Program Overview

The Leading Responsible Investment for System Change tackles the leadership challenges shaping responsible investment today, including systemic risks, stakeholder engagement, and political pressures that demand more than technical expertise. Developed with Ivey’s experiential learning approach, it brings participants into real-world case discussions and peer-driven exercises that sharpen perspective and build confidence. You’ll return to work with practical insights, tested frameworks, and a clear path forward.

Designed with a North American lens, the content reflects regional nuances between Canada and the U.S. You’ll leave with a clear plan of action, shaped through coaching and peer feedback, and follow-up touchpoints to help you stay accountable as you apply what you’ve learned.

Who Will Benefit

This program is designed for senior leaders and decision-makers working in asset management, pensions, private equity, or insurance.

Typical participants include:

• Chief Investment Officers (CIOs)
• Heads of ESG or Responsible Investment
• Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs)
• Portfolio Leaders
• Board Directors

What You Learn

You'll explore how to lead through political pressures, reputational risks, and competing stakeholder expectations in a polarized political climate—where regulatory divergence and stakeholder demands add complexity, and where leadership is required in volatile situations with incomplete or conflicting information.

You'll strengthen your ability to:

• Lead under pressure, whether you're navigating political pressures, reputational risk, or competing stakeholder expectations in a polarized political climate.
• Apply systems thinking, using advanced frameworks that go beyond traditional financial modelling to address systemic risks.
• Strengthen boardroom influence, building trust with directors and internal teams so ESG priorities are understood and supported where it matters most.

You'll also gain:

• Clarity on regulatory divergence and compliance complexity, including how disclosure requirements vary across Canada and North America
• A deeper understanding of economic reconciliation, including the opportunities and responsibilities tied to Indigenous investment strategies in Canada
• Frameworks to assess and communicate ESG outcomes, including both financial and non-financial impacts of responsible investment decisions

When the environment is volatile and the information is incomplete, you'll have the leadership judgment to move forward with clarity, anchored in values, but equipped for action.

And it doesn't stop at the classroom. You'll leave with:

• A personalized action plan developed during the program
• Coaching from an Ivey-certified coach to help you follow through
• Peer check-ins post-program to keep the momentum going and support real-world application