Equip yourself to become a Non-Executive Director

Who is this for

Current and aspiring non-executive directors in businesses, not-for-profits and the public sector.

Programme information – Face-to-face

  • Dates
    • 11 - 13 Mar 2025
    • 02 - 04 Jul 2025
    • 07 - 09 Oct 2025
  • Duration2.5 days residential
  • LocationCranfield campus
  • Cost£3,600 + VAT, including accommodation Concessions available


What you will get

  • Firsthand experience and advice from world-leading Cranfield faculty, board experts, authors and executive search professionals.
  • Network of high-profile peer executives and contributing experts to support you in your future NED career.
  • Comprehensive understanding of the role of a non-executive director.
  • Structured knowledge of legal, regulatory and personal responsibilities and current governance guidelines.
  • Practical understanding of how to secure a non-executive position.
  • Greater confidence in pursuing a non-executive placement and creating your ‘portfolio career’.
  • Clarity about the key attributes of an effective NED and how you can develop these skills.
  • Contextual awareness of how to apply your knowledge and skills to board room challenges in different organisations.

Case studies

This Programme gives you the confidence to know that you are prepared, you know where to go for additional resources, and you’ve got a wider network that you can reach out to.
Cathy Armor, Non-Executive Director, Cambridge University Press

This course is a must for aspiring NEDs, the programme is perceived to be more cutting edge and practical than others. Cranfield is at the forefront of research in the diversity space, which is of great interest to me as a female of minority ethnic background. The interaction with the speakers and other attendees was great, we had the ability to network in a natural and effortless way and all got a chance for our voice to be heard. I learnt a great deal from not only the speakers but also the other attendees and their experiences.
Gayani Fernando, Professional Development Expert, Corndel

The programme has given me the confidence to quickly get to the heart of issues in my board practice. I now have clear distinctions between board process, content, and behaviours, which is really useful.
Victoria Coxen, Director, Norman Rourke Pryme


Structure

  • Understand finance in the boardroom.
  • Discover how to find non-executive positions.
  • Good governance - what is it and how do we get there?
  • Board evaluation - dealing with the top team dynamics.
  • Dinner with an inspirational guest speaker.
  • Understand the role of the chair, succession and transition of board members.
  • Compare non-executive roles in different types of organisations, including the not-for-profit sector.
  • How to work effectively with executive search firms and optimise your NED CV.
  • Explore a case study presented by Patrick Dunne, author of Boards, and discuss the issues which arise and the options for resolution.
  • Discuss your conclusions from the programme.

What you will experience

This programme is a practical two day session, delivered by renowned Cranfield faculty and world-leading board experts, helping senior executives become non-executive directors across the UK from different sectors. It is delivered by key topic discussions, reviews, interactive sessions and a networking dinner with an inspirational guest speaker.

Unique and practical programme features

  • Increase your profile and develop your portfolio career through peer networking.
  • Cranfield renowned faculty and world-leading board experts – draw on their research, thought leadership and global perspective on key issues to equip you with powerful insights.
  • Peer to peer learning and network of high-profile peer executives, supporting each other in your NED careers.

Programme Director

Ian White

Concessions

20% discount (tuition fee only) for Cranfield School of Management Alumni who have attended one of our eligible leadership programmes.

Apply for a charity scholarship place (tuition fee only) on the programme if you currently work within a third sector organisation – or apply here.

Accommodation options and prices

Tuition, course materials,  and lifelong access to Alumni Membership benefits are included in the price of this course.

Location and travel

Cranfield School of Management is situated in Bedfordshire close to the border with Buckinghamshire. 

The School is located almost midway between the towns of Bedford and Milton Keynes and is conveniently situated between junctions 13 and 14 of the M1.

London Luton, Stansted and Heathrow airports are 30, 90 and 90 minutes respectively by car, offering superb connections to and from just about anywhere in the world.

For further location and travel details

Location Address

Cranfield Management Development Centre
Wharley End
Cranfield
Bedford.
MK43 0HG

How to apply

Next steps

Our team of executive development experts will be happy to talk to you about your development needs, please email us or call +44 (0)1234 754500.

Download brochure

This course is provided by Cranfield Management Development Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary of Â鶹´«Ã½AV