Company Directors' Course residential
Immerse yourself in a multi-day, residential experience where you can focus entirely on learning. Staying onsite creates more opportunities for networking, collaboration and in-depth discussion with peers.
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 your confidence to contribute effectively at the board table.
But 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 residential option includes accommodation. Staying onsite allows you to fully immerse yourself in the experience – free from outside distractions. The evenings are a chance to continue conversations, build relationships and prepare for the following day’s challenges, deepening both learning and connection.
Some Company Directors' Courses' have a mixture of residential and non-residential placements.
The CDC is challenging so we strongly recommend taking the full week off from work or other responsibilities, whether you take the residential or non-residential option.
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
Residential investment:
Members: $10,840.00 incl GST
Non-members: $13,240.00 incl GST
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.
While this course is designed with a kaupapa Māori lens, you do not need to be whakapapa Māori to attend. We simply ask that you come with an openness and willingness to engage in learning grounded in te ao Māori, and to be immersed in this perspective throughout the experience.
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 |
| Non-residential | Rarotonga |
Public courses delivered in-house
Any of the courses that the IoD delivers publically 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.