Types of Director in Company

Managing Director

A Managing Director is a director by the virtue of Articles of Association of a company or an agreement with the company or a resolution passed in the general meeting or by the Board of Directors. As the board of directors is entrusted with the substantial powers of management of affairs of the company.

Whole-time Director or Executive Director

Someone who is in Full-time employment of the Company is an executive director or the whole director.

Ordinary Director

An ordinary director is a simple director who attends the Board meetings of a company and participates in the matters that are put before the Board of Directors. These Directors are not whole-time Directors or Managing Directors.

Additional Director

An additional director is an individual that is appointed by the Board of Directors between the two annual general meetings subject to the provisions of the Articles of Association of a Company. The additional directors should hold office only till the date of the next annual general meeting of the Company. However, the number of directors and the additional directors of a company together shall not exceed the maximum strength that is fixed for the Board of Directors by the Articles of Association.

The Board of Directors in the general meeting to act for a Director called the original director during his absence for not less than three months. In most cases, the alternate directors are appointed for a person who is non-resident Indian or for the foreign collaborators of a company.

Professional Director

A professional Director is a director with professional qualifications and does not have any pecuniary interest in the company. These professional Directors are sometimes appointed on board to utilize their expertise in the management of the company.

Nominee Director

Banks and the private equity investors who provide equity assistance to a company generally impose a condition to appoint their representative on the Board of the concerned company. These nominated persons are called the Nominee Director.

In the case of a One Person Company, a nominee director is an individual who is nominated by the sole Director of the One person company to take over the affairs of the OPC in case of death or incapacitation of the sole director.

Maximum and Minimum Number of Directors in Private Limited Company

A corporate body of the business entity cannot be appointed as a Director in a private limited company. Hence, only an individual can be appointed as a Director in a Company. A Private Limited company can have a maximum of fifteen directors and the number of directors can be increased further by passing a special resolution.

How many minimum directors can the following entities have?

Private Limited Company- Can have a minimum of two directors.

Limited Company- Minimum three directors.

One Person Company- Minimum one director.

Director in Private Limited Company – Residency Requirement

There is no such requirement according to the Companies Act,2013 that prohibits appointing of any person who is a foreigner or the NRI as the Director of the Company. Section 149(3) also provides that every company shall have at least one director who has stayed in India for a total period of not less than one hundred and eighty-two days in the previous calendar.

Women Director Requirement in Company

At least one woman director is to be appointed in case of Listed companies and limited companies that have a paid-up share capital of Rs.100 crore rupees or more or turnover of Rs. 300 crores.