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IoD Chartered Director Programme

Invest In Future You
About

The Programme

Best-in-class solutions. Life-long learning. Designed for directors like you.

At IoD Ireland, we wholeheartedly back directors and boards in harnessing the benefits of our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework to empower progress. With the Chartered Director Programme, you’ll get more than a formal qualification. You’ll be equipped for the day-to-day and the unpredictable.

Access the know-how and network here. The only body in Ireland offering comprehensive Chartered Director (CDir) training. Everything you need to succeed.

Be part of our community. Shaping the future of leadership in Ireland.

Process

Path to Chartered status

Progress bar

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Step one - Express your interest

Start by filling out our form.

Note this doesn’t guarantee a spot, nor does it commit you to accepting an offer. Once submitted, our team will reach out to process your application and invite you to attend a special information session. Then you will be added to the waiting list.

When a programme opens, you will receive an invitation to secure a space. As demand is high, and places are limited, places are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

To confirm your place, simply return the booking form and deposit.

Step two - Certificate in Company Direction

In the first part of the programme, you will complete the Certificate in Company Direction.

You’ll cover four subjects:

1. Role of the Director and Board (international) – 2 days
2. Strategy for Directors – 3 days
3. Finance for Directors – 2 days
4. Leadership for Directors – 2 days

Why take part?
Get the essential knowledge you need for effective directorship:

• Understand the roles, responsibilities and duties of a director.
• Dos and don’ts of an effective board
• Financial terms and concepts
• Strategic planning and leadership

Access more details below.

Step three - Diploma in Company Direction

Technical wisdom. Turned into action.

Once you’ve completed the Certificate in Company Direction, you’ll move on to apply your new knowledge and build your practical skills as a director. In the real world.

Master the art of board games.
Developing board performance through interactive learning.

This will include a hands-on, two-day module where you will experience the world of boardroom dynamics, navigating challenges and crises through role-play. It’s your chance to flex your previous learning in an energising real-world setting.

Why take part?

Build on your learning from the first four modules and dive into:

• Mastering the board game. Power plays. Influence. Conflicts.
• Getting the know-how on hot topics. Crisis management. Risk. Decision-making. Navigating mergers and acquisitions.
• Finding practical techniques and tools for empowering board performance and personal growth.
• Enhancing the performance of boards, committees and individual directors.

Step four - Becoming a Chartered Director

Once your Certificate and Diploma are complete, the next step is to become a Chartered Director (CDir).

This involves a professional review process and eligibility assessment.

Why get chartered?
It signals to colleagues and clients that you’re serious about your role and making a mark on your board. Being a Chartered Director showcases your skills, professionalism, and relentless pursuit of excellence in corporate governance.

This is simply the start of your growth as a director, to commit to ongoing development and to uphold the level of excellence that comes with the professional designation of a Chartered Director.

Are you eligible?
Learn about the criteria, review process and fees below.

Dates & fees

Dates & fees

Choose from a January or September start date.

Learn More

Unlock the full course:

Members

€15,250

(2025)

Non Members

€15,950

(2025)

IoD Ireland Chartered Director Team

Our IoD experts

Meet Eileen, Simon, Carol, Caroline, Talita, and Marie. The team that delivers our Programme.

View course leaders
Words from previous participants

The journey to Chartered Directorship was stimulating and rewarding. It offered a fantastic opportunity to consider all aspects of the role and explore relevant scenarios. The theory was grounded in practical reality and always very pertinent to the responsibilities of the modern Board. The experience was greatly enriched by the interactions I shared with a fantastic group of people that brought perspectives from diverse professional backgrounds and wide variety of industries. The programme fortified my capacity to operate as an effective Director.

Jackie McMahon CDir

Excellent course, really useful and interesting content, well-structured and professionally delivered.

Ben Wood Managing Director, App Dev EMEA Google

The Chartered Director Programme provides a deep and meaningful exposure to the complex area of being a director in modern times.

Mark Fenton Director, PMC Ltd.

The Chartered Director Programme content was entirely relevant to any executive and non-executive leadership role.

Liz Yeates CEO, Marie Keating Foundation

This is an excellent learning experience which I highly recommend. The Chartered Director Programme is of a very high quality, with supportive leadership, management, delivery and content. The peer to peer learning is also hugely beneficial.

Deirdre Giblin Director of Development & External Engagement, National College of Ireland

I would highly recommend the IoD Chartered Directors Programme to anyone aspiring to become a competent and qualified Company Director.

Vincent Brennan Independent Consultant

The Chartered Director programme is an incredibly educational and comprehensive course that should be on the to-do list of any company director. It is one of the best things I have done for my career, and I only wish I had done it years ago!

