As President and CEO of the Institute of Corporate Directors, Rahul Bhardwaj leads an organization of nearly 15,000 members committed to improving national outcomes by growing the board leadership and governance capacities within Canadian businesses, agencies and not-for-profits.
Mr. Bhardwaj currently serves on the boards of the Rideau Hall Foundation, supporting the office of the Governor General of Canada as it connects, inspires and honours Canadians, the Institute of Corporate Directors as well as the Leader Council at the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at Ivey Business School. In April 2021, he was appointed Chair, Global Network of Director Institutes, a global network representing more than 150,000 directors which is focused on developing and promoting leading practices and programs that enhance the capability of directors to drive sustainable performance for the benefit of shareholders, the economy and society.
He was Chair of the 2012 Ontario Summer Games, the first multi-sport games to be held in Toronto, and was Co-chair of TO2015 IGNITE, a program of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am & Parapan Am Games. Other past board commitments include founding board member of Metrolinx and Chair of the Governance Committee, Chair of the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, Chair of Community Foundations of Canada, Upper Canada College, George Brown College, Stratford Festival of Canada and United Way of Toronto, among others.
Prior to joining the ICD, Mr. Bhardwaj was a corporate lawyer at a leading Canadian law firm, and then later, President and CEO of the Toronto Foundation, where he focused on engaging philanthropy to improve the quality of life in Toronto. He was also Vice President of the Toronto 2008 Olympic Bid and, as part of the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Fiscal review panel in 2008, Mr. Bhardwaj was involved in identifying efficiencies for the City of Toronto.
In 2012, Mr. Bhardwaj’s commitment to city building was recognized as he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He has been named one of “The 50 Most Influential” people in the city by Toronto Life magazine and was named to the Quadrangle Society at Massey College and The Ultimate List of Social CEOs on Twitter. His corporate governance vision has made him a sought-after presenter, speaker and media commentator, in Canada and across the globe.
