Institute of Directors

Institute of Directors

Type	Professional Organization
Founded	1903
Headquarters	Pall Mall, London, United Kingdom
Area served	UK and worldwide
Focus	Business
Method	Representation, Industry standards, Conferences, Publications, Business advice & guidance, Courses, Events
Members	38,000 (2012)
Website	The Institute of Directors'

Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London

The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a UK-based organisation, established in 1903 and incorporated by royal charter in 1906 to support, represent and set standards for company directors. It occupies grade I listed premises on Pall Mall, London built 1826-28 to the designs of John Nash.

The IoD currently has around 38,000 members, and has premises open for the use of those members in London (3 locations), Bangor, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Norwich, Nottingham, Paris, and Reading.

Membership Grades

The IoD has four grades of membership based primarily on an individual's experience; Associate, Member, Fellow and Student. Associate and Member grades give individuals an identical package of benefits and services and the membership subscription fees are the same. As a Member of the IoD, one would also be entitled to use the designation MIoD after his/her name for the duration of their membership. Fellowship is by invitation only.

Associate

The IoD will consider applicants where turnover, budget or length of service does not meet Member criteria. It is open to:

• ‘Director’ of an ‘Entity’ or a proprietor of an enterprise which has active operations; or
• Partner in a professional practice or a senior executive or officer of another Entity who reports directly to a member of the body that is responsible for the strategic direction of that Entity and the implementation of its corporate governance. The individual must satisfy the Institute that they are interested in the promotion of the best interest of Directors.

Member (MIoD)

Full member status can be achieved by a director who is (or who has been during the past 5 years), responsible for the strategic direction of one or more of the above solvent entities that has (or have in aggregate) an annual minimum turnover or budget of £250,000 and has:

• Held the post of director for a minimum of three years and been in business for a minimum of seven years; or
• Held the post of director for a minimum of one year, been in business for a minimum of five years and has attended the Institute’s course ‘The Role of the Company Director and the Board’.

Fellow (FIoD)

Members are invited to become Fellows of the IoD based on their experience and contribution to business. Recognition is given to members who have attained the IoD's Diploma in Company Direction and those who have become Chartered Directors. To ensure that the prestige and status of Fellowship is maintained, qualification is based on a number of criteria including:

• Have held full Membership for at least one year
• Be (or, at any time in the five years immediately prior to invitation, have been) a Director of an Entity whose annual turnover or budget exceeds £10 million or such higher sum as the Board determines. Directors of several entities with accumulative turnover will be taken in to consideration.
• Have been a Director for a minimum of five years

As a Fellow of the IoD, one would be entitled to use the designation FIoD after his/her name for the duration of the Fellowship. In addition to the prestige of Fellowship and the existing membership benefits, one would also have access to the enhanced package of benefits.

Student

To qualify for admission as a Student Member, an individual must, at the time of application, be studying for a recognised qualification at a University or College, or be in Sixth form, or equivalent, of a British School. Student Membership is available for a term of up to five years during the studying period indicated above and thereafter it may be extended for the first two years of employment. The Executive may extend this term where warranted. IoD Student Members are eligible for only the benefits and products as defined at www.iod.com/studentbenefits.

Benefits of Membership

IoD membership has a multitude of benefits. These include:

Director training and development - An extensive range of courses, conferences, seminars, development programmes and services specifically designed by directors for directors.

Influencing government - The IoD represents its members and advances the case for business in government, Parliament, the media and other influential forums.

Information and advice - Members are offered extensive and exclusive support that saves them time, money and effort, whilst gaining them a competitive advantage.

IoD Business Directory - This online networking tool brings members’ businesses to the attention of other IoD members and registered users of IoD.com who are searching for services.

This unique directory provides a quick and easy search tool to find professional services. Users are actively seeking business partners; this facilitates real purchasing power and a powerful source of information with global reach.

IoD NXD Directory - Non-Executive Directors (NXDs) bring exceptional value to any organisation. Many more businesses, particularly small and medium sized organisations, could be benefiting from NXDs' experience, fresh insights and connections.

The Directory is a unique talent pool of senior executives from a multitude of industries and professions, including many who have achieved Chartered Director status. It will enable members to recruit suitable NXDs, Trustees and School Governors for their Boards as well as to promote themselves as potential NXDs to sit in the Board of other members’ organisations.

IoD Venues - The IoD offers members and their guests access to an expanding network of venues across the UK. Each location offers both free and private meeting rooms equipped with modern facilities in first-class surroundings, ideal for work, meetings, networking and entertaining.

Each venue is conveniently located near transport links and has Wifi access, power points, public lounge areas for meetings with up to three guests and private hire rooms for larger meetings. Catering is also available with menus ranging from basic tea and coffee service to full fine dining options.

