Certification in Sustainable Leadership

Sunday evening
Opening session | Breaking the Ice and Forging Connections 

This opening session will be an initial opportunity for participants to meet and connect in a warm, welcoming setting. The evening will include a dinner that will set the tone for the program, with an emphasis on the human dimension, individual journeys and the shared leadership challenges ahead.  

Opening session with Dominique Anglade, the program’s educational director, and the team of instructors, followed by a welcome dinner.

Day 1 — Understanding the World and Making Decisions Under Pressure
Navigating major global transitions and leading in a polarized context. 

Develop a clearer understanding of the transformations that are reshaping the world and redefining your business environment. Learn how to anticipate disruptions, identify emerging signals and gain deeper insight into the dynamics that influence decision-making. 

Strengthen your ability to make decisions, weigh strategic trade-offs and mobilize your teams in an increasingly uncertain and polarized world, where interests diverge and alignment is fragile. 

 You will explore: 

• Transitions in climate, resources and global markets  
• Inflection points and weak signals  
• Geopolitical, economic and environmental interdependencies  
• Planetary boundaries and their implications for organizations  
• Polarization inside and outside organizations  
• Pressure and ambiguity when making decisions  
• Building alignment without consensus  

Instructors: Dominique Anglade, Chantale Mailhot, Ari Van Assche  

Monday evening - Dinner and Keynote | Navigating Transitions  

A thoughtful discussion aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of major energy, environmental and human security challenges, their economic and social impacts, and the collective and organizational choices required to address future transitions. 

Speaker:

• Pierre-Olivier Pineau, Professor, Department of Decision Sciences, HEC Montréal, and a highly respected energy transition expert

 Day 2 — Rethinking Value Creation
Creating and capturing value in a resource-constrained world.  

Reframe your strategic choices and business models in a context defined by the increasing scarcity of resources, tighter regulatory controls and more demanding stakeholder expectations. Improve your ability to balance performance, resilience and accountability. 

 Key themes 

• Regulatory frameworks, ESG factors, carbon footprints and the circular economy  
• Sustainable governance and the role of senior management in strategic choices 
• Organizational challenges and barriers  
• Short- and long-term strategic trade-offs between performance, resilience and accountability  
• Rethinking value creation and business model viability  
• Strategic repositioning and transformation pathways  
• First Nations knowledge systems, relational approaches to land and Indigenous leadership   

Instructors: Magali Depras, + First Nations speaker  

Tuesday evening - Engagement experience | Understanding, serving, making a difference | Old Brewery Mission 

Opportunity to serve a meal at the Webster Pavilion of Montreal’s Old Brewery Mission to learn more about the realities of homelessness: a powerful immersion exploring the role of leadership amid growing social divides.

Speaker:

• Chantal Rollin, Manager, Third-Party Fundraising Activities, Donations of Goods and Services, Old Brewery Mission

Day 3 — Embodying a Sustainable Leadership Approach
Strengthening your leadership impact with consistency and accountability.  

Develop deeper insight into your leadership stance and the tools required to act consistently in complex environments. Reflect on your influence, your blind spots and your ability to sustain engagement over time.  

Key themes 

• Types of leadership  
• Foundations of sustainable leadership  
• Integration of social and environmental responsibility  
• Understanding prejudices and unconscious biases to better address inequities  
• Shifting from safe spaces to courageous spaces  
• Leadership factors that foster engagement and organizational alignment  

Instructors: Annick Routhier Labadie, Chantale Mailhot, Yves Plourde 

Wednesday afternoon - Immersive visit | Parc Frédéric-Back: Repurposing land  

Tour of a former landfill site that has been transformed into a park, exploring the various facets of urban rehabilitation and the challenges of waste management. 

Speakers:

• Simon Paré-Poupart, author of Ordures! Journal d’un vidangeur 
• Yves Plourde, Associate Professor, Department of Management, HEC Montréal 

Wednesday evening - Evening at leisure: A chance to unwind

Day 4 — Wielding Influence in a Complex Environment
Engaging stakeholders and turning insights into concrete strategic decisions.  

Determine how to exercise your influence in environments marked by competing interests and power dynamics. Strengthen your capacity to mobilize others, build alliances and advance your strategic priorities.  

Key themes 

• Power dynamics among stakeholders  
• Building alliances and coalitions 
• Strategic influence and communication  
• Conditions for traction and engagement  
• Translating strategic decisions into actionable steps 

Instructors: Pierre Lainey, Magali Depras 

Thursday Evening - Special evening | Aboard the Sedna IV  

An immersive experience aboard the Sedna IV schooner, which has been used for scientific expeditions and served as a powerful tool for raising public awareness and accelerating climate action.

Speakers:

• Jean Lemire, explorer, science communicator and climate envoy 
• Mariano Lopez, consultant and trainer specializing in workplace climate and mental health; Director of Social Strategy, EcoMaris

Day 5 — Final Evaluation: From Insight to Action 

Throughout the program, you will work on a real strategic challenge drawn from your own organization and develop a clear and realistic execution roadmap that you will be able to present and defend. 

You will leave with: 

• A structured strategic vision  
• Well-defined trade-offs  
• A concrete, ready-to-implement strategic roadmap  

What is assessed: Systemic thinking, quality of strategic trade-offs, clarity of decision-making, realistic execution and conditions for implementation. 

Presentation of certificates 

Instructors: Dominique Anglade, Annick Routhier Labadie

Training approach

• Immersive, interactive and intensive program.
• Mix of learning methods: tests, analytical frameworks, case studies, workshops, visits, discussions with experts and personalized coaching.
• Fully residential program with an emphasis on strategic reflection, focus and sharing of participants’ experiences

Is this a technical program designed for environmental specialists?

No. This program is intended for leaders from all backgrounds who want to steer the sustainable transition in a polarized context. It focuses on sustainable leadership, decision-making, and stakeholder engagement rather than on technical aspects specific to environmental specialists.

Is this sustainable transition program worth the investment?

Absolutely. This is a unique, high-level program. It enables you to move from intention to action by strengthening your ability to lead the socio-ecological transition, mobilize your teams despite resistance, and position sustainability as a strategic driver of performance and value creation.

What will I be able to implement after completing the program?

Based on your needs and challenges, you will leave with a clear, practical, and realistic roadmap to lead the sustainable transition within your organization. The program includes two hours of personalized coaching with our specialists, dedicated to the design and deployment of your own sustainable transition project. This will allow you to move quickly into action and champion your initiatives with credibility, both internally and with your stakeholders.