Today, the role of the company secretary is almost unrecognisable to what it was in the not-so-distant past. Then, company secretaries were seen as administrative assistants to the board, with note-taking and tea- making being their chief tasks. While administration was a core part of their activity, it was unfair even then to view them as playing such a minor role.
They also carried out significant statutory duties, such as ensuring the business complied with company law, maintained certain statutory registers and made the necessary filings, such as annual returns, financial statements, and certain forms with respect to changes to share capital, for example. One of the biggest changes in recent years has seen company secretaries take on the responsibility for developing, coordinating and implementing processes to promote and sustain good corporate governance. Nowadays, they provide a valuable service as a repository of corporate knowledge, regulations and good governance to the board, which can sometimes be overlooked.
They play an often-indispensable role in supporting the effectiveness of the board, and in assisting the chairman and CEO in their duties too. The arrival of the pandemic in 2020 necessitated that they step up and provide additional value and support to the board, which has been in almost constant crisis mode for the last two years. This has required company secretaries to broaden and evolve their administration and governance remit to become facilitators and enablers of critical board processes.
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