The Corporate Governance Institute was set up in 2020 to bridge the global certification skills gap among board members.
Edtech start-up the Corporate Governance Institute has announced its plans to create 20 new jobs. The company’s hiring plan is part of a broader €2m investment strategy that will see it double its staff headcount as well as scale internationally. It is currently advertising for a marketing copywriter, learner support assistant and membership sales executive.
The Corporate Governance Institute provides education and certification for board members. It was founded in 2020 by edtech entrepreneurs Anthony Quigley and David W Duffy. The start-up offers courses in key boardroom topics such as environmental, social and governance, digital transformation, cybersecurity and company secretary. There is also a fully accredited diploma in corporate governance. The courses are all offered online in line with the institute’s digital-first ethos.
Duffy commented that although digital technology had revolutionised so many industries, the experience of becoming a certified board member has been comparatively “slow to embrace new and updated technologies”.
“At the Corporate Governance Institute, we are digital-first and on a mission to simplify director education, making it both affordable and accessible,” he said.
With the €2m in funding raised from backers Davy EIIS Fund, which is managed by BES Management DAC, a joint venture between BDO Ireland and Davy, the Corporate Governance Institute aims to rapidly expand into Europe and the UK, increasing both product development and its staff headcount.
Sinead Heaney, a partner at BDO said the services provided by the institute represented a “huge, global opportunity” as “regulation and compliance requirements for directors” are becoming more common in an industry which does not have very high rates of certification of board members globally.
According to Quigley: “The governance sector can now benefit greatly by implementing recognised digital education methods that are being successfully implemented in other sectors. Existing and aspiring directors can now learn how to develop a truly global mindset and gain the practical knowledge that is required to have a positive impact in the boardroom.”
The institute is fully university accredited and is included in the European Qualification Framework, which is recognised across the globe in both academic and professional sectors. Since 2020, the Corporate Governance Institute has certified directors from more than 18 countries. It has a 95pc certification rate with 54pc of its graduates being women.
More information on jobs can be found on the company’s website.
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