The Role of the Company Secretary: Part 1

The company secretary and other governance professional roles play a critical role in helping boards to make the right decisions.

This governance training course provides a thorough and practical grounding in the duties and responsibilities of a company secretary. It brings to life the company secretary’s role in shaping good governance and provides insights from governance experts in how to approach key governance tasks.

Participants will leave this course with a practical knowledge of corporate governance structures, including pertinent legislation and regulations. The course will also outline tools, processes and advice for good governance operations as well as the duties and liabilities of directors.

Who is this course for:

This governance training course is perfectly suited for those who:

• have recently taken on, or are considering accepting, responsibilities for governance or the role of Company Secretary.
• are working with or supporting a company secretary or governance professional, whether a CEO, chair, executive support team or secretariat member

This training course is relevant to all sectors, including listed and private companies. The principles can also be applied to governance within the public sector and the NHS.  Governance professionals working in charities would be recommended to take Role of the Charity Secretary course.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, you will understand:

1. The core responsibilities of a Company Secretary/Governance Professional.
2. The legal and regulatory components of Statutory Compliance.
3. External reporting.
4. Meeting Management; including types of meetings, conflicts of interest, minutes, and timelines.
5. Director Duties.
6. Basic Corporate Governance; including the history of governance, governance codes and The Wates Principles.

You will also receive:

• A delegate pack containing comprehensive course notes and presentation slides
• A certificate to show you have attended the course
• 6 hours credit towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• 6 months complimentary professional subscription of The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland. This includes a subscription to G+C Magazine as well as access to briefings, discounts and our knowledge base.

People who take this course often go on to book:

• Role of the Company Secretary Part 2
• Introduction to Corporate Governance
• Essential Corporate Governance
• Optimising the structure and composition of boards and committees
• Company Secretarial Practice for PLCs
• Effective Minute Taking

Attendees from this course often go on to study the CGI’s Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme.  

Useful CGI Resources:

• The Company Secretary's Checklists
• The Company Secretary's Handbook
• A wealth of further information and guidance on Company Secretarial practices can be found on our website.

Competency framework:

This course aligns to CGI’s competency framework: Entry/Emerging
Use the competency framework to identify your strengths and areas for improvement in governance.