Am I ready for the Company Directors Course?

Congratulations on your decision to explore the range of professional development programs and courses offered by the Australian Institute of Company Directors. You would be aware that these programs and courses are flexible, relevant and contemporary. We are continually reviewing our programs and courses in order to ensure that the content of each reflects current thought and practice.

When a suite of programs and courses are on offer, there are often times when uncertainty exists as to which provides the best outcome in order to achieve the desired result. This is particularly so in the case of the Foundations of Directorship and the Company Directors Course.

We want to ensure that your choice optimises opportunity for you to achieve your objectives.
The Foundations of Directorship course has been designed to provide an introductory practical introduction to:

• fiduciary duties;
• the governance environment;
• finance;
• strategy; and
• risk at a board level.

The Company Directors Course has been designed to provide professional development which is comprehensive and integrated across the responsibilities and accountabilities for directors and boards. If you are considering a directorship or are a Senior Executive reporting to a board or are seeking to find out more about corporate governance you might first ask yourself the following questions.

At this stage of my career, am I required to display knowledge and expertise in relation to: knowledge of governance expectations and ethical considerations? building a better board and streamlining board processes? monitoring an organisation’s financial performance and risk management? examining the responsibilities of directors and their fiduciary duties and compliance roles? identifying the board’s contribution to organisational performance and strategy development and execution? reviewing frameworks for board decision-making?

If you answered 'yes' to each of the above questions, then the Company Directors Course should best meet your professional development needs.

If you answered 'no' to some or all of the above questions, then consider first undertaking the Foundations of Directorship course.

For those still not sure about which course they should engage in, further guidance is provided in the table below:

	Foundations of Directorship	Company Directors Course
Seeking knowledge as a first introduction to directorship	ü
* Reporting to a board		ü
*Transitioning to directorship		ü
*Seeking a directorship within two years		ü
Senior executive seeking information about a board’s role	ü
*First directorship		ü
Shareholder interested in corporate governance	ü
*Superannuation trustee		ü
No knowledge of corporate governance, finance, board’s role	ü
Anxious if financial or numerical data is presented	ü
Have not done any professional development in 5 years	ü
Can read the figures but have difficulty in making the connection from the statements to financial judgements		ü

* Anyone enrolling in either Foundations of Directorship or the Company Directors Course should invest in their financial literacy as this is a critical role for directors. If you require an overview or a refresher, our short e-Learning course Interpreting Financial Statements is available for access. The course provides a brief overview of the information directors need to consider when reviewing a company’s financial statements.

For further information or assistance please contact the Member Relations Executive in your State.