Certified Board Member Course in English

Many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are run by the entrepreneur himself or herself. The success of the company is based on the critical skills and the vast personal efforts of the entrepreneur. However, an SME faces various challenges at different stages of development, such as change of ownership, generation change, internationalization, fast growth, market disorders, and other turning points. In these situations, the entrepreneur, the owners, and the investors need able advisors who are experienced in those changes and the business areas in question. The best way to bind these advisors to the company is by appointing them as board members. 

Very often entrepreneurs and companies do not know enough such advisors to appoint to the board. Meanwhile, there are many advisors who know several business areas but lack an understanding of what board work includes and what the responsibilities are. This is one of the typical reasons why advisors are afraid to join a board of an SME. 

Tampere Chamber of Commerce and a regional development organization for board work Hallituspartnerit ry have conceived and developed a training program to solve those issues. It is called the Certified Board Member (CBM) program, (Hyväksytty hallituksen jäsen– HHJ in Finnish).

The innovative aspect of the CBM program is to combine two main issues and activate an unused or underused resource in a company. The first main issue is to spread knowledge about board work to people involved. The second is to introduce board work advisors and entrepreneurs to each other. The final objective is to get the board significantly involved in promoting the success and development of the company.