HRD and company secretary?

Happy to be corrected on that. I reported into an ICSA member for years, but that was quite some time ago so I may be out of date.

Thank you everyone. The current Company Secretary who is a qualified finance business partner, tells me that my organisation doesn't actually need a company secretary because we have less than 250 employees. So probably it's only a name on papers. I don't know how much / what risk that would involve if I take it up.

I agree Ray, if I am tempted with the offer I might do a foundation course or read about it. Thank you for your suggestion

Hi Meena,
I am training as company secretary since 2018 with a large Plc and have actually decided to start a new career in HR, just starting my CIPD level 3 with ICS this week.
To become a Company Secretary is a lengthy journey and without a legal qualification you have to complete a foundation year and then join the secretaries qualifying scheme with the Corporate Governance Institute (formerly ICSA). You will have to complete 8 closed book exams of 3 hours each. It takes most people over 4 years to complete, 1 module per semester with about 20 hours recommended study a week.
The Kensington College of Business is one of the training providers and can give you a bit more advice on the studies.
A Plc has the usual structure of Trainee Company Secretary, Company Secretarial Assistant, Assistant Company Secretary, Senior Assistant Company Secretary, Head of Plc, Deputy Company Secretary and then Company Secretary. Most Company Secretaries are Solicitors and Chartered Secretaries.
It’s definitely a good career if you are interested in Corporate Governance, Law and like to work with regulatory demands.

A company secretary may not be a director, but they will often be liable for breach of duty in the same way as board members. The code of directors’ duties, set out in the Companies Act, is not expressed as applying to the secretary, but, as an officer of the company, the duty to promote the company’s success should apply in equal measure, as should the obligations to avoid a conflict of interest and to exercise independent judgment. (Note that these duties are owed to the company and not directly to shareholders.)

The secretary has many administrative responsibilities, including filing returns at Companies House and ensuring compliance with the Companies Act. Numerous sections in the Act provide that, where there is a failure to file or comply, ‘an offence is committed by every officer of the company who is in default’. If the secretary is the person with prime responsibility for the task, they will be the person in default and liable to the fine.

thank you Alexandra.