Company Directors' Course

Course description

The Company Directors' Course (CDC) is the benchmark for directors and senior leaders reporting to boards. It is also a pre-requisite to becoming a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors. There are a limited number of places left on the Company Directors’ Course - Non Residential in 2024. Register for the 2024 course and pay $7,945 (members) or $9,960 (non-members). Course prices will increase from 1 January 2025.

In the five-and-a-half day CDC course you explore the director's roles and responsibilities with other directors.  Each day you participate in board simulation exercises, bringing to life case studies that highlight the unpredictable nature of business and the human nature of directorship. You improve your decision-making  ability in the boardroom.

The benefits of this course extend beyond governance skill building. Previous attendees have developed strong networks in the governance community. They report personal growth and confidence in their directorships and an acceleration in their careers after taking the course.

See article  So you want to be a director? by Cathy Parker for Management Magazine in which she investigates CDC as the key prerequisite for directorship.

Watch the recording from our Company Directors’ Course online information session.

Course options

CDC is available as a residential or non-residential course. The content is the same for both courses. We do offer non-residential places on residential courses from time to time. For more information, please contact our Governance Development team on 0800 846 369 or governancedevelopment@iod.org.nz.

There are a limited number of places left on the Company Directors’ Course in 2024. Get in quick before course prices  increase from 1 January 2025.

Residential

Accommodation is included as part of the price. You stay on location for the duration. The advantage is a full immersion course with the chance to continue discussions and networking with other participants in the evenings and prepare for the following day. 

Residential investment:
Members: $10,470.00 incl GST
Non-members: $12,790.00 incl GST

Register for CDC residential

Non-residential

Accommodation is not included as part of the price. You return home each day after the course. This suits participants with family and evening commitments.

Non-residential investment:
Members: $8,210.00 incl GST
Non-members: $10,290.00 incl GST

Register for CDC non-residential

CDC is challenging. We strongly recommend taking the full week off from work or other responsibilities regardless of whether you take the residential or non-residential course options. 

Public courses delivered in-house

Any of the courses that the IoD delivers publically can be delivered in-house for your whole board, management team or governance stakeholders, with a facilitator who can contextualise the delivery to your organisation and sectors. To enquire, please click here.

Course content

CDC is a simulated board exercise. On a given day, you work with 4-5 other board members addressing a scenario such as company solvency. In the afternoon, you test your assumptions and decisons with the full group and compare to New Zealand case studies on solvency. 

Topics covered during the course include:

Best practice corporate governance

• Corporate governance principles, rules, and protocols
• Governance skills

Strategy in the boardroom

• Strategy and strategic thinking
• The board and strategy development
• Monitoring and reviewing implementation
• Refreshing strategy and innovation

Finance and the board’s role

• High-level meaning in financial statements and reports
• Interpreting the reports
• Financial planning
• Making investment appraisals
• Understanding company valuations

Directors and the law

• A director’s legal obligations, liabilities, and mitigating legal risks
• Directors’ and officers’ insurance

Board dynamics and culture

• Role of the board in developing culture, ethics, and values
• Corporate social responsibility
• Board dynamics
• Leadership and CEO succession
• Board and CEO review

Risk governance

• Risk management concepts
• Risk appetite

Who should attend

Directors and senior executives with at least one to five years' experience of working on or with boards, and a sound knowledge of business finance.

Completion of the Company Directors' Course is prerequisite to becoming a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.

If you are unsure whether you meet the prerequisites for the Company Directors' Course, please call the Governance Development team 0800 846 369.