(PRESS RELEASE VIA SNO) – Saint Lucia’s Caribbean Governance Training Institute (CGTI) returned to St. Kitts from April 30 to May 1,
bringing another groundbreaking program known as ‘ACC’ or ‘Audit Committee Certified’ to the twin island  republic’s business community.

The program is designed to increase the governance literacy of those directors serving on their board’s audit committee to 21st century standards. Almost thirty board members and governance advisors signed up for the  two-day workshop, proving that the importance of good governance is not lost on today’s Kittitian board  members and aspirants.

As the region’s premier governance training provider, CGTI continues to spread the message that sound  corporate governance by a strong, educated and effective board is the key to the success of any organization.

Since 2014, CGTI’s co-founders, executive training consultant, Lisa Charles, and founder of The Directors  College of Canada, Dr. Chris Bart, have made it their mission to provide the skills training needed to become a great board member.

Over the past four years, the CGTI faculty of governance experts have facilitated multiple iterations of its highly  acclaimed flagship Chartered Director (C.Dir) programme for delegates in Jamaica, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos,  Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Vincent and Dominica, as well as at home in Saint Lucia, where in January 2017, eighty five members of government (including the Prime Minister and his Cabinet) came together in an  unprecedented exercise to be trained as Chartered Directors, becoming the world’s first “governance-certified government.”

‘The 21st Century Audit Committee Certification Program: New Challenges, Risks and Best Practices’ is CGTI’s  latest governance certification programme, focusing on the skill set required to work and communicate  effectively within the most important and professionally challenging committee of any board of directors, thereby raising the bar of professionalism in Audit Committees across the Caribbean.

This one-of-a-kind programme assembles Audit Committee thought-leaders and practitioners to discuss the  need for improved accountability through more relevant boardroom practices, nurturing key relationships, essential behaviours and culture. By writing and passing the two hour exam at the conclusion of the programme, Audit Committee Directors earn the prestigious and highly coveted designation “Audit Committee Certified” and post nominal ACC.

According to ‘Governance Guru’, Dr. Bart: “The ACC is among the most innovative and comprehensive programs on Audit Committee governance available in the world. As with our Chartered Director program, the ACC offers the ‘gold standard’ in training for enhanced audit committee decision-making. It especially adds unparalleled value for Audit Committee candidates in the Caribbean.

“Delegates strengthen their knowledge of what it means to become a more effective Audit Committee member,” explains the CGTI faculty head, “using modern governance processes and tools that can transport their Audit Committee beyond mere compliance to help capture opportunities that generate long-term value for the Board and the organization.”

And if recommendations by both the World Bank Group and the International Development Bank (IDB) to the Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) region are anything to go by, in today’s corporate, financial and political reality, improving the quality of governance is crucial to achieving long term strategic goals.

Training specialist, Lisa Charles also explains that gaining ACC certification “demonstrates commitment to good governance and Audit Committee literacy. Becoming ‘Audit Committee Certified’ shows you have the knowledge and skills necessary for survival and success in our increasingly litigious and complex regulatory environment.”

The next stop for CGTI is the Bahamas in late May, where they will conduct their internationally recognized three-day Chartered Director Programme (C.Dir). This fast-paced, interactive experience highlights best practices for board members and on completion, delegates are eligible to write a qualifying examination that will earn them the prestigious designation “Chartered Director” (C. Dir.), which has become the most soughtafter standard for governance training in the region.

In July, the Caribbean Governance Training Institute will hold its fifth annual Hot Topics In Governance  Conference in Saint Lucia. The Topic for this year’s conference is: “Getting It Right: The board’s role in creating, maintaining and building strong relationship with your organization’s most important stakeholders”. For information and to register for a CGTI programme or conference, please visit
www.CaribbeanGovernanceTraining.com.