Jobs and recruitment - In association with TotallyExec, jobs.iod.com is a dedicated jobsite providing executive jobseekers with instant access to the latest director-level jobs and career advice. In addition, IoD members receive a 50% discount on advertising rates, so advertising a job vacancy costs from just £275.

Publications - Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Director Publications Ltd. the IoD publishes top quality magazines, guides and books for senior decision-makers.

Specially Negotiated Products and Services - IoD members can benefit from a range of exclusive discounts and services in areas including insurance, health plans, energy switching, procurement, travel, accommodation and car rental.

Flexible working and Pall Mall Office space - IoD Office Solutions will immediately raise the profile of any company and transform the way it works. The SW1 postcode is one of the most desirable London business postcodes and is usually one of the most expensive.

Guiding

Information and Advisory Services

These services, provided by the IoD, enable members to obtain valuable and tailored information on topics ranging from market forecasts and industry trends to trading abroad and employee salaries from professional researchers. Members can also peruse a comprehensive collection of online databases as well as books, directories, journals and newspapers in the IoD’s business library.

The IoD provides unbiased and confidential advice on legal, financial, human resources or marketing aspects of running a business, as well as career advice from the IoD’s business and legal expert advisors. Members can obtain prompt answers to questions on employment, company, commercial and personal legal issues from specialist solicitors, and navigate through the business and personal tax, NIC and VAT minefield with the help of tax experts, as well as ensure that they have the right corporate structure with a constitution that works for their business by consulting specialists in company formation.

The IoD provide information on the following business topics:

Business Development and Strategy

• Corporate Social Responsibility - Entrepreneurs, Marketing and Sales – Networking - Corporate Strategy and Leadership - Growing Business - Mergers, Acquisitions and Selling Businesses - Risk and Change Management

Finance

• Accountancy - Insolvency and Debt - National Budget and Taxation - Tax Matters - Budgeting and Cashflow – Insurance -

Raising Finance

HR and Personal Development

• Career and Personal Development - Diversity and Equality - Organisation Development - Pay and Benefits - Performance Management - Recruitment and Retention – Redundancy - Retirement

Technology

• Data Protection and Record Management – Internet - Hardware, Software and Mobile Technology - IT Security

Trading Overseas

• Doing Business Abroad - Import/Export - Emerging Markets

Directors and Boards

• Boardroom Practice and Development - Executive Remuneration - Corporate Governance - Directors Duties and Responsibilities

Economy

Government Policy and Legislation

• Commercial Law - Education and Skills – Energy - Environment and Transport - Intellectual Property - Company Law - Employment Law - EU Legislation - Health and Safety - Pensions Regulation

Operations and Infrastructure

• Business Travel - Health and Safety – Premises – Security - Energy and Environment - Outsourcing and Tenders - Purchasing

Third Sector

• Not for Profit

Developing

Professional Development

The IoD produce a wide range of courses, conferences, seminars and development programmes including: Chartered Director, a professional qualification for all directors that demands both knowledge and experience of how to make boards effective, The Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction, Board Evaluation, Board Development and Executive Coaching.

Connecting

Events

IoD events allow members and non-members alike to not only meet, network and entertain guests but to also gain important knowledge that will help them and their business. The variety of events means that whether one is looking for an event relating to specific subject matter or simply looking to entertain colleagues or clients, the IoD’s events calendar has an abundance of options. The IoD’s flagship events, such as the Annual Convention and Annual Dinner often held at the Royal Albert Hall, aim to showcase the best and brightest minds in business, sport and politics and are extremely popular. On a local level, IoD regions, divisions and branches host over 50 events per month with events ranging from breakfast seminars to golf days out.

Influencing

Areas of Influence

The IoD represents its members and advances the case for business in government, Parliament, the media and other influential forums.

The IoD believe the UK's prosperity depends on enterprise and therefore it is imperative that the views of directors are heard. The IoD exert their influence in all matters of economic and public policy by taking a position in the media (both nationally and locally), through direct discussion with Ministers and civil servants, and through written responses to consultation documents and production of research and policy papers.

These papers deal with:

• Corporate Governance
• Economy
• Education and Skills
• Enterprise and Business Environment
• Infrastructure
• Pensions
• Regulation and Employment
• Taxation
• Europe

IoD International

The IoD has developed the IoD International network of branches and affiliates whose objective is to support, represent and set standards for the leadership skills of directors across the globe. The IoD’s international network includes branches and/or affiliates in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria to mention a few.

In addition, the IoD continues to develop its influence across Continental Europe, where the IoD has an expanding network of proactive members and IoD branches. Along with strengthening the range of membership benefits available in Continental Europe, the IoD represents the views of its members at EU level as one of the founding members of the new European Confederation of Director's associations (ECODa), an influential voice for directors.

External links

• Official website
• IoD Blog