What is a Chartered Secretary?
What is a Chartered Secretary?
What does a Chartered Secretary do?
View our video to learn more about the role of a Chartered Secretary
What job roles do Chartered Secretaries perform?
What salary can a Chartered Secretary expect?
What is a Chartered Secretary?
Chartered Secretaries are high-ranking professionals with a diverse set of skills unique among many professions. Trained in corporate law, finance, governance and corporate secretarial practice, Chartered Secretaries are the focal point for independent advice about the conduct of business, governance and compliance. They can also offer legal and accounting advice and manage the development of strategy and corporate planning.
By becoming a Chartered Secretary you will not only broaden your skill-set, other benefits include:
access to a wide-variety of different job roles
diversity of responsibilities
a fast-track to top-level roles working with the board
top earning potential
stand out to potential employers
the status of having a Chartered Profession
the option to move across sectors
an internationally recognised qualification
the opportunity to work overseas.
To find out more about the role of a Chartered Secretary, view our video below.
What job roles do Chartered Secretaries perform?
As a Chartered Secretary you can work in a number of different sectors including corporate, not-for-profit, charity and the NHS. Many work as company secretaries but there are a wide variety of other roles Chartered Secretaries can perform. Here are just a few:
chief executive
financial controller
assistant company secretary
trust and companies manager
managing director
head of compliance
corporate administrator
in-house counsel
head of secretariat
risk controller
director of legal services
project manager
contracts manager
head of corporate governance
head of resourcing
director of finance
head of administrator
audit officer.
You may also have the opportunity to work in practice offering business and legal services to a range of clients.
What does a Chartered Secretary do?
Chartered Secretaries are high ranking professionals with a broad base of skills unique among the professions. Trained in corporate law, finance, governance, company secretaryship and management, Chartered Secretaries are the focal point for independent advice about the conduct of business, governance and compliance. Highly valued by employers, they are key players with the skills, vision and values to take their organisations forward.
The specific responsibilities of a Chartered Secretary vary depending upon the level of the job role, the size of the organisation and the sector in which it operates. However, responsibilities may include:
- advising the board on effective decision-making, legal and regulatory matters and risk management;
- developing and managing strategies to ensure compliance with legal and statutory requirements and identifying areas for improved corporate governance;
- managing board, shareholder and trustee communications, reports and meetings and liaising with auditors, lawyers and tax advisors;
- leading on issues essential to business performance, such as negotiation of contracts, finance, accounting, insurance and property;
- interpreting and advising on financial reporting;
- implementing changes in relevant legislation.
For further information, read our CSQS information leaflet.
What salary can a Chartered Secretary expect?
Salaries vary greatly depending on job role and organisation type. As a guide, a fully qualified Chartered Secretary working in the private sector earns anything between £55,000 and £180,000* on average with top company secretaries for a FTSE 100 company earning up to £305,600 basic.
A company secretarial assistant earns on average between £28,000 and £42,000 with top roles offering £45,000 working in the private sector.*Some of our students start their career in a secretarial assistant role and study for the ICSA qualification at the same time, so they gain valuable professional experience as well as earning an income and gaining a professional qualification.
*Information taken from Chambers and Partners Salary Survey 2010–2011.