Highly valued by employers, Chartered Secretaries are the primary source of advice on governance to their board. Broadly, this can span everything from legal and accounting advice, to the development of strategy and corporate planning.

Chartered Secretaries are senior professionals trained in law, finance, governance, and strategy. They principally work as company secretaries or in other similar roles. 

Chartered Governance Professionals have a deep understanding of governance, usually across the listed company, public and/or not-for-profit sectors. They also have a deep understanding of risk management and how to apply it across their organization.

Chartered Governance Professionals often act as their organization’s company secretary but also often have roles as risk managers or compliance managers. 

The Chartered Secretary and Chartered Governance Professional's role requires a strong understanding of business to conduct the following:

• Carry out responsibilities for the safe custody and currency of corporate records;
• Have a clear understanding of each company's constituting documents and of the relevant legislative provisions;
• Ensure that the necessary registers required to be kept by the relevant legislation are established and properly maintained;
• Ensure that all returns required to be submitted to a regulator are prepared and filed within the appropriate time limits;
• Be conversant with the requirements of relevant Stock Exchanges (if any company's shares are listed);
• Organize and attend meetings of the shareholders and directors (including sending out of notices, preparation of agendas, marshalling of proxies, drafting minutes);
• Provide advice and counsel on corporate governance practices generally and on corporate secretarial matters; supervise the company's share capital generally, including the preparation of allotment letters, issue of share certificates, handling of transfers and transmissions of shares, forfeiting of shares, etc;
• Ensure that the company's financial records are kept by the relevant legislation and the annual accounts and reports are prepared in the form and at the time required;
• Monitor the preparation of any tax returns and ensure that management is aware of the need for compliance with the various taxation provisions;
• Monitor the organization's insurance requirements and ensure that these are brought to the attention of the appropriate officer;
• Be conversant with all applicable current statutory requirements and provisions to the company's activities and ensure compliance with them;
• Supports the Chairman and the Board with communication to other officers, auditors, shareholders or other stakeholders as required;
• Advise the directors on disclosure and other compliance obligations of the company and of the directors under the law.