Directors and Officers

We are on hand to help you identify who takes what role in leading a company. 

A company’s directors determine its commercial direction, impacting on the return on investment for shareholders, so it’s key you know who these people are and what responsibilities they hold.

Modern companies must have at least one director who is a 'natural person’ at all times (i.e. a human being rather than another limited company or Limited Liability Partnership). The old practice of only having limited companies registered as directors has now been made unlawful. Legislative changes are proposed to require all directors (not merely sole directors) to be a ‘natural person’.

There is no legal limit to the number of company directors that can be appointed, although a company's own regulations or articles may regulate the maximum or minimum number of directors. Also, the latest Companies Act brought in a new minimum age for a director (16 years old).

You should know that since 6 April 2008, private companies no longer have to have a Company Secretary and this role is now optional. Often, directors, secretaries and senior managers of companies are often referred to as company ‘officers’.

Each of these ‘officers’ holds a different role with different responsibilities. We can advise you on how to deal with these officers to ensure your investment as a shareholder is safe in their hands.