BoardShift is excited to feature Nazeer Essop in this edition of our Candidate Spotlight. Nazeer, an Audit Partner at Deloitte Canada, has been recently appointed to the board of Rainbow’s End. He also holds the record for fastest curriculum completion to board amongst all our BoardShift candidates!
CA: Hi Nazeer, thanks so much for sitting down with us today, and a big congratulations on your recent appointment to the board of Rainbow’s End. Before we dig into that, could you tell us a little bit about your background?
NE: Of course. I joined Deloitte Canada in July 2022 as an Audit Partner, but I have been part of the Deloitte team for the past 25 years as a Senior Partner in our South African firm. When I was in South Africa, I held several board positions, including spending eight years on Deloitte Africa’s board and 4.5 years on the board of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.
CA: That is a significant amount of governance experience! As someone with an extensive governance background and likely very familiar with our course content, we’re curious to hear what you thought of the BoardShift Curriculum.
NE: You are correct. I am quite familiar with the content; however, I was still very impressed with the curriculum. The information is presented in a very efficient and succinct manner. The courses were structured well as they took you through the various elements of board governance, such as legal requirements, and executive and board responsibilities, as well as providing examples of good governance. One area of enhancement towards the curriculum could be to weave in current “hot topics” from the governance world so that BoardShift candidates can stay relevant with developing trends.
CA: Oh, that’s a great suggestion! As our courses are pre-built, that is difficult for us to do, but we try to include those topics in our bi-monthly newsletters and our candidate resources. But there is room for us to improve on that aspect, so thank you for raising this. We would love to hear about your experience with the application and appointment process to Rainbow’s End board of directors.
NE: It was efficient and straightforward. A member of the BoardShift team suggested this opportunity to me, and I applied for it online via the instructions on the program’s platform. After a couple of days, I was contacted for an interview, and within a couple of weeks, I secured the position on Rainbow’s End board, as did another BoardShift candidate, Bilal Surahyo. Honestly, the process was seamless, and I am so honored to be part of Rainbow’s End board. It is a purpose-led organization doing amazing work providing meaningful employment to individuals living with mental illness and providing them an opportunity where previously there was none.
CA: We are so happy to hear that! But we have to imagine that someone with your background wouldn’t need a program like BoardShift to secure a board position.
NE: Having arrived in Canada less than a year ago, I was keen on securing a board position and becoming an active member of the Canadian governance landscape to bring my experience and contribute to charities and non-profit organizations. BoardShift really simplified the process for me. I feel the program increased my credibility and demonstrated to organizations that I have familiarity with Canadian governance elements applicable to the respective charities and non-profit organizations. Participating in the BoardShift program and obtaining the certificate of completion significantly increased my chances of securing this position.
CA: That is an interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing it. Could you leave us with a few pointers or advice for candidates who are having a hard time completing the curriculum or are perhaps a bit nervous about applying for their first board role?
NE: For those having trouble completing the curriculum, my advice is to set some time aside and make every effort to complete the program; it’s worth the personal investment. The BoardShift curriculum is an important and valuable learning experience. The Board Governance certification can add value to your resume and grant you access to various Board positions. For candidates who may be struggling, I suggest reaching out to fellow candidates who have already completed the curriculum.
As for those new to board governance, I would say that if you are interested and willing to put in the time and effort, it is beneficial to you personally. As a board member, you view organizations from a different lens, grow as an individual, and bring a diverse perspective to the board and organization. This opportunity can positively impact your professional career and your personal brand and allow you to understand organizations on a strategic level.
To anyone wanting to be a member of a non-profit, charitable, or public sector organization board, this program can assist in attaining this goal, as it is a seamless and straightforward process.