The procedure of appointing a director and his or her role and duties will be governed largely by the Companies Act 2006 and the company’s articles of association and, if the director has a service contract, by what he or she has contracted with the company.
We offer a service which handles the entire process, including the filing of the Companies House forms.
The appointment of directors will usually be determined by the company’s articles of association, which should always be consulted before any appointment. There are, however, two principal ways to appoint a director of a company:
If the company's articles of association allow then a director may be appointed by a resolution of the board. Most articles, including private company model articles, allow this. Alternatively, the director may be appointed by passing an ordinary resolution of the company's shareholders.
A director must be registered as such with Companies House within 14 days of being appointed.
A director may resign voluntarily (i.e. within the terms of his or her contract) and can be removed by shareholders. A company’s shareholders can always remove a director by passing a resolution agreeing to the removal of the director.
The company must also notify Companies House within 14 days of a person ceasing to be a director or the occurrence of any change in the particulars contained in the register of directors, e.g. a directors’ change of residential address.
Company directors are the people responsible for the day-to-day running of a company. Anyone who is above the age of 16 may be a company director. However, if the company breaks the law, directors may be held accountable.
The powers and responsibilities of a director are outlined in the company‘s Articles of Association. Often, the same person can be both a shareholder and a company director.
The minimum age to be appointed as a company director in the UK is 16 years old. Anyone under this age cannot legally be appointed to the role of director. It's important to ensure that all directors meet this age requirement before proceeding with their appointment.
A private limited company must have a minimum of one director and at least one director must be a natural person i.e. not a corporation or firm.
No maximum limit to how many directors a company may have is prescribed by law.
No. You must first appoint a new director so that your company will temporarily have two directors listed at Companies House. Once the new director's role is registered you may then remove the other director.
If you are disqualified from being a company director, you must wait until the end of your disqualification period before you can form a new company or take part in its management. The disqualification can last between 2 to 15 years, depending on the severity of the offence. However, you can still be a shareholder in a company during your disqualification.
It’s crucial to comply with the disqualification terms, as acting against them is a criminal offence. Once the disqualification period is over, you can engage in company formation and management activities again. For more guidance on director disqualification, please visit our Help Centre article on the topic: When and How a Company Director May Be Disqualified.
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