While it is not mandatory to appoint a company secretary in New Zealand, it is advisable to do so and indeed many company founders follow this step.
The role of a company secretary in NZ can be a key one for the overall management of the business and it commences as soon as the company starts trading.
Our experts in company registration in New Zealand outline the most important responsibilities of the company secretary and can assist you in appointing one for your business.
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How to appoint a company secretary in NZ
As information about the company shareholders and directors is provided together with the incorporation documents, it can be useful to decide the appointment of the secretary as part of the New Zealand company formation stages.
Our experts in company registration with the Companies Office will draft the incorporation papers to include the name of the appointed secretary, and will also make sure that this individual has the right powers to handle important matters related to company submissions.
Because there is no formal requirement to appoint a company secretary in New Zealand, there is no mandatory condition for the acting secretary to be a NZ citizen. In practice, companies that work with a secretary will want a resident individual acting in this capacity. This ensures that a secretary is readily available to handle local issues, as they appear.
If you want to appoint a company secretary after the company is registered, the appointment will need to be notified to the Companies Office. The same requirement applies to any change in the company particulars post-registration.
Investors who open a business in New Zealand can choose their company secretary based on his or her resume, as well as other criteria which can be decided internally, between the company owners.
The role of the company secretary in New Zealand
Some of the main duties are summarized below by our team:
- observe the instructions of the board, as part of the company’s overall management and development strategy;
- liaison with shareholders, lawyers, advisers, and other parties;
- communicate with clients as may be required for some types of companies;
- prepare certain documents;
- schedule and arrange Board meetings, as well as other meetings;
- a company secretary in New Zealand will also record the minutes of the Board meetings, and other important meetings;
- maintain statutory registers and ensure compliance with important aspects of corporate and tax law; this means that the company secretary has an important role in ensuring part of the filings for the company.
As evident from the list above, a company secretary has a broad set of skills and an important administrative role. Company owners in New Zealand should aim to appoint an individual with the right experience.
New Zealand companies
Are you interested in company formation in New Zealand? Our team summarizes a set of interesting data about NZ companies gathered from official sources:
- according to the latest data from the Companies Office, 5,429 new companies were registered in New Zealand in May 2024;
- on 31 March there were 726,727 registered companies;
- the number of newly registered companies increased by 1% (138 new entities) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter in 2023;
- the total number of companies registered during the first three months of 2024 was 13,991.
If you want to start a business in New Zealand, our team will help you with all of the aspects related to its incorporation.
Contact us if you want to know more about the advantages of appointing a company secretary in NZ as soon as possible once you open a company in New Zealand.