NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Company secretary

A Company Secretary is a senior position in a private company or public organisation. The role is also sometimes known as a Chartered Secretary. Look up company in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Despite the name, the role is not a clerical or secretarial one in the usual sense. The company secretary ensures that an organisation complies with relevant legislation and regulation, and keeps board members informed of their legal responsibilities. They are the company’s named representative on legal documents, and it is their responsibility to ensure that the company and its directors operate within the law. It is also their responsibility to register and communicate with shareholders, to ensure that dividends are paid and to maintain company records, such as lists of directors and shareholders, and annual accounts. A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or company (including a corporation) that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a joint stock company. ... Dividends are payments made by a company to its shareholders. ... In relation to a company, a director is an officer of the company charged with the conduct and management of the affairs of the company. ...

In many countries, private companies have traditionally been required by law to appoint one person as a company secretary, and this person will also usually be a senior board member. What is a Chartered Secretary?

Chartered Secretaries in all sectors have high level responsibilities including the delivery of: Governance structures and mechanisms Corporate conduct within an organisation's regulatory environment Board, shareholder and trustee meetings Compliance with legal, regulatory and listing requirements The training and induction of non-executives/trustees Contact with regulatory and external bodies Reports and circulars to shareholders/trustees Management of employee benefits such as pensions and employee share schemes Insurance administration and organisation The negotiation of contracts Risk management Property administration and organisation Interpretation of financial accounts

Why become a Chartered Secretary? Qualifying as a Chartered Secretary is your passport to a highly varied and versatile career. Chartered Secretaries are senior professionals who are qualified in corporate law, finance, governance, company secretaryship and management.

Trained to uphold the highest standards of corporate governance, effective operations and administration, Chartered Secretaries employ their range of skills in all sectors, from listed and private companies to charities and the public sector.

Highly valued by employers for their broad based training, Chartered Secretaries use their skills in a huge variety of ways. They are the primary source of advice on the conduct of business and this can span everything from legal advice on conflicts of interest, through accounting advice on financial reports, to the development of strategy and corporate planning.

Chartered Secretaries are employed as chairs, chief executives and non-executive directors, as well as executives and company secretaries. They are key players with the skills, vision and values to take their organisations forward.