The company secretary

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This subtopic gives practical guidance on the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006), common law and other regulations in relation to the appointment, retirement, resignation and removal of a company secretary. Content within this subtopic also summarises the role, responsibilities and liabilities of a company secretary.

Appointment, retirement, resignation or removal of a company secretary

A public company must have a company secretary, who must have the requisite knowledge and experience to be the company secretary and have certain specified qualifications.

A private company does not need to have a company secretary, unless its articles of association require it to have one, but a private company may choose to appoint a company secretary despite not being required to do so. A company secretary of a private company does not need to have any particular qualifications.

On incorporation, the first company secretary of a company is appointed by giving their details in the application to register a new company

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Corporate weekly highlights—21 November 2024

This week's edition of Corporate weekly highlights includes publication of Glass Lewis’ 2025 proxy voting policy guidelines, FCA Primary Market Bulletin 52 on issuers’ ability to identify and make public information that is inside information under MAR, HMT’s PISCES consultation response together with draft legislation to establish PISCES and HMT’s consultation on the value and use cases of a UK Green Taxonomy. Also included, are news of the adoption of the EU ESG Ratings Regulation and the announcement that EU due-diligence reporting duties are to be simplified through an ‘omnibus’ regulation.

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