On August 24, 2025, more than 70 GPC.D certified governance professionals gathered in Montreal for a pre-conference workshop titled “Insight and Appreciation.” Hosted by The Planning Group and supported by Governance Professionals of Canada (GPC).
The Planning Group is pleased to announce our sponsorship of a new and exciting initiative for the Governance Professionals of Canada. GPC has announced the inaugural GPC.D Alumni Insight and Appreciation Day to kick off this year’s 25th Annual Corporate Governance Conference in Charlottetown. This will be an exclusive free event for GPC.D Alumni and current students.
Thank you for our First 20 years. Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Planning Group. It has been an incredible 2 decades assisting clients, learning, and making some great friends along the way. I am proud of the work we do and the difference we have made for so many organizations. We have assisted more than 250 clients across every imaginable corner of for-profit and non-profit organizations in 20+ countries. I am grateful for the reception and support we have received along the way.
Over the last five years, we've transitioned our focus from simply helping boards and leaders make and oversee strategy, to being more equipped to make productive strategy and to understanding the implications of the strategy they make. It makes for better strategists, better strategy and it makes for better outcomes in their organizations. Strategic Planning Readiness is exactly what it sounds like. It's being more ready with the tools and the skills and the context to have productive conversations about strategy. And it's being more ready to find real alignment among directors and leaders to make impactful strategy.
Congratulations to our friends at Trillium Mutual Insurance as they announced last week the appointment of Julie Garner as their new Board Chair. Julie replaced Ben Rier who has shown amazing advice, counsel and leadership over the years that we've had the pleasure of working with Trillium. Ben led the effort for The Planning Group to help Trillium not only define their strategic plan, but also ensure strong mechanisms for Board oversight of the execution. Most importantly, Ben had the foresight to help the Trillium Board of Directors and senior leaders think about how they think.
The Canadian Physiotherapy Association; a long-time Association Client of The Planning Group made an important announcement this week. First, they announced the release of their Strategic Plan, and appointed Krissy Bell as their new Chief Executive Officer. You can read the full press release.
As we reflect back on another year at The Planning Group, it is striking that most of our growth came from non-profit strategy clients and for the first time, more than half our clients were new to us. In 2022, we were fortunate to work with smart people at charities, municipalities, regulators, trade associations, professional associations, public health agencies, accreditation bodies, benefit plans, school boards and universities. While there was a diverse sectoral spread, we predominantly focused on healthcare.
RIA, AIA and MCMA have transformed into A3: The Association for Advancing Automation Congratulations to long time Planning Group client, A3. After a long and successful history as the umbrella organization for the leading trade associations in Robotics (RIA), Machine Vision (AIA), Motion Control & Motors (MCMA) and Industrial AI, the Association for Advancing Automation has officially transformed into a single, powerful organization focused on the global advancement of automation.
Virtual meetings, virtual strategy sessions and virtual training have been a dominant feature of daily business life for the past 12 months. In fact, "you are on mute" may be the most spoken phase of 2020. Fingers crossed, we will see the tail end of Covid-19 in the next 12 months, but what is the fate of all this Zoom time?
Governance Professionals Canada (GPC) is hosting an important workshop for members and the broader community interested in better understanding Business Continuity Planning. This timely and informative session will be conducted by Planning Group President, Peter Wright. While management consulting firm, The Planning Group has a long history of assisting clients with all areas of Business Continuity Planning, including Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery, Covid-19 has brought the need for disciplined, rigorous and proactive Business Continuity Planning into sharp relief.
Planning Group President, Peter Wright will speak at the Governance Professionals of Canada virtual conference October 7, 2020. The topic is Conducting Virtual Facilitation for Successful Board Strategy Sessions. The focus is on virtual and hybrid facilitation in a time of Covid-19 related social distancing. Watch this video for a preview.
Congratulations to Planning Group client World Gym on the opening of their brand new facility in Calgary South! Know as World Gym Southland, this new 20,000 square foot, state of the art facility offers on-site daycare, tanning, massage, personal trainers and a wide range of classes. As with all their facilities, World Gym Southland offers a top shelf VIP experience at very competitive rates.
Peter Wright, President of The Planning Group will be facilitating a CIRI Board Strategy Session and the kicking off the CIRI annual conference with a session on The Power of Networking in Kelowna in June. Networking is a key driver of value for conference attendees and Peter will be sharing tips, tricks and advice on how to maximize the conference networking experience for delegates.
Based on the evolving nature of the corporate secretary’s office and the broadened mandate of the association, our long-time client CSCS has changed their name to GPC. They also have a modern new look and a great website. The name change is important recognition for the critical work that governance professionals do in all kinds of companies across Canada. Corporate Secretaries are still critical to the organization and its various programs ranging from education to awards and their annual conference.
Congratulations to Planning Group client A3 for its new association in Mexico. As the Association for Advancing Automation, A3 is the umbrella organization for the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), Advancing Vision + Imaging (AIA), and the Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA). As the manufacturing and automation market is booming in Mexico, A3 has made strategic investments to ensure Mexican companies compete effectively on a global stage through the advancement of automation.
Long-time Planning Group client, tremco illbruck, announced last week that they have made a strategic acquisition in South Korea. The acquisition of Nurichem Co. Ltd. will give tremco illbruck a strategic manufacturing presence in Asia and better access to critical construction markets. tremco illbruck sees this deal as an important step in their Asia expansion.
The Planning Group is a management consulting firm, dedicated to helping organizations achieve measurable benefits through the practical application of strategic and operational planning. Since 2002 we have provided business planning consulting expertise, strategic advice, and facilitation to clients in all sectors.
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