at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity – Marianne, Kameko, Jim, so many others.?Travel sponsor Air Canada stepped in time and time again to work solutions for flight delays and cancellations, missing luggage, lost passports and late bus arrivals. Thank you Valerie Durand, Brad Sutherland, Tanya Butt – and of course ex-Air Canada exec Kevin Howlett from the DECSCC board.

For the Secretariat, long hours and considerable stress were endured by our exceptional core team led by Duncan Rayner as program manager. Duncan’s calm authority was integral – he cannot be thanked enough. He was supported by Ujwal Ganguly as CSC Secretary, Barbara Clancy as lead administrator, Sandra Cullen in finance, Carolyn Smith in operations, Carrie Croft on social media and Sabrina Daniele. ?Ujwal, Brian Klunder and I fought countless “visa battles” to get Conference members to Canada in time for the opening plenary (and largely succeeded, against all odds). As one measure, we had only 10 members from African nations with travel visas a month before the Conference opened – a month later we had 70+.

Finally, our hats are most definitely lifted to the superb staff of HRH The Princess Royal. I know we are not meant to mention names – and will not – but they have been almost like partners throughout the renewal of this important legacy of the Duke of Edinburgh.?As everyone who participated at the opening plenary will know by now, Princess Anne is an exceptional leader and I won't be the only one hoping she will continue her patronage of this global program that, in her telling words, can be a force for good throughout the Commonwealth.