It is well recognised that in today’s fast changing world we all need to keep our skillsets up to date; and for those who want to take critical roles and lead businesses, it is essential that they receive comprehensive training in a range of areas, including corporate governance and the expectations that come with being a company director. This is a double benefit as it furthers an individual’s career as well as strengthening the companies and institutions they serve.
IoD Jersey has for many years provided world class professional development programmes and these are overseen by the Professional Development Sub-committee. I Chair this sub-committee and am myself both a Fellow of the IoD and a Chartered Director, involved in interviewing other would-be Chartered Directors. I am also Director of Calmera Business Consultancy which provides leadership and management training, coaching and team development. My experience also includes being a Trustee at Durrell and past NED at Jersey Water.
By providing training on-island, designed around professional competencies, we are able to help our members avoid the costs and time of travelling to the UK. Our training is delivered by directors, for directors and we have been pleased to see the launch of the new digital IoD Academy app and website, which offers our members the opportunity to learn, benchmark and connect on the go.
IoD Certificate in Company Direction
Whether you’re a newly appointed director, aspiring to a seat on the board, or want to improve performance with fresh insight, the Certificate will equip you with the core knowledge and awareness needed to function effectively as a director. The programme covers the key areas of governance, finance, strategy and leadership providing you with a foundation in effective directorship. We hope to run the next IoD Certificate in Company Direction programme inSeptember 2020 with the Role of the Director and the Board.
IoD Diploma in Company Direction
This is an opportunity to put into practice the knowledge gained from the Certificate in a realistic and safe environment. It encourages peer-group support, challenge and stimulation, mirroring in many ways the operation of a board.
The three-day module of the Diploma in Company Direction provides a unique opportunity to put your skills to the test as you act as a board member to tackle a real-life boardroom, mirroring in many ways the operation of a board. The JFSC recognise the Diploma in Company Direction as a Table 4 qualification for Trust Company Business.
Chartered Director
As the only institute in the world to offer qualifications for directors under Royal Charter, influential figures from business and beyond continue to recommend IoD training for executive and non-executive directors. Applicants to Chartered Director must be a member of the IoD; have gained the Diploma in Company Direction and must meet the eligibility requirements. The designation of Chartered Director is awarded to individuals, but the skills and expertise gained will benefit their board, company and customers - Jersey has 34 Chartered Directors.
Future Directors
Succession planning and developing the next generation of directors can be a daunting task and relies on the alignment of employee ambition, company resources, finances and time. To help you nurture the leaders of your organisation, the IoD has created the Future Directors course. This course introduces senior leaders to the role of the director and enables them to gain an understanding of the effective director’s mind-set, while practising some of the key skills and behaviours that drive high-performing boards. Designed to help your senior leaders identify the director competencies they already have, and the ones they need to develop to progress to board level, the programme builds confidence and provides a practical foundation for future learning.
Individual Modules and In-house programmes
For those who don’t want to attend the whole Certificate or Diploma programme, we can offer individual modules. Plus, we can deliver these or the Certificate and Diploma programmes in-house according to an organisation’s needs, thus providing tailored benefits to Jersey’s business community.
Case Studies
Diploma in Company Direction: Zena Couppey - Chief Commercial Officer, LGL Group
I embarked on the IoD Certificate in 2018, to broaden my understanding of good corporate governance and understand changes in the UK Corporate Governance Framework. I gained from the different perspectives how businesses deal with real life practical situations and I found the certificate to be very practical. In particular, the leadership paper helped me analyse the type of leader I am and how I am perceived by my decision making and communication skills. I learnt about board performance and evaluation and the importance of diversity and individual director competencies. The finance paper provided analytical summaries of assessing the financial health of companies and their performance and different methods of valuing them which was particularly interesting as in my role we looked at a number of M&A opportunities.
I continued with the Diploma - the course format this time was much more problem solving and you had to use the knowledge obtained on the Certificate to solve real life issues together in a team. I enjoyed the crisis management scenarios and the afternoon of debates we shared. It was a great team working environment and I left with some new friends.
I would definitely recommend the IoD qualification to all directors who are seeking to be the best version of themselves. The course challenges you to look at your performance not only as a director but to the type of leader and colleague you are. It gives you the opportunity to change things, work on perceived weaknesses, and understand and master your strengths.
Chartered Director: Daragh McDermott - Managing Director, JT (Channel Islands)
The Chartered Director qualification is something that sets you apart and gives an acknowledged and widely recognised gold standard in leadership. The path to the qualification has an appropriate mix of class and group learning, with significant reliance on the real life experiences of highly qualified professional directors who bring that learning to life and helpfully share the stories behind their successes and scars.
It also provided me with an extremely worthwhile benchmark, measuring gaps that needed to be filled and providing a proven means by which this could be done, particularly in the areas of governance, leadership and, crucially, shareholder and stakeholder value.
There are a multitude of varied and often times conflicting matters that have to be balanced in today’s world and the difference between failure, survival and success can be marginal. Qualifications that rely on actual experiences and that use the significant knowledge that exists within the Institute of Directors is a means of ensuring you do everything possible to end up on the right side of that divide.
For more information on the courses, please contact IoD Jersey branch officer, Zoë Wauton officer.jersey@IoD.net