I would really appreciate some thoughts from people who work in governance or Company Secretary roles.
I am a qualified accountant (Big 4 trained) with just under ten years' experience across different areas of finance. Over the last five years I have worked in three different organisations. One was a longer-term role I eventually moved on from as I wanted to broaden my career, one was a fixed-term position that came to its planned end, and the most recent I left because the culture was not a good fit. There was also a short break in between roles. So although there have been a few moves in a relatively short space of time, each was for a clear reason and each role was at a mid-level with meaningful responsibility.
Across my roles, the work I have consistently been strongest in has involved governance and coordination: preparing and organising board papers, supporting committee meetings, managing reporting cycles, drafting documents, and ensuring accurate and timely information flow between teams. I enjoy the organisational and communication side of work and I’m good with detail and process. I am less interested in continuing down a purely technical accounting route.
I am now exploring Company Secretary and governance paths because they seem to align naturally with what I do well and enjoy.
My questions are:
• Does this sound like a realistic route into CoSec / governance roles from a finance background
• How much does a slightly less linear recent work history matter, if the experience and references are solid
• Are the CGI / ICSA qualifications usually taken alongside the role, or expected before applying
I am confident in my abilities and know I work well in environments with clear structure and accountability. I would just like to sense-check whether this is a recognised and practical move.
Thank you in advance for any insights.