Dr. Debra L. Brown

Co-author of Governance Solutions: The Ultimate Guide to Competence and Confidence in the Boardroom, Debra is an acknowledged and sought-after speaker, author and thought leader in corporate governance. Under her leadership as founder, President and CEO of Governance Solutions Inc., GSI has developed and tested a comprehensive, principles-based governance system that has been adopted and adapted around the world by organizations in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. Debra has authored over two dozen major research articles published in Canada and internationally. She and the team at GSI have created the The Professional Director Education and Certification Program®. This program has hundreds of graduates and students from around the globe. Comfortable and confident with both boards and executives, Debra’s mix of experiential and conceptual insights uniquely qualify her to advise organizations on their governance. She sees governance issues from both sides of the boardroom table, having served as a both CEO and board member, including as Board Chair and Governance Committee Chair. Debra’s doctoral thesis topic “Using Governance as a Tool to Transform Organizational Culture,” enabled her to develop a proprietary, leading edge diagnostic tool which boards and executive teams can use to fulfill their roles in identifying, understanding and optimizing boardroom culture. Prior to founding Governance Solutions, Debra spent several years in the Canadian financial sector, working most recently as CEO. Debra holds a Doctor of Ministry and a Master of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where she graduated magma cum laude.