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A polished black stone sphere rests on pale marble, casting a long shadow — symbolising weight, precision and accountability
AI Governance Advisory

Your AI
is moving.
The governance
isn't keeping up.

We help enterprises and governments build AI governance that stands up to regulators, boards, and public scrutiny.

From governance assessments to executive advisory — accountable AI as a working system, not a slide deck.

Canada is moving from AI principles to AI proof.

Registers, certifications, audit deadlines. The organizations that get ready before the rules harden will set the pace for everyone else. That readiness is what we build.

Why Act Now
The gap
between AI adoption and the governance built to control it — widening faster than regulation can close it
400+
AI systems already disclosed on Canada's federal AI Register — public proof of governance is now the expectation in government
3
Major regulatory regimes converging at once — Canada's emerging trust framework, OSFI E-23, and the EU AI Act are reshaping accountability
The Regulatory Landscape

The Canadian rulebook
is no longer hypothetical.

Law 25 is enforceable today. OSFI E-23 takes effect May 1, 2027. A Trusted AI Certification is on Canada's roadmap. Sooner or later, someone will ask you to prove your AI can be trusted. We make sure you can.

Canada
National AI Strategy & Trusted AI Certification
Canada's national AI strategy commits to a Trusted AI Certification, with government as the anchor customer for AI procurement. The criteria are still being written — organizations that prepare now will meet them by design, not by retrofit.
European Union
EU AI Act
The world's first comprehensive AI law. Affects any Canadian company with EU customers or operations. High-risk systems require mandatory conformity assessments.
Federal Procurement
Government AI Procurement Standards
Canada's Directive on Automated Decision-Making requires federal institutions to complete Algorithmic Impact Assessments for AI systems. PSPC's AI Source List mandates responsible AI criteria for all qualifying vendors — trust credentials are becoming a competitive differentiator.
Advisory Services

What we help you do

You can outsource the build. You cannot outsource the accountability.

01

AI Governance Assessment

See where your real AI risk sits — before it becomes a board, regulator, or procurement problem.

  • Risk profiling across data, model, and deployment layers
  • Gap analysis against OECD, ISO, and Canadian regulatory standards
  • Board-ready governance report with prioritized action plan
02

Regulatory Strategy & Compliance

Get ahead of AI rules before they slow down sales, deployment, or procurement.

  • Regulatory readiness assessment for your AI portfolio
  • Policy mapping across Canadian and EU AI regulation, privacy, and sector rules
  • Implementation roadmap with compliance milestones
03

AI Ethics & Audit Advisory

Show that your AI can stand up to scrutiny — from regulators, partners, and the public.

  • Bias, fairness, and transparency audit framework design
  • Privacy-preserving AI audit in regulated environments
  • Ongoing audit oversight and monitoring protocols
  • Optional: IEEE CertifAIEd™ assessment with Product Registry listing — delivered by a Lead Assessor
04

Board & Executive Advisory

Give decision-makers a clear view of AI risk, accountability, and what to do next.

  • AI risk briefings tailored for board and executive audiences
  • Governance policy drafting and board charter guidance
  • Preparation and guidance for regulatory consultation processes
05

Certification Readiness

Be ready for whichever certification gate your market asks you to walk through — IEEE CertifAIEd™ today, ISO/IEC 42001, or Canada's coming Trusted AI Certification.

  • Gap analysis against current and emerging certification criteria
  • Evidence preparation and remediation sequencing
  • A documentation trail an assessor can actually work with
Who We Work With Best

Organizations deploying or scaling AI in regulated environments

AI vendors selling into government or high-trust sectors

Boards and leadership teams that need clearer AI oversight

Teams with active AI use but no formal governance structure

Vanessa
Maidoh
Founder & Principal Advisor
Vanessa Maidoh, Founder of AI Acumen Hub
About the Founder

The expertise
behind the advisory

Vanessa Maidoh works at the intersection of AI governance, policy, and enterprise implementation — advising organizations that need more than a checklist. Her approach is grounded in formal international methodology, built through policy contribution at the highest international levels, and tested in live enterprise audit environments.

