The Boardies FAQ.

What is the annual program cadence?

  • Nominations: November 5th, 2025 to March 1st, 2026

  • Program Submission Period: March 1st, 2026 to April 30th, 2026

  • Submission Interviews: May 15th, 2026 to June 1st, 2026

  • Judging Committee Vote: June 12th, 2026

  • Winners Announced: June 24th, 2026

  • Summit and Awards: November 5th, 2026

What are the award categories?

In 2026, we will continue to blaze a trail, recognizing the impact of governance on the performance of private companies.

We will recognize both advisory boards and fiduciary boards, in the following categories:

  • Family Business

  • Unrelated Shareholder Ownership / Investment backed

  • Employee-Owned

  • Family Office

We will also recognize significant individual contributions, in both advisory and fiduciary boards, in private companies:

  • The Trailblazer Award

    This award recognizes the outstanding contributions made to a private company and to its board by an individual board member, committee chair or executive chair.

What are the eligibility criteria?

  • Canadian organizations or Canadian subsidiary organizations, privately-owned and for-profit, with $5M or more in annual revenue;

  • Or individual board chairs/members of Canadian organizations or Canadian subsidiary organizations, privately-owned and for-profit, with $5M or more in annual revenue.

Are there any associated costs with the program?

  • There is no cost to participate in the nomination or submission process.

  • The awards and conference in November 2026 will have associated registration costs.

How does the nomination process work?

  • Nomination is the first step. Nominated boards/board members will be asked to make a written submission on or before April 30th, 2026 (see below).

  • Your board can be nominated, or, you can self-nominate.

  • In the same sense, you as an individual can be nominated, or, you can self- nominate (specific to The Trailblazer Award).

  • Nominators can be on a board themselves or simply have knowledge of a board doing great things.

  • We are looking for transformational stories of boards and of board members that have helped make their companies great!

How does the submission process work?

Nominated boards/board members will be asked to make a written submission on or before April 30th, 2026. The submission will include five categories (Board Journey, Impact on Organizational Performance, Board Culture and Composition/Impact on Board Culture, Board and CEO Relationship, Future of the Board), with short written responses (250-500 words) per category.

Is there a submission interview process?

Organizations/individuals that have made a submission to the program will be asked to participate in a brief, 30-minute video or in-person interview. These interviews will be conducted by MondouxRollins Partners.

How does the voting work?

Our voting committee reviews submissions and votes on the winners in early June 2026, with an official announcement made at the end of June, 2025. Our committee is comprised of an enormously talented group of governance and leadership professionals, who have a particular expertise working with private companies. Please note, although MondouxRollins Partners Inc. is the founder and producer of the Canada’s Best Private Boards, a.k.a. The Boardies, program, we do not vote on the winners.

What are the Canada’s Best Private Boards Summit and Awards?

Winners in each category will be celebrated November 5th 2026. A half-day of learning as well as the sharing of personal stories of transformational board experiences in private companies will take place on that day, to be followed by a stand-up cocktail where the 2026 winners will be celebrated.