5-6 June 2025 - Start or Continue Your Journey to Become a Chartered Director with the IoD ‘International Role of the Director and Board’ Course

The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the UK Department of Business and Trade (DBT) are proud to support and invite you to the IoD’s ‘International Role of the Director and the Board’(IRDB) Course and Alumni Event at the British Consulate General Hong Kong, on 5 & 6 June 2025.

The Institute of Directors (IoD)

The Institute of Directors (IoD) was founded in 1903 in London and within three years were awarded a Royal Charter to support, represent and set standards for business leaders nationwide. We are the oldest business membership organisation in the world, and we have about 20,000 members, including over 3,000 international members. We are also the only organisation that awards ‘Chartered Directors’ qualification across the world.

Delivering an essential understanding of the board’s role in corporate governance and risk management, this introduction to the duties and legal responsibilities of a director will enable you to tackle the challenges of the boardroom with fresh confidence and progress your career to the next level.

By attending this course, you will have the confidence to:

• Recognise the key duties, roles and legal responsibilities of a modern director
• Understand the essential differences between direction, management and ownership
• Examine the board’s role in corporate governance and learn how to improve board effectiveness
• Understand the legal status of a company and other organisations and implications of the liabilities of directors in major jurisdictions including the UK and China

The 'International Role of the Director and the Board' (IRDB) is one of the four modules of the Certification in Company Direction Qualification provided by the IoD.

This course may be booked as standalone module or taken as part of the full qualification. Exam preparation and exam fees (first attempt only) are included.

Download the IRDB Course Brochure here.

Price for IoD members: £3,250.

Price for Non-members: £3,750.

All delegates of the IRDB Course on 5-6 June 2025 will have free access to the IoD's Second Alumni Event on 5 June 2025.

Register the IRDB Course via BritCham and receive one year IoD international membership for free!

Please email Wendy Tang at wendy@britcham.com to register now.

Both the IRDB Course and Alumni Event are supported by and held at the British Consulate General’s Hong Kong Office at 1 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong (香港金钟最高法院道1号，英国驻香港总领事馆).

The IoD were delighted to host the ‘International Role of the Director and the Board’ course twice - ‘Strategy for Directors’ course with the first Alumni Event 'Navigating business strategy through uncertain times' forum, ‘Finance for non-Finance Directors’ and ‘Leadership for Directors’ since 2023 between Beijing and Shanghai. The courses were led by IoD’s specialists from the UK and delivered in partnership with the British Chamber of Commerce in China (BritCham China), the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, British Chamber of Commerce Shanghai (BritCham Shanghai), China-Britain Business Council, and AustCham China. 

Delegates came from a wide variety of internationally renowned organisations and institutions, representing diverse cultures from as far afield as Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Taipei and the United Kingdom. The dynamic mix of cultures and perspectives provided a catalyst for robust discussions with extremely positive feedback and satisfaction received from all attendees.

Testimonials

"After 20 years of practical experience working for and serving on several boards, it was great to finally sit through a formal course that explained the theory, common practices, as well as regulatory and legal context of how directors and their boards should operate. I can wholeheartedly recommend the programme for both aspiring and veteran board members." - Adam Dunnett, Secretary General, European Union Chamber and Commerce in China

"Being a strong believer in lifelong learning, I embraced the opportunity to join IoD's International Role of the Director course in Beijing. Having worked with boards and currently sitting on two boards in China, I wanted to enhance my knowledge of best practices of the board’s role in corporate governance and risk management. The course struck the right balance between a board member’s duties and legal responsibilities and the practical day-to-day application in China. The course's open and hands-on exchange with other international and Chinese directors and senior executives made the experience highly valuable and worthwhile to me. I wish the new China Chapter of the IoD all the best and look forward to joining future courses." - Dr. Mike Hofmann, Managing Director, Melchers China Beijing; Chairman of the Board, Koehler Pharmaceuticals Beijing

"I have not found any similar program as this one in China yet… It was a rather inspiring two-day’s studying environment which I have not been experienced since long time ago. I would like to highly recommend this course to my colleagues and friends." - River Xi, Business Management Officer, CFO Office, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

"I achieved the two objectives I set out in taking the IoD's International Role of the Director course in Beijing, which:

• As a senior communications consultant, the IoD's courses have given me crucial understanding of company decision-making, helping me to tailor advice directly to boards' needs. This gives me a 'step up' over others.
• Enabled me to 'speak the language' of the board. As a senior public affairs consultant, much of my work relates to corporate reputation and risk, largely board responsibilities. Understanding the process of how boards direct this, and related issues helps me to tie my work to that of company boards, making me a better professional." - Mark Pinner, Head of Communications, BE Education