Corporate Secretary

Corporate Secretary typically governs and guides both instances, and their authority and duties may be based on board of directors resolutions. These individuals are typically in charge of the administrative operations of the company's board of directors and upper management.

Some titles for Corporate Secretary are:

• Legal Secretary: They are in charge of administrative and clerical support for one or more lawyers.
• Office Secretary: They perform administrative and clerical tasks to ensure the smooth flow of operations and avoid project deliverable delays.
• Secretary Assistants: They provide administrative departments, management teams, or an individual with clerical support. Their responsibilities include overseeing office procedures and scheduling departmental meetings.

Some responsibilities of the Corporate Secretary are:

• Supervising Stockholder Relations, which includes stock issuance and transfer activities, stockholder correspondence, preparing and distributing proxy statements, and advising the Board on its roles and responsibilities.
• Managing the logistics of all Board and committee meetings; attending and recording minutes of all Board and committee meetings; facilitating board communications; Monitoring developments in corporate governance and assisting the decision makers in meeting the authority's needs and investor expectations.
• Facilitating new director orientation, assisting with director training and development, maintaining vital corporate documents and records, and assisting with investor communication and engagement on corporate governance issues.

The qualification required for Corporate Secretary is:

• Must have a bachelor's degree in commerce, management or a related field and CA (Chartered Accountant) or CS (Company Secretary) certification
• Prior experience in any practicing firm.

There is more competition in the Corporate Secretary sector. Still, demand is much higher due to the higher profit and various benefits of people looking for jobs in the Corporate Secretary field. One can start as Corporate Secretary and process to Legal Secretary, Office Manager, Executive Assistant, and Manager. Later, one can achieve the title of Managing Director, Controller, or Director of HR. Some alternate job roles for Corporate Secretaries are:

• Administrator Secretary: Handles administrative tasks and provides secretarial support to management.
• Assistant Secretary: Assists in secretarial duties and supports executives with administrative tasks.
• Department Secretary: Manages departmental paperwork and provides secretarial assistance to department heads.
• Executive Administrative Assistant: Supports executives with administrative tasks and provides high-level assistance.
• Executive Administrator: Manages administrative functions and provides support to executive-level staff.
• Executive Assistant: Assists executives with administrative tasks and coordinates meetings and events.

According to ICSI (Institute of Company Secretaries of India) data, India has seen a more than 70% increase in student enrollment in the Company/Corporate Secretary program in the last few years. According to ICSI, there are 22,000 Corporate Secretaries in the country, either practising independently or as employees of large industrial houses.
The Corporate Secretary and other sectors in India, such as the Executive Assistant, can expect a 10% raise every 18 months. Employees in all professions receive an average annual raise of 9% every 16 months. Executive Assistants typically assist higher-level executives progressively.