Company Directors' Course Rarotonga

Take your learning offshore with a unique international experience. Set in Rarotonga, this format combines the rigour of the Company Directors’ Course with the benefits of a cultural and networking opportunity in the Cook Islands. 

Course dates

30 November - 5 December 2025 (CKT)

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No upcoming dates that you can attend? Express your interest here.

Course description

The Company Directors' Course (CDC) is the benchmark for directors and senior leaders reporting to boards. It is also a pre-requisite to becoming a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors. 

Over five and a half intensive days, you’ll explore the roles and responsibilities of directors alongside your peers. Through daily boardroom simulations and case studies, you’ll experience the realities of governance – from unpredictable business challenges to the human dynamics of decision-making. This hands-on approach strengthens your judgement, broadens your perspective and builds the confidence to contribute effectively at the board table.

However, the value of CDC extends far beyond skill-building. Participants frequently describe the course as a turning point in their governance journey, citing personal growth, lasting networks across the governance community and accelerated career opportunities.

The Rarotonga option delivers the full CDC experience in an unforgettable setting. Against the backdrop of the Cook Islands, you’ll immerse yourself in the same intensive boardroom simulations and governance learning, while also gaining the unique benefit of stepping outside your usual environment. Many participants find the combination of world-class content and a rejuvenating location opens fresh perspectives and deepens connections with peers through shared cultural and social experiences.

Accommodation

The Edgewater Resort

Accommodation for five nights is included as part of the price. You stay on location for the duration of the CDC. The advantage is a full immersion course with the chance to continue discussions and networking with other participants in the evenings and prepare for the following day. 

Please note that this course is held in a venue that requires the use of stairs, and there is no lift available. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you have specific accessibility requirements or would like to discuss alternative arrangements, please contact Juanita Hudson juanita.hudson@iod.org.nz

Course content

The CDC is a simulated board exercise. On a given day, you work with 4-5 other board members addressing a scenario such as company solvency. In the afternoon, you test your assumptions and decisions with the full group and compare to New Zealand case studies on solvency. 

Topics covered during the course include:

Best practice corporate governance

  • Corporate governance principles, rules and protocols
  • Governance skills


Strategy in the boardroom

  • Strategy and strategic thinking
  • Board and strategy development
  • Monitoring and reviewing implementation
  • Refreshing strategy and innovation


Finance and the board’s role

  • High-level meaning in financial statements and reports
  • Interpreting reports
  • Financial planning
  • Making investment appraisals
  • Understanding company valuations


Directors and the law

  • Directors' legal obligations, liabilities and mitigating legal risks
  • Directors’ and officers’ insurance


Board dynamics and culture

  • Board role in developing culture, ethics and values
  • Corporate social responsibility
  • Board dynamics
  • Leadership and CEO succession
  • Board and CEO review


Risk governance

  • Risk management concepts
  • Risk appetite
Information session
Also check out the article So you want to be a director? by Cathy Parker from Management Magazine where she investigates the Company Directors' Course as the key prerequisite for directorship.
Cost

Rarotonga residential investment

Members: $10,470.00 incl GST
Non-members: $12,790.00 incl GST

Please note: the Rarotonga course fee does include GST; however, as it is delivered outside of New Zealand, the applicable GST rate is 0%.

Who should attend

Directors and senior executives with at least one to five years' experience of working on or with boards, and a sound knowledge of business finance.

If you are unsure whether you meet the prerequisites for the Company Directors’ Course or have any other questions, please call our team on 0800 846 369 or contact us on governancedevelopment@iod.org.nz

Other Company Directors' Course options
Residential (NZ)   |   Non-residential (NZ)
Public courses delivered in-house

Any of the courses that the IoD delivers publicly can be delivered in-house for your whole board, management team or governance stakeholders, with a facilitator who can contextualise the delivery to your organisation and sectors. To enquire, please click here.