Institute of Directors facts for kids
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IoD headquarters at 116 Pall Mall
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| Founded | 1903 |
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| Type | Professional organisation |
| Focus | Business leaders |
| Headquarters | 116 Pall Mall London, SW1 United Kingdom |
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Members
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20,000+ |
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Director General
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Jonathan Geldart |
The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a group in Britain for people who lead businesses. This includes company directors, senior managers, and people who start their own companies. It is the oldest group for business leaders in the UK. It started in 1903 and received a special permission called a royal charter in 1906. This charter gave the IoD the job of helping businesses grow, talking to the government for businesses, and setting good rules for how companies should be run.
The IoD's main office is in a very old and important building at 116 Pall Mall in London. This building used to be a club for military officers. Members of the IoD can use special workspaces across the UK. They also get help with business information, tax and legal advice, and can go to special events. They even get discounts on courses to help them learn more about business.
In 2005, the IoD had 55,000 members. Today, it has over 20,000 members. These members come from all kinds of companies, big and small. About 70% of members are self-employed or work for small and medium-sized businesses. Also, many of the biggest companies in the UK have an IoD member on their team.
Contents
What is the IoD?
The IoD was created in 1903. In 1906, it received a special document called a royal charter. This charter is like a special permission from the King or Queen. It gives the IoD important goals to achieve:
- To help directors become very skilled, knowledgeable, and honest.
- To speak for its members and other businesses to the government.
- To create a good environment for new businesses and for making money.
- To encourage learning and research about how companies should be managed.
Who Can Join the IoD?
The IoD is for individual people, not for whole companies. This means every member's opinion is important. Members can stay with the IoD throughout their entire working life. This helps the IoD speak clearly for the business world.
There are more than 20,000 IoD members in the UK and other countries. Anyone who is interested in business can join. This includes people who run their own business, are self-employed, or work on a company's board.
How the IoD Helps Businesses
The IoD speaks for its members. It also promotes good ways for companies to be managed, both to the public and to the government. The IoD works with different groups to support company directors in the UK. They want to create a good environment for businesses to succeed.
Business Help and Advice
The IoD offers special advice services to its members. They can get help with many parts of running a business. This includes legal advice, financial tips, human resources, marketing, and tax support. Members can get this help online, over the phone, or in person. They can have up to 25 different advice sessions each year.
Learning and Skill Building
The IoD provides training courses for business leaders. These courses are for people at different stages of their careers. Some courses teach specific skills for different roles. There is also a main course called Chartered Director.
Anyone can take these training courses, whether they are members or not. About 6,500 people take an IoD course every year. The IoD also offers coaching, mentoring, and online learning tools.
Events and Activities
The IoD holds many events throughout the year across the country. These events are for networking, discussing policies, and just having fun.
Yearly Convention
The Annual Convention used to be the IoD's biggest event. It was a major event in the business world. It often took place at the Royal Albert Hall every year. Famous business leaders, politicians, and world leaders would attend. This convention happened every year from 1950 until 2016. Many UK prime ministers spoke at the event. Other famous people like Jimmy Wales (who helped start Wikipedia) and Richard Branson (a famous entrepreneur) also attended. Members of the British royal family, like Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Charles, Prince of Wales, also came. The last Annual Convention was in September 2016.
After a break, the event was held again in March 2018. It was called "IoD Open House." This was a three-day business festival at 116 Pall Mall.
Rhondda Lecture
In 2015, the IoD started a new yearly event called the Rhondda Lecture. It honors Margaret Mackworth, 2nd Viscountess Rhondda. She was the first female President of the IoD. This lecture celebrates new ideas, strong leadership, and people who work for change. Julia Gillard, who used to be the Prime Minister of Australia, gave the first lecture in June 2015. She spoke at 116 Pall Mall to politicians, academics, and business leaders.
Director Magazine
Director was a magazine about business and lifestyle for business leaders. It came out every two months. IoD members received it for free. You could also buy it by subscribing. The magazine had interviews with business leaders and politicians. It also had updates from the IoD, discussions on important topics, and reviews. In October 2017, the magazine started coming out less often. It stopped being printed during the Coronavirus pandemic to be more environmentally friendly.
How the IoD is Organized
| Coat of arms of the Institute of Directors |
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| Crest | Issuant from a circlet Or with eight thrift flowers leaved proper on the rim a pair of scales Gules behind the pivot a compass card as in the arms. |
| Blazon | Argent on a pale Ermine between a castle of three towers and an argosy in full sail Sable a cross and in the first quarter a sword erect Or on a chief Gules a compass card Gold. |
| Supporters | On the dexter side a lion Or gorged with a collar Gules charged with [three] bezants and on the sinister side a dragon Gold winged Argent the underside of the wing charged with a cross Gules. |
| Motto | Integrity and Enterprise |
The IoD has different groups and offices across the UK. These are local places for IoD members to get in touch. At the national level, the IoD is run by a board and a council. The council helps members share their ideas and opinions.
Barbara, Lady Judge became the IoD's first female chairman in May 2015. She wanted to support women and help more women get top jobs in British businesses. She left the organization in September 2018. Charlotte Valeur took over after her but stepped down in August 2020. Patrick Macdonald became the new chair in March 2021.
Timothy Melville-Ross was the IoD's director-general from 1994 to 1999.
Stephen Martin was the director-general until early 2019. He was followed by Jonathan Geldart, who became the new director-general in October 2019.
The IoD's Home: 116 Pall Mall
The IoD is located in a very important building called 116 Pall Mall in London. This building is open to IoD members. It also has rooms that can be rented for events. The building and the many artworks inside belong to the Crown Estate. Before 1978, the building was used by the United Service Club.
The building was designed by John Nash. He was a famous architect in the 1800s who also designed the Brighton Pavilion. 116 Pall Mall was built between 1826 and 1828.
From 2001 to 2014, members could also use 123 Pall Mall. This was a modern meeting space, different from the older 116 Pall Mall. It was designed by Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway. Even though members liked it, the building was closed in 2014 to save money.
116 Pall Mall has been used as a filming location for many movies and TV shows. These include Gandhi, Foyle's War, Downton Abbey, The Ali G Show, Parks and Recreation and The Dark Knight.
