Trust Governance and Leadership Practices in Today’s Rapidly Evolving Environment

Georgina Villeneuve, B.Comm, MBA, TEP, MTI
VP, Trust Services
Peace Hills Trust

Georgina brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the administration and settlement of First Nation Trusts. 

Georgina has over 24 years of experience in the trust industry and has been administering First Nation trusts for over 19 years. Georgina is a member of Wesley First Nation.

Georgina earned an undergraduate degree in commerce from the University of Calgary and an MBA from the University of Regina. She obtained her MTI (Member Trust Institute) designation through the Institute of Canadian Bankers. Georgina has been a past member of the Regina Estate Council, a former consultant for the Agriculture Institute of Management in Saskatchewan (AIMS), and is currently a member of the Estate Planning Council of Edmonton, STEP, NATOA, CANDO and AFOA.

Georgina successfully completed the AFOA Harvard Business School program – Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities. Georgina prides herself on her dedication to developing strong governance documents supported by proven communication strategies. Georgina has written numerous governance papers.

Currently, Georgina wrote and is teaching the curriculum for administering Indigenous Estates both on and off reserve.

Manijeh Colabella
Senior Governance Consultant
Watson Inc.

Manijeh is a senior governance consultant and lawyer at WATSON Advisors Inc. where she helps boards of directors and their committees through governance reviews, board and director evaluations, and policy manual development. Manijeh also advises boards with respect to governance structures, frameworks and capacity assessments and is a facilitator in WATSON’s Governance Academy delivering governance education programs to both individual directors and boards. Manijeh has over 25 years of experience in governance and law working with pension and benefit plans, private and public companies, regulatory bodies, not-for-profit organizations, member-based organizations, and Crown and public sector organizations.

As a former Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of a TSX-listed equity capital provider to private companies across North America, Manijeh has a passion and unique expertise for navigating private companies and their investors through transition and growth. With extensive experience as a director, corporate secretary and general counsel and a deep knowledge of emerging governance issues, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, Manijeh provides thoughtful insight and expertise to boards and management teams that are practical, effective and enhance their organization’s success. She is also a seasoned tax and corporate law specialist, with extensive experience advising public, private and family enterprises of varying size, complexity, and stage of transition with respect to governance, business succession and continuity.

Manijeh holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Concentration) and is a member of the law societies of British Columbia and Alberta. She also has her ICD.D certification through the Institute of Corporate Directors as well as her TEP (Trusts and Estates Practitioner) designation through the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners. She is past co-chair and current volunteer with the Vancouver steering committee of WCM (Women in Capital Markets) and sits on the boards of White Rock Museum & Archives and the VSO School of Music.

Michael Job, CFA
Vice President, Portfolio Manager
Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd.

Michael joined Leith Wheeler in September 2007 after graduating from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. While at Dalhousie, Michael majored in finance and completed co-op placements in equity research and investment banking at a major Canadian bank. At Leith Wheeler, Michael is responsible for managing both High Net Worth and Institutional client portfolios, including Foundations and First Nations. Michael holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.

Attend to learn:

• Increase knowledge of governance pressure points and emerging areas for plan Trustees and implications for the governance of pension and benefits plans and First Nations Trusts

• Explore and understand the relevant factors of Trustee leadership for the effective oversight of emerging areas

• Reimagine strengths and areas of opportunity, as well as governance structures and practices that best support Trustees to oversee critical areas impacting plans and First Nations trusts

• Increase confidence and appetite for governing plans in a rapidly evolving environment