Board Chair Series Episode 5: Gregory Gubitz
Leading a Not-for-Profit Board When the Work Happens Half a World Away
What does it take to govern effectively when your board is scattered across continents, and your mission is being won or lost in the African wilderness?
In this session of The Board Chair Series, David Beatty sits down with Greg Gubitz, Chair of Big Life Foundation, to explore the high-stakes reality of leading a global charity. Big Life is on the front lines of conservation, protecting over 1.6 million acres of the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro ecosystem. Their mission is as bold as it is vital: saving the African elephant from poaching and habitat loss by partnering with local Maasai communities.
Drawing from his experience governing a complex charity operating in Kenya with a board spanning North America, the UK, and South Africa, Greg shares what happens when traditional corporate governance meets the raw, emotional, and volunteer-driven world of international impact.
Together, David and Greg will explore:
- Why standard corporate techniques often fail in "Impact Organisations."
- How to manage a mission that is thousands of miles away without losing strategic oversight.
- Engagement without Burnout: Keeping High-Level Volunteer Directors Meaningfully Involved.
- Shifting board agendas from reviewing the past to securing the future.
- Why seeing the work on the ground transforms passive observers into fierce strategic partners.
- Efficiency in Action: Using informal monthly touchpoints to keep formal board meetings focused on high-level strategy.
This conversation goes beyond theory. It is a practical, entertaining, and deeply human playbook for Chairs navigating dispersed boards and emotionally charged missions. Whether you lead a Not-for-Profit or are interested in the evolving landscape of Governance in Impact Organizations, this session offers a rare look at leadership that truly moves the needle.
Join us on May 12 at 12 PM EST for a candid discussion on modern not-for-profit governance in a global context.
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Speaker Highlights
Gregory Gubitz
Gregory Gubitz is a co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer of HLS Therapeutics Inc, a Canadian-based, North American-focused speciality pharmaceutical company.
Mr Gubitz was Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and General Counsel of Biovail Corporation, formerly Canada’s largest publicly traded pharmaceutical company. In that capacity, he was responsible for mergers & acquisitions and product acquisitions, culminating with the $7 billion merger of Biovail and Valeant Pharmaceutical International Inc.
Before joining Biovail, for 10 years, he was a senior executive with MDS Capital, a leading North American venture capital company, focused on healthcare. As Chief Operating Officer of MDS Capital, Mr Gubitz was responsible for all operational aspects of the company with a total of $1 billion under management.
Before joining MDS Capital, Mr Gubitz was a partner at one of Canada’s leading international law firms, where he represented numerous public and private companies in a wide range of financings, mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, and business transactions.
Mr Gubitz attended McGill University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1979 and a Bachelor of Laws Degree in 1982. He was called to the Bar in the Province of Ontario in 1984.
Our Hosts
David R. Beatty, C.M., O.B.E., F.ICD, CFA
One of the world’s most experienced corporate directors and educators, David has served as a Director on 40 boards in Canada, America, Mexico, Australia and England. He has been chair of 11 companies, nine public and two private.
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