Director fees
Getting director remuneration right is complex and vitally important to ensure your organisation attracts and retains directors that possess the skills and experience that meet your organisation’s needs.
Since 2010, the IoD has been providing specialised director fee advice to boards and directors and have helped hundreds of organisations set reliable and defensible director fees.
Key Factors in Setting Director and Chair Fees
When setting director and chair fees, boards need to consider a wide range of variables including industry, turnover, assets and employee numbers. Additionally, the distinctive context of each organisation and its governance roles must be assessed, including role and workload analysis (including for board committees), stakeholder expectations, risk exposure, and company-specific expectations. All these elements are weighed against market practice, reinforcing that there is no "one-size fits all" solution.
Supporting Boards with Evidence-Based Fee Services
Whether you are establishing a new board, responding to greater stakeholder scrutiny, or striving for alignment with your organisation’s scale, complexity, and sector, our independent, transparent, and evidence-based director fees services are designed to support you. IoD’s specialised fee services help ensure your board’s remuneration is appropriate for your organisation, reflects industry benchmarks and best practice, and strengthens transparency and decision-making.
We offer a range of director fees services designed to meet your specific needs from our full tailored fees review to our member-only fee indicator.
1. Fees Tailored Review
Our most comprehensive and robust fees review provides defensible fee recommendations specifically developed for your organisation and the unique context it operates in. Tailored fee reviews and our fee recommendations are based on the latest Directors Fee Survey data, industry benchmarks and trends, your organisation’s environment and context, research and best practice remuneration policy.
2. Director Fees Benchmark
Our Director Fees Benchmark report provides current fees information and time commitments of organisations of similar scale, complexity and industry for you to benchmark your organisation’s director fees against.
3. Fee Indicator
Free for members, the Fee Indicator provides comparative director fees based on your organisation’s type, sector and revenue (members can access one free fee indicator per membership year).
4. IoD Directors' Fees Report
The Directors’ Fees Report provides board remuneration data and practice insights across sectors, sizes and governance structures, supporting informed decision making amidst changing expectations in the boardroom.
Unsure which service is right for your board?
We recommend fee benchmarking annually via our Director Fees Benchmark report, with an indepth tailored fee review every two to three years – or when there are material changes to your governance structure or expectations or your organisation’s circumstances change. Our governance services team can guide you on the right service for you and your board.
Our expertise
Our fee reviews are prepared by IoD’s Senior Advisor – Remuneration and Board Services, Jo Birdsall, using robust methodology and peer review and build on the IoD’s Four Pillars of Governance Best Practice.
Jo Birdsall – Senior Advisor Remuneration and Board Services
Jo has been part of the Institute of Directors for eight years. She began as a Professional Development Advisor, organising and hosting IoD governance courses across Aotearoa New Zealand. This role gave her a strong understanding of the board environment and the challenges directors face, while also building a broad network of directors across a variety of sectors.
Jo has managed the IoD’s Director Remuneration Service for the past three years, providing specialised advice and unique insight on director time commitments, responsibilities, and remuneration practices across a wide range of organisations. Her work spans NZX-listed companies, iwi organisations, not-for-profits and charities, and Crown entities.
Jo works closely with boards and organisations to support fair and transparent director remuneration. If you would like to discuss your board’s remuneration approach or learn more about IoD’s director fees services, Jo would welcome the opportunity to speak with you.
Setting director remuneration is a sensitive task for any board. The service from IoD was informed, responsive and efficient.