Peaches Kemp Founder and Director, The Itsa Group

An excellent course - would definitely recommend it. All of the IoD staff were superb with huge personal director experience which adds greatly to the teaching. Superbly run by Eileen - incredibly smooth and excellent exam prep days. Group work was so valuable - all of our cohort participated really well and I learned a huge amount from their experiences and expertise also.

Sharon Sheehan Former Master/CEO, Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital

What I enjoyed most about the IoD Chartered Director Programme was working with a group of peers and experienced lecturers. We got the opportunity to look at some real life problems and propose solutions and we were also able to benchmark ourselves against one another.

Margot Lyons CDir Independent Non-Executive Director

The best professional development programme I have undertaken. The programme provided the tools and techniques to help me approach business problems, ambiguities and opportunities in a more holistic and creative way.

Mary Cregan Head of Broker Operations, Irish Life

I chose to do the Chartered Director Programme because I’ve recently been appointed to a board and I felt that the more formal training would complement me for my role as part of that Board. I would recommend the Chartered Programme to others, particularly those who are coming to a board for the first time, I think the detail within the programme will give them extra confidence, particularly if they’re not from a financial background.

Aoibheann Treacy, Non-Executive Director

Found the IoD Chartered Programme course to be informative, interesting, interactive, challenging, and more importantly it was enjoyable with the diversity of people involved in my Cohort.

Alan Ahern Managing Director, SIAC Roofing & Cladding Ltd.

I loved the programme, it was well structured and well delivered with super support for people like me who are trying to fit this into a full time job. Although I am already on a number of boards, I learned a lot, and would say I am much better prepared for the future as a result of this.

Margot Slattery CDir Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion and Belonging at ISS A/S

The IoD Chartered Director programme is a 'must do' for iNED's or people considering a board career. The course addresses the full 360 skillset required to be effective in the boardroom. The practical nature of the Diploma exam is exemplary.

Karen Morton Independent Non-Executive Director, DAA, Water Safety Ireland, Irish Chamber Orchestra

High standards of governance is now an essential requirement for all publicly funded bodies. In order to build on my previous board experience I really wanted to ensure I could meet and exceed the standards required for the organisations I work for. I benefited greatly from the expert tuition and group inputs. I now feel more confident that I am up to date with all the current developments in this area and have reached an externally benchmarked standard which is important in terms of building further opportunities for me with regard to my career. I want to thank all at the IoD for their support in achieving that.

IoD Ireland Member and Chartered Director Programme Participant

The IoD Chartered Director Programme is an excellent course with top class educators. I firmly believe every board director should have to complete this course!

Patricia Quane CDir

I felt that the IoD Chartered Director Programme is an excellent course with a breadth and depth that sets it apart. The people leading and delivering the programme were excellent and did everything they could to impart the knowledge and get you over the line.

Kathleen Lombard Board Secretary and Risk Officer

I found the Chartered Director Programme to be an excellent and hugely rewarding experience. It provided practical, cutting-edge learning and development across a broad range of director competencies in business-critical areas. These includes areas such as strategy, leadership, organisational culture, risk and finance, and all underpinned by a thorough grounding in the increasingly complex legal responsibility framework within which Companies and Directors must now operate. Absolutely no hesitation in recommending this programme - a must have in my view for any existing or aspiring Directors. 

Billy Doyle CEO, Dundalk Credit Union

I had been keen to do the IoD Chartered Director Programme for quite some time and I was delighted that it not only met but exceeded my already high expectations. The quality of the teaching is super and the interactive nature of the learning and discussions with my peers on the programme was fascinating and insightful. The qualification is rightly highly regarded, but the curiosity and the hunger it inspires for wider learning across industries and a broad range of challenges faced by boards is fantastic. I highly recommend this programme to folk progressing towards a senior level in their organisation as the value of undertaking it will compound over time.

Oliver Kelly Partner & Head of Investment Consulting LCP Ireland

The skills and knowledge gleaned from the CDir programme have allowed me to add further layers of value as a director of my company. Different peer perspectives from a myriad of industries also enriches the learning experience. I would have no hesitation recommending this programme.

Barry O'Dwyer Managing Director, DUAL Ireland

The IoD Chartered Director Programme is professionally run, delivered by excellent presenters and covers an excellent blend of topics essential for a Director's professional development.

Mick Long Head of Corporate Services, OPW

Network with the best in business

Meet fellow Chartered Directors. Access the complete list of IoD Ireland Chartered Directors below.

Network with the best in business