Having successfully completed the Certificate and Diploma exams Programme participants may apply to become an Accredited Chartered Director (CDir). To attain Chartered Director accreditation, a candidate must complete a Professional Review Process, which begins with the application to assess eligibility.
Benefits
A commitment to achieving Chartered Director status is a clear message to your colleagues, customers and network that you are serious about your role and the contributions you make to your organisation. Becoming a Chartered Director is an endorsement of your skills, professionalism, and knowledge of corporate governance best-practice.
Chartered Directors demonstrate continuous commitment and ongoing professional development to maintain the level of effectiveness and practitioner excellence that exemplifies Chartered status and an outstanding contribution to their boards and organisations.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply for the Professional Review Process, you must:
- Be a full Member or Fellow of the Institute of Directors Ireland in good standing.
- Have obtained a pass or above in the Certificate in Company Direction. If the IRDB module exam was passed more than 10 years previously, it will be necessary for you to re-sit the examination in this module and obtain a pass or above.
- Have obtained a pass or above in the Diploma in Company Direction.
- Be able to demonstrate substantial experience in one or more director or director-type role(s) for a period of three full years during the previous 10 years.
- Be able to demonstrate, for each directorship, that the board is formally constituted, comprises at least three directors, undertakes regular board meetings, demonstrates a significant degree of autonomy in decision-making, and relates to an organisation with revenue or income in excess of £250K per annum.
The Professional Review Process
Before starting this process, we would advise candidates attend an online Chartered Director Professional Accreditation Working Session. The session is free and runs from 12:30pm to 2:00pm on the following dates. Please click one of the links below to register for an upcoming session. Please only attend this session if you hold a Diploma in the Company Direction.
Zoom Registration Link - Monday 12th May 2025
Zoom registration Link - Thursday 19th June 2025
- Stage 1: Submit an Expression of Interest Form
- Submit an Expression of Interest Form. You must ensure you are eligible before submitting this form. To get a link to this form or to discuss your eligibility, please contact chartereddirector@iodireland.ie
- Stage 2: Roles, Verifier and Overview of Experience
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Once your Expression of Interest Form has been submitted you will receive an email from the IoD UK with a link to the system where you will submit your application. Candidates will be asked to submit their roles, verifier details and an overview of experience.
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- Stage 3: Interview
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Attend an interview with two peers drawn from an IoD UK panel consisting of Chartered Directors, Members and Fellows of the Institute. Interviews will take place online.
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The purpose of the interview is to obtain further information about the applicant's experience and contribution as a Director, as outlined in the overview of experience.
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Fee
Please note: The Chartered Director Programme offered by the Institute of Directors in Ireland does not include the fees required for the application process for the Profession Review Process step. This fee is payable to IoD UK with the candidate’s application. The current fee for the professional review process leading to Chartered Director accreditation is £720.
Accreditation
- The IoD UK awards both the Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction under the provisions of its Royal Charter and leads to qualifications credit rated by the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA).
- The SQA, under Scottish Government legislation, is both an accreditation body and an awarding body, providing a wide range of high quality, internationally recognised qualifications and associated services. For further information and details on awards and qualifications, visit the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework section of the SQA website.
- Chartered Director (CDir): The Professional Accreditation of Chartered Director is awarded by the IoD UK and is obtained following successful completion of the Professional Review Process. This requires you to provide evidence on how you work within the context of your board, how you use your knowledge and skills to the benefit of the organisation, and how you discharge your duties as a director. The qualification comprises three stages which assess your practical experience as a director. These include: application; portfolio of experience; and formal interview conducted by two Chartered Director interviewers. Before you can apply for the Chartered Director qualification you must meet both the pre-requisite requirements and the eligibility criteria. These must be met before proceeding to the application stage.