As per law, every organization should have a corporate secretary. The corporate secretary is like one of the pillars that makes a firm basis for the company and ensures that it is functioning properly.

What is a corporate secretary

The corporate secretary is the employee who ensures the efficiency of the administration of a company, the compliance of the office procedures with legal requirements and implementing the decisions made by the Board of Directors. She is also a liaison between the management and the employees and is responsible for executing the top-level decisions.

Corporate secretary duties and responsibilities

The corporate secretary is one of the most important persons in an organization. She has to perform several duties at an office and they vary greatly from one organization to another. However, the following are the common duties and responsibilities of the job profile:

Board meetings

The corporate secretary will conduct all the Director of Board meetings and committee meetings in which her roles include inviting the attendees, reserving the venue and looking after the logistical issues. She will also note down the important decisions taken in the meeting and ensure that all of them are executed.

Creating agendas

The corporate secretary will prepare an agenda that meets with the state laws and the company’s goals for the whole year. She will also look after changing the agendas as per the emerging business needs.

Record keeping

The corporate secretary should prepare the minutes of the meetings and also convey the decisions to the employees and implement them in the organization. She has to maintain the key corporate documents and records of the employees.

Trainer

The corporate secretary also acts as a trainer when new members join the team. She has to take care of the orientation, training, and briefing about the company’s procedures. She will provide an overall idea about the history, management and working style of the company for the new member.

Materials and presentations

The corporate secretary is responsible for preparing materials and presentations that are required for the meetings. She should disseminate them among the board members prior to the meeting. She should consider factors like adequacy, consistency, ease of use and the quality of the materials. She must also ensure that every team member knows the necessity of keeping confidential information.

Skills required for a corporate secretary

• Excellent oral and written skills
• Basic knowledge of IT
• Basic accounting skills
• An understanding of the legal system that affects the organization
• Multitasking ability
• Discretion with confidential information

Competencies required for a corporate secretary

• An in-depth understanding of the company’s business
• Basic knowledge of the state and corporate laws
• Professionalism coupled with effective interpersonal skills
• A quick and intuitive understanding of the management’s directions
• Flexible and creative
• Ability to manage pressure
• A sense of responsibility towards the organization

COA training for corporate secretaries

Do you wish to become a corporate secretary? Despite having the right educational qualifications and skills, you may find it hard to get the position of a corporate secretary at a reputed company. But with international certification, you will reach one step closer to your goal. Certified Office Administrator (COA) is a training that can make you equipped with the tools that you need to become a corporate secretary.

COA training at Blue Ocean Academy

The Certified Office Administrator (COA) course at Blue Ocean Academy is suitable for the individuals who work or aspire to be in the fields of Administration, Human Resources, Front Office and Secretarial services. It is tied up with the American Certification Institute (ACI) which gives you the opportunity for international certification.

This training is ideal for the individuals who wish to become a corporate secretary or have been into the field for long but not able to get better opportunities due to lack of professional training.