Participant experience

We offer not-for-credit leadership development programs.  

We offer four different credential types: 

• Certificate programs: Comprehensive programs that take place over several months and require a demonstration of learning (i.e. a project or presentation) 
• Advanced Leadership: Comprehensive programs that take place over several months that introduce leaders to complex leadership concepts and may include intensive leadership assessments and/or 1:1 executive coaching. 
• Foundational Leadership: Comprehensive programs that take place over several months that introduce leaders to fundamental leadership concepts. 
• Leadership Essentials: Short duration, single topic programs. 

Our in-person programs typically take place at the Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership. The Centre is located on the second floor of the Sun Life Financial Centre (99 Bank Street, Suite 200, Ottawa ON K1P 6B9). View our location on Google Maps.  

Public Transit 

The Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership is accessible via O-Train Line 1 (Confederation Line). Exit the train at Parliament Station; follow the signs for ‘Bank Street, Queen Street’ to access the Sun Life Financial Centre building. Once in the building, continue to the right for access to the 99 Bank Street tower.  

To contact OC Transpo for route information and fares, please call 613-560-5000 or visit their website at http://www.octranspo.com. OC Transpo’s Rack and Roll program allows you to take your bike with you at no extra cost year-round. Bike racks are available outside the Sunlife Financial Centre.  

Driving Instructions  

• From Highway 417, exit at Kent Street  
• Take Kent Street north to Queen Street  
• Turn right onto Queen Street  
• Continue past Bank Street. The parking garage entrance for 99 Bank Street will be on the right. 

Yes, there is paid parking available at both towers of the Sun Life Financial Centre. 

99 Bank Street 

For visitors to the Sunlife Financial Centre, paid valet parking is offered from Monday to Friday, 6:00 am – 9:00 pm. Please check the SLFC website for current rates. 

For any inquiries on visitor parking: the parking garage is managed by REEF Parking. The site office is located on B2 level of 99 Bank Street, and is open from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.  

If your program is running on a weekend: Parking is closed at 99 Bank Street over the weekends. Please refer to World Exchange Plaza for weekend parking options.  

World Exchange Plaza 

Underground parking is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at the World Exchange Plaza, at the end of the block on Albert Street. Entrance to the parking garage can be accessed from Metcalfe Street or Queen Street. Parking areas are not monitored after 12:00AM; drivers are discouraged from leaving their cars overnight. Please check the Indigo Neo website for current rates. 

Yes! Free, high-speed Wi-Fi is available for all visitors at the Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership. Please inquire with our staff upon arrival and we will assist you with getting connected to our Wi-Fi network.

The Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership is equipped with two spacious classrooms with digital screens, whiteboards, power banks for electronic devices, and microphones for presenters and participants. The Centre also has 8 case rooms for small group discussions, equipped with whiteboards, wall-mounted computers, and Zoom access for collaborating remotely. Our lobby space has ample seating for meals and breaks, water coolers, a coat room, microwave, and mini fridge for participants to use if needed. Participants in our programs also have access to a photocopier, fax machine, and laser printer.

We strive to provide everything needed for participants to focus on their learning. Our staff provides paper, pens, and all necessary materials for learning activities. We also supply power banks for electronic devices. Participants are welcome to bring laptops, notebooks, and any other equipment that will help them learn effectively. 

The dress code for the Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership is business casual. Please dress comfortably.

Most cohorts of our programs have between 20 to 30 participants.

Cellphones have become vital tools for conducting our daily work. At the same time, they are a distraction, particularly during learning sessions. Consequently, all program participants are asked to put their cellphones on silent mode and not to receive incoming calls, make outgoing calls, nor to send or receive emails or text messages while at the Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership, except on scheduled breaks. 

In case of an emergency, participants can be reached at the Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership by telephone at 613-562-5921.

We take photographs, record video, and make audio recordings that are used for University activities, at its events and in promotional material, in both print and electronic format, including on the internet via the University’s website or social media websites. 

The photographs, videos, and audio recordings produced may contain your recognizable image, which is considered personal information. The University is authorized to collect personal information under the University of Ottawa Act, 1965, and in compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

You are welcome to decline participation in photographs, videos, and audio recordings when you register for a program in our online registration system.

Yes, unless otherwise stated, program fees for in-person programs include continental breakfast, lunch, snacks, and refreshments.

Yes! We are more than happy to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies. When registering for a program, please describe to us your restriction/allergy and we will provide appropriate meals and snacks. Please note that in cases of severe allergies, our catering companies take all necessary precautions, but catering provided is not from allergen-free kitchens. 

We strive to host inclusive, accessible programs that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. Our physical spaces are wheelchair accessible and have adaptive technologies including microphones and large print digital screens. If you have a specific accommodation request that will enable you to participate fully in our programs, please let our staff know by answering the accessibility question when registering.

Our open enrollment programs are instructed in English, unless otherwise stated. The majority of our Program Directors and facilitators are bilingual and welcome questions and interactions in both official languages. We strive to provide resource materials in both official languages where possible.

For custom program engagements, we are happy to provide programs for your organization in the official language(s) of your choice.

Yes, we highly encourage participants to work with their coach beyond the program conclusion to integrate their learning. Coaching engagements are offered in packages of two, six or twelve coaching sessions. Reach out to our staff at executiveprograms@telfer.uOttawa.ca to extend your coaching engagement.

We also offer executive coaching packages independent from our programs.

There are many hotel options near the Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership if you are travelling from out of town, including but not limited to: 

• Alt Hotel Ottawa (185 Slater Street; 3-minute walk to Telfer) 
• Sheraton Ottawa Hotel (150 Albert Street; 4-minute walk to Telfer) 
• Ottawa Marriott Hotel (100 Kent Street; 4-minute walk to Telfer) 
• ReStays Luxury Boutique Hotel (101 Queen Street; 5-minute walk to Telfer) 
• Arc The Hotel (140 Slater Street; 5-minute walk to Telfer) 
• The Metcalfe Hotel by Gray Collection (123 Metcalfe Street; 8-minute walk to Telfer) 
• Lord Elgin Hotel (100 Elgin Street; 10-minute walk to Telfer) 

Hotel accommodation is the responsibility of participants to arrange for themselves if needed; Telfer staff does not provide assistance in arranging or booking accommodation. Telfer Executive Programs does not have hotel blocks, preferred rates, or relationships to any hotels in the area and does not assume liability or responsibility for the participant’s experience of hotel accommodation at any of the above-mentioned hotels. 

There is a coat closet at the Telfer Centre for Executive Leadership where you are welcome to hang coats and store other belongings for the day. Belongings are stored at participants’ risk - the Telfer School of Management, Telfer Executive Programs, and/or the University of Ottawa are not responsible for lost or stolen items. We encourage participants to avoid leaving personal items, laptops, or cell phones unattended at any time in any location.

The time and level of effort varies greatly from program to program. As part of our programs, participants may be tasked with:

• Readings
• Videos
• Personal reflection & journaling
• Learning worksheet exercises
• Psychometric assessments
• Executive coaching
• Peer coaching

Participants should expect to spend an average of one to three hours of their time per program day on activities outside the classroom to prepare for program sessions or in reflecting and applying their learning after a program session.