Bermuda branch of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

The Bermuda Branch of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators was formed about five years ago with the object of promoting the qualification and to providing the high calibre of professional administration in all areas of business, commerce and other sectors of the community.

It is a very flexible and multi-disciplinary profession with members in as diverse fields as hospital administrators, local government, pensions, personnel, insurance and public finance.

Core duties of a company secretary A company secretary's remit is very wide and this list covers only the legal responsibilities. In practice, there are very few aspects of corporate management in which the company secretary is not involved in some way: Organising board and general meetings Ensuring compliance with the company's memorandum and articles of association general compliance with the Companies Act, Stock Exchanges andf the Registrar of Companies Communication with shareholders and monitoring of share ownership Acting as a channel of communication with non-executive directors Company secretaries, especially those in small and medium-size organisations, can find themselves involved in many other administrative and management functions.

Chartered Secretaries and Administrators The terms `secretary' and `administrator' have many possible meanings which The many roles of chartered secretaries bodies and government and can apply to a wide range of roles. But it is only our members who are entitled to call themselves `Chartered Secretaries and Administrators'. Thus the title denotes a person with the professional knowledge, experience and personal qualities necessary for corporate-level management, effectively as the lynchpin and controller of functions without which no organisation could operate.

Their ability to manage corporate resources at maximum effectiveness with least cost can make a major contribution to organisational efficiency.

Yet, it requires many personal qualities of which tolerance, mastery of a complex body of knowledge and the readiness to solve problems through consensus rather than by dicta are, perhaps, the most important. Chartered Secretaries and Administrators are also entitled to hold the office of company secretary - effectively an organisation's chief administrative officer and adviser on corporate matters to senior management.

Professional administration which can ensure that organisations achieve maximum effectiveness in a way which avoids any conflict or clash of interests has therefore become indispensable.

Few careers call upon individuals to balance such diverse responsibilities.

Yet it is in the ability of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators to do this while making major contributions to the efficiency, unity and well-being of organisations that the unquestioned calibre of the Institute and its members lies.

For further information about Chartered Secretaries and Administrator please contact: Professional & Member Services Department, The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, 16 Park Crescent, London WIN 4AH, United Kingdom. Tel: 44-071-580-4741.