The Institute of Directors Bermuda is celebrating the success of four professionals who have been awarded the diploma in company direction.

Cheryl Ann Mapp, Francine Mason, Andrew Gibbs and Neil Glass successfully completed the institute’s company direction programme, which it said is recognised internationally as the benchmark for directors.

The diploma is a progression from the IoD certificate in company direction. It is a three-day course that aims to ensure delegates to work together to integrate and apply learning from the certificate when making decisions which affect the running of an organisation, in a series of challenging and realistic situations.

There is also a three-hour examination that tests the ability to apply governance, financial, leadership and strategic principles and practices to the crisis.

Mr Gibbs, chairman and chief operating officer of AmTrust International Insurance Ltd, said: “Professional development shouldn’t end when you make it to the higher rungs of the corporate ladder. Enjoying success as a manager doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be a good director — it’s important to ‘know what you don’t know’. Successful completion of the IoD certificate and diploma courses together with the exams gave me a greater appreciation of what it takes to be an effective company director, and in my case, chairman.”

Ms Mapp, chairwoman of the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission, said the diploma and company direction programme has been useful “in providing additional leadership tools which I have deployed in my roles as an independent director and corporate governance specialist practitioner. It was especially convenient to be able to participate in the course locally”.

While Ms Mason, Partner at Rawlinson & Hunter, said: “The experience of the IOD programme, through the certificate modules and diploma course, has provided me with invaluable tools to build my leadership capabilities. Throughout the programme it was enjoyable to interact and network with fellow candidates and professionals from a full range of industries here in Bermuda whom I would not have ordinarily encountered in my regular course of business.

“These connections have made us all more aware of the many opportunities to serve locally and indeed globally, recognising the range of people who are now available and eligible to serve as directors. As a female business leader, there is the added bonus of being prepared to participate at director level during a time when executives are embracing the benefits attributable to inclusivity and diversity — talent, mindset, gender, age, ethnicity, background — in the boardroom.”

The fourth diploma awardee, Mr Glass, is director at WW Management Limited.

Eighteen of the 46 local certificate holders have now completed the level two diploma designation.

A spokesperson for IoD Bermuda said: “There are more female certificate holders on island than men, however there are two more male diploma holders than women. And, while there is no competition for the gender sets to join the programme, IoD London course leaders who present the modules in Bermuda have noted the large number of professional women who are enhancing their director leadership capabilities through the training.

“This is a healthy development for the business community because it is creating a gender-diverse talent pool for board service.”

The 2018/2019 IoD Bermuda certificate and diploma in company direction programmes will be offered during the week of September 24. To learn more, send an e-mail to chair.bermuda@iod.net.