Northern Ireland gains first Chartered Director

Ian Hearst, finance and buying director of Linslyn Retail, has become Northern Ireland's first Chartered Director.

Chartered Director is the world's first professional qualification for directors and run by the Institute of Directors (IoD). As the only professional qualification offered specifically for company directors, Chartered Director is designed to be a certificate of professional competence for those who have reached a high standard of knowledge and skill in their role.

While the procedures for becoming a Chartered Director are rigorous, candidates need to have a good knowledge of subjects such as company law, boardroom practice, finance, marketing and business strategy.

Commenting on becoming Northern Ireland’s first Chartered Director, Mr Hearst said: "The content that Chartered Director covered was very relevant to the day-to-day issues I face in business. It provided me with a practical understanding of business issues and forced me to rethink my approach.

"Being part of relatively young team of directors, the designation helped me to identify key elements of my job as a director rather than as a manager. It also helped to focus on strategic issues in our company and to recognise occasions where advice might best be sought externally from the company."

Linslyn Retail, in which Mr Hearst is company director, is a chain of 41 electrical retail stores, including Shop Electric and electricworld, which employs 500 staff and has a turnover of over £50m. (SP)