Based in Ontario, Canada. Working with enterprises, governments, and international organizations across Canada and globally.

Every engagement includes a candid assessment — including a recommendation when AI isn't the right tool.

Grounded in formal assessment methodology — and in the rooms where the standards are written.

Policy
Centre for AI and Digital Policy — formal contributions to G7/G20, OECD, UNESCO, Council of Europe, and the Treasury Board of Canada.
Enterprise Audit
Led AI drug management system audit at TELUS Health in HIPAA/RAMQ-regulated environment. Automated the Quebec provincial pharmacy audit process.
Methodology
IEEE CertifAIEd™ Lead Assessor — the program's highest assessor tier. For clients seeking formal external validation, we offer IEEE CertifAIEd assessments with Product Registry listing.
Standards
IEEE P7999 Working Group contributor — actively writing toward emerging international AI governance standards.
Community
Founding Member, CAISIC — Canada's AI Sovereignty and Innovation Cluster.
Policy Work

In the rooms where
AI policy is written.

Our founder contributes formal AI policy submissions to governments through the Centre for AI and Digital Policy — including to the Treasury Board of Canada, the Cyberspace Administration of China, and Türkiye's Ministry of Industry & Technology — and works inside the bodies shaping AI standards, sovereignty, and certification.

Centre for AI and Digital Policy  ·  IEEE P7999 Working Group  ·  CAISIC Founding Member

View the full policy record on LinkedIn →

Enterprise Engagement

Both sides
of the audit table.

Most governance advisors have sat on one side of an audit. At TELUS Health, our founder led the audit process and presented to third-party assessors — in one of Canada's most regulated healthcare environments.

Case Reference — TELUS Health

AI Drug Management System
Audit & Compliance Programme

Led the end-to-end audit programme for an AI-driven drug management system operating under dual HIPAA and RAMQ regulation. Managed internal and third-party assessor workflows, designed and automated the Quebec provincial pharmacy audit process, and improved accountability across the full claims pipeline.

Regulated Environment
HIPAA RAMQ AQPP Healthcare AI
What This Demonstrates
  • Dual-role audit experience — led the process internally and presented to external third-party assessors
  • Cross-jurisdictional compliance — HIPAA, RAMQ, and Quebec provincial requirements managed simultaneously
  • Audit process automation — redesigned the Quebec provincial pharmacy audit workflow, described as "a game-changer" by leadership
  • Stakeholder translation — complex technical findings communicated to decision-makers at every level

Additional client references available upon request.

“Vanessa’s work on automating the audit process for Quebec was a game-changer, streamlining workflows and improving efficiency — a testament to her innovative approach and technical acumen.”
UAT Manager — TELUS Health
How We Work

Three steps. No surprises.

Every engagement begins with listening, not a pre-built solution.

01

Discovery

A focused conversation about your AI landscape, regulatory exposure, and governance priorities. No templates — the right questions for your context.

02

Scope & Proposal

A tailored engagement proposal — scope, deliverables, and timeline — built specifically for your organization. Priced by scope, not package.

03

Engage

Structured advisory work with clear milestones. Outputs: assessments, frameworks, policies, and board-ready reporting your team can act on.

From Advisory to Platform

Scaling governance
beyond the boardroom

AI vendors selling to government need to show their systems are governance-ready before the bid — not after months of consulting. We're building RegisterReady — a self-serve platform that lets vendors assess their readiness against Canadian regulatory frameworks in minutes.

Join the Early Access List →
Get Started

Ready to see where your
biggest AI governance gap sits?

Start with a focused call. We'll look at your AI landscape, regulatory exposure, and the risks most likely to affect deployment, procurement, or board confidence.

All engagements are scoped individually. No standardized packages or listed pricing.