Dear members,
I hope that you, your families and colleagues are all safe and well.
As we move through this pandemic, it strikes me how quickly we all seem to have adapted to the new way of doing things. In so many ways, the pandemic has forced us to change our perspectives. We have to be more proactive while managing greater uncertainty. Clearly at times like this, good governance is more important than ever and those companies with good corporate governance practices in place are better placed to weather the storm. Our next online tutorial is on 29 June on the topic “Will it be business as usual after Covid 19?” Can a company foresee the positive & negative forces that will impact its business model? Above all, how can it stay ahead of the curve? If you would like to join us for this event, find out more here.
At GCC BDI, we have especially focused over the last few months on staying connected with our members and partners. Our webinars, online tutorials, online workshops and online networking have all been very popular and we will continue to run online events, even when we are able to resume our traditional workshops. In this newsletter, you can read more about our online programmes for the Certificate in Board Directorship and the Certified Board Secretary programme.
The main focus of this newsletter is Membership and we have been working hard to review our membership programme for you. We launched a raft of new members’ benefits in May, as well as reviewing our membership categories. You can read more about our membership categories and membership benefits in this newsletter and we do welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Here are some of the key benefits:
- Workshop discounts: We have enhanced your discount rates to ensure members receive greater value from their membership. Associates now receive a 5% discount, whereas Members and Fellows will receive 12% and 24% respectively, allowing them to earn back as much as US$ 500 and US$ 1000 respectively on every workshop they register for.
- CPD points: Improving your skills and knowledge through Continuing Professional Development. You can earn CDPs points when you attend any GCC BDI open workshop, tutorial or certification programme.
- Board opportunities: This is a new service recently launched where organisations across the GCC can now advertise for board vacancies on the GCC BDI website at no cost, allowing our Members to apply for board opportunities.
- GNDI Global Passport: As a member of GCC BDI, you can access the Global Passport of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI) giving you access to other Institutes of Directors networks around the world
- Mentorship programme: Soon to be launched in Q4 of 2020, the GCC BDI Mentorship programme encourages a learning culture, where Members learn from Senior Board Directors, allowing them to take ownership of their personal and professional development and improving their leadership skills.
- Director register: This new service, in the pipeline, allows Members to upload their CVs and be shared with companies, upon request, who are in search for Independent Directors to join their board and board committees.
GCC BDI will continue to help and support your professional development, to build and strengthen your networks and to keep up to date as a board director, senior executive or corporate governance professional.
And please do read the great interviews of some of our members and why they joined GCC BDI and the value they have got from it. You can find the interviews here.
Finally, we are celebrating on 2 July our very first Certified Board Directors and Certified Board Secretaries. Do join us for the online Graduation Ceremony with our keynote speaker, HE Mohammed ElKuwaiz, Chairman of the Capital Market Authority of Saudi Arabia. You can register here.
With all our very best wishes
Jane and the GCC BDI Team