Membership categories

Entry to membership of the IoD is open to a range of applicants – from company directors to those involved in governance positions or likely to accept a directorship. At the time of joining, each member can join in one of two categories – Member or Associate. Unlike Associates, Members are required to commit to Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Further categories of Chartered Member, Chartered Fellow, Distinguished Fellow or our retired categories may apply as you continue your career with the IoD.

Associate

To be eligible for membership as an Associate, a person must be:

  • interested in the affairs of the Institute of Directors (IoD) but not meet the criteria for Member or
  • a full time student at a tertiary institution.

There is no mandatory CPD requirement for Associates.

Member MInstD

To be eligible for admission to membership as a Member, a person must be a:

  • director as defined in the Companies Act 1993 or
  • member of a board of a Government or quasi Government body, whether incorporated or created by statute or
  • member of a board of a not-for-profit organisation or
  • senior executive that reports to a board, Minister of the Crown (or equivalent) in either the public or private sector or
  • partner or sole proprietor of a professional practice or unincorporated business or
  • academic at a tertiary institution at the level of Head of Department or above (or equivalent) or
  • person who, in the opinion of the Council, has a role which is comparable to any of those above and otherwise has the experience and/or qualifications and/or professional background which makes him or her suitable for membership as a Member.

Membership as a Member must be renewed annually. To be eligible to renew membership as a Member, a Member must satisfy any applicable Member CPD requirements.

Download Membership categories brochure

Chartered Member CMInstD

To be eligible for admission to membership as a Chartered Member a person must:

  • be a member of the governing body of a qualifying organisation and
  • have completed the IoD Company Directors’ Course and passed the Chartered Member assessment determined or approved by the Council from time to time (or a course or assessment determined by the Council to be equivalent)
  • have provided to the Council, in the form determined by the Council, a confirmation that he or she will uphold the principles of the Charter; that he or she is of good character; and that he or she is a fit and proper person to be admitted as a Chartered Member (on the basis of such criteria as the Council may from time to time determine, subject to such exceptions (if any) as the Council may approve, generally or in any specific case).

Qualifying organisation

A qualifying organisation means an organisation in respect of which, in the opinion of the Council, there is a meaningful separation of the executive function of the organisation from the oversight and governance function of the organisation (such as, in the case of a corporation, a meaningful separation between the roles of senior managers and the roles of members of the board of directors).

Renewal

Membership as a Chartered Member must be renewed annually. 
To be eligible to renew membership as a Chartered Member, a Chartered Member must provide to the Council, in the form determined by the Council, a confirmation that he or she:

  • satisfies the CPD requirement and
  • will uphold the principles of the Charter and
  • is of good character, and is a fit and proper person to remain a Chartered Member (on the basis of such criteria as the Council may from time to time determine, subject to such exceptions (if any) as the Council may approve, generally or in any specific case).

Find out How to become a Chartered Member

Chartered Fellow CFInstD

Entry to the category of Chartered Fellow of the IoD is by application or invitation. To be eligible for admission to membership as a Chartered Fellow, a person must:

  • have been a member for at least three continuous years immediately prior to application
  • have satisfied the Council that he or she has the experience and background appropriate for a Chartered Fellow
  • have provided to the Council, in the form determined by the Council, a confirmation that he or she will uphold the principles of the Charter, that he or she is of good character, and that he or she is a fit and proper person to be admitted as a Chartered Fellow (on the basis of such criteria as the Council may from time to time determine, subject to such exceptions (if any) as the Council may approve, generally or in any specific case) and satisfy one or more of the following criteria:
    • have completed the IoD Company Directors’ Course and passed the Chartered Member assessment determined or approved by the Council from time to time (or a course or assessment determined by the Council to be equivalent), and have at least five years’ experience (elapsed time) as a director or equivalent in two or more organisations of substance (as defined by the Council in By-laws from time to time);
    • have at least ten years’ experience (elapsed time) as a director or equivalent in two or more organisations of substance (as defined by the Council in By-laws from time to time)
    • in exceptional circumstances, have experience and background which, in the opinion of the Council, means the person is suitable for admission as a Chartered Fellow – for example, exemplary long service in a single organisation which the individual has built into significant business.

Definition of an organisation of substance

Organisation of substance, in respect of an application for membership as a Chartered Fellow, means an organisation which meets two of the following three criteria for the most recent full financial year in which the applicant was a member of the board:

  1. The value of the consolidated gross assets the organisation and the entities it controls (if any) is $NZ10 million or more.
  2. The consolidated revenue of the organisation and the entities it controls (if any) is $NZ20 million or more.
  3. The organisation and the entities it controls (if any) have more than 30 (FTE) employees.

Notwithstanding the above criteria, an organisation will not be deemed an organisation of substance if the Council determines that it is not an organisation with governance complexity broadly equivalent to that typically associated with organisations that do meet these criteria (for example, a non-trading holding company, an investment company with one shareholder and/or one director, a small consultancy, or a non-trading trustee company).

Renewal

Membership as a Chartered Fellow must be renewed annually. To be eligible to renew membership as a Chartered Fellow, a Chartered Fellow must provide to the Council, in the form determined by the Council, a confirmation that he or she:

  • satisfies the CPD requirement
  • will uphold the principles of the Charter and
  • is of good character, and is a fit and proper person to remain a Chartered Fellow (on the basis of such criteria as the Council may from time to time determine, subject to such exceptions (if any) as the Council may approve, generally or in any specific case).
Find out How to become a Chartered Fellow

Distinguished Fellow DistFInstD

To be eligible for membership as a Distinguished Fellow, a person must have been:

  • recommended for such admission by a Branch for members who are in the later stages of their career
  • determined by the Council to be a person who has:
    • sustained a prominent and distinguished career as a director (or equivalent member of governing bodies of organisations) or
    • made a significant contribution to the IoD or
    • made an eminent or significant governance contribution to the community and/or business and
  • invited by the Council to accept such admission and accepted that invitation.

There is no CPD requirement for Distinguished Fellows.

Retired Fellow FInstD (Retd)

To be eligible for membership as a Retired Fellow, a person must:

  • be or have been a Chartered Fellow
  • not occupy a paid executive or paid director (or equivalent) position
  • be a person who the Council has no reason to consider is not of good character or a fit and proper person (having regard to the criteria determined by the Council to be relevant to the assessment of whether a person is a fit and proper person to be a Chartered Fellow).

There is no CPD requirement for Retired Fellows.

Retired

To be eligible for membership as Retired, a person must:

  • be aged sixty five or over
  • be or have been a Member or Chartered Member
  • not occupy a paid executive or paid director (or equivalent) position
  • be a person who the Council has no reason to consider is not of good character.

There is no CPD requirement for members who are Retired.