The NED Accelerator Programme® is designed for professionals looking to transition to non-executive directorship successfully and confidently or build a portfolio of NED positions. The course will allow you to define your value proposition to boards, execute a NED CV that converts your application into interview, understand the NED role, secure an appointment and prepare you to be effective once appointed.

The online course is self-paced, so you can move through the materials at a speed that’s right for you. The length of our videos varies between 10 to 30 minutes, totalling over 8 hours of high-quality, relevant, and actionable content. Homework will be completed throughout the programme, including the definition of your value proposition, identification of the boards you should target and execution of your NED CV. To reinforce these learnings, you will also receive a soft copy of the guide “What to Expect of the NED role” guide, access the downloadable summary sheets and the NED letter of appointment template and validate your learnings with our two questionnaires. So, you should allow a minimum of 15 hours to complete the course.

As the UK professional body for non-executive directors and board members and the institute of board members, we have real-world experience in successfully transitioning professionals to non-executive roles.

A professional body is an organisation with individual members practising a profession in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that. Further information can be found on the gov.uk website or visit our website (https://www.nedonboard.com/). NEDonBoard is the trading name of the Global Institute of Board Members. An institute carries out research at the highest level.

Here is why you should invest in yourself with NEDonBoard:

1. The NED Accelerator course curriculum has been designed with the input of the NEDonBoard community of non-execs and board members.
2. It is delivered by subject matter experts and non-execs, who are truly independent board professionals. 
3. It is the only course in the market that combines fundamental governance knowledge with tools, guidance and strategies for you to secure NED roles. 
4. You are awarded a professional qualification upon completion of the course. 
5. There are no comparable training courses in the market in terms of content, quality, delivery and user experience.

Yes, the NEDonBoard Accelerator Programme will give you both the credibility and confidence to apply and interview for suitable NED roles. Our goal is to ensure you have all the knowledge and information you need to:

• Position yourself effectively in the competitive NED talent pool;
• Apply to roles that fit both your skills and aspirations;
• Thrive during the interview process;
• Secure one or more appointments.

The NED Accelerator Programme gives you the necessary knowledge, skills, tools, and strategies to win interviews and prepare for non-executive director and board member roles. NEDonBoard has distilled their experience as the UK professional body to create a comprehensive, essential, self-paced and completely online programme that will fast-track you to the board room.

When boards look to appoint a non-executive director, they are looking for the candidate to have a diverse range of skills and knowledge so that they can contribute to the sustainable success of their organisation. Anyone who has held a senior executive position, consulted with boards or developed an expertise and skills that are transferable, can fast-track their progression and become board-ready and appointable by taking the NED Accelerator Programme.

Non-executive directors enjoy a host of benefits, including:

• Independence and flexibility in their career
• Learning new skills
• Broadening their network
• Living varied and new experiences
• Fast-tracking their executive careers
• Contributing their skills, experience and expertise
• Generating additional income

Sitting on the main board, the role of the non-executive director is to challenge, question and monitor the CEO and senior management; bringing an independent perspective to decision-making. As well as holding senior management to account, they also support and mentor the CEO. Non-executive directors are a “critical friend” and must always act in the interests of the company’s stakeholders.

The NED Accelerator Programme will give you an in-depth understanding of the NED and the differences between the role of the non-executive director and the executive director. 

A portfolio career is a way of working that can incorporate multiple roles across different fields. The beauty of being a non-executive director is that you can pick and choose the roles that suit your lifestyle, all whilst continuing your professional development.

The amount of work can vary widely, from 4 days per year to 1 to 2 days per week. The time commitment of the non-executive director role is indicated in the role specification. Before applying to a vacancy, ensure that you have the availability to perform the role, acknowledging that at times, you may be required to spend more time, when there is a crisis, for example. A non-executive role is not just for when you are in the boardroom.

A non-executive director salary varies greatly depending on the role, size of the organisation, sector and industry. The time commitment (a couple of days per week, per month or per quarter?) and responsibilities including being a member of a sub-committee of the board, being the SID, the chair of the board or of a board committee are also factors. Professionals taking on charity trustee roles are typically unpaid, whereas FTSE 100 NED can expect £70k. Public appointments and commercial NED roles attract a remuneration, starting from a few thousand, up to a level commensurate with listed companies.

The NED Accelerator Programme uniquely combines fundamental governance knowledge with practical strategies to secure your first non-execution position. Here is the course curriculum:

• What to Expect of the NED role, a 28-page NEDonBoard publication
• Governance foundations: 4 presentations (70 minutes) covering board structures, the responsibilities and duties of directors, the UK Corporate Governance Code, and the Wates Principles for Large Private Companies.
• Directors’ and officers’ liability insurance: 2 presentations (32 minutes) 
• Tax and the NED: 40 minutes of insights into tax matters when you are appointed across 2 presentations
• Additional considerations: ethics (15 min) and effective board reports (10 min)
• Securing a non-executive role: 4 presentations (72 minutes) discussing strategies to secure a role, value proposition, NED CV, attributes of the effective non-executive, etc. Exclusive content: NED CV template!
• NED letter of appointment for your personal use as a reference point once you are appointed
• Destination BOARD: a 30-minute presentation to determine which boards you should target
• Public appointments: deeper dive into public appointments
• Day to day life of portfolio NEDs: two insightful interviews with experienced NEDs about their portfolio (25 minutes)
• Case studies: 11 interviews (from 3 to 12 minutes each) of experienced and recently appointed NEDs, including graduates of the NED Accelerator Programme. Expect insights, recommendations, tips, and inspiration from a diverse group of talented professionals 
• Bonus content such as panel discussions, downloadable publications, links to further reading

You will receive access to all the programme videos, bonus materials, downloadable summary sheets and publications, NED CV example and template, NED letter of appointment, etc. You will also receive the widely read NEDonBoard community newsletter and get lifetime access the course materials, including all future additions and improvements. Lock in the NED Accelerator Programme's price today as we reward early adopters. Note that the NEDonBoard membership is not included in the price of the NED Accelerator Programme.

This will depend on the individual company. Most will have a training budget to support the professional development of employees and staff retention, so it’s worth having a conversation with your manager or HR director. When discussing the possibility of them covering the cost, we recommend you present the following programme information and benefits:

• Comprehensive course curriculum
• Experienced course leaders
• Online and at your own pace to avoid business disruption
• Skills developed on the course
• CPD credits associated with the programme
• Programme delivered by a professional body and institute

Once you’ve received confirmation from your company, you’ll need to work out a payment plan. Consider whether they will pay upfront, or if you will purchase the programme and send a receipt for reimbursement.

If you are an organisation looking to train and certify multiple senior executives or professionals at your company, then we have special pricing for five professionals or more. Please email [email protected] for information.

We offer two options: pay the full investment upfront, or pay in instalments over a period of two months. We work with Stripe, so your payment is handled securely.
VAT applies to the cost of the course (UK and EU residents).