Brit-Speak: Vernon Dursley is a /Director/.

[PGR]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Steve" <b_boymn at y...> wrote:
> Vernon Dursley is a director of Grunnings Drill Company.
> 
> First, I must wonder if he is /A/ Director, or if he is /THE/ 
Director.
> 
> Next, I have to wonder what the term /Director/ means in Britich
> culture and context.
> 
> Does it simply mean that Vernon is one of many middle managers? 
> 
> The term 'director' is used in the USA, most commonly in 'Board of
> Directors', but you rarely hear of a person directly referred to 
as a
> director in this context.

The board of directors thought is mostly correct, but although there 
are certain legal responsibilities a director has the title gives 
little indication of role or salary.  In the UK you can create a 
business that is incorporated as a Limited Company (I could get very 
boring here so I'll limit the details); the minimum requirements for 
this are a single director and a company secretary (director like 
with specific filing requirements).

It is common to have small Ltd companies like this run by (say) a 
husband and wife making a modest turn over.  I imagined Vernon to be 
the founder (or early partner of founder) of a small – medium firm.  
It would be wholly consistent for such a director to be entertaining 
an important (potential) client and expect a deal to yield a payoff 
(probably in an increased dividend).

I myself used to be the sole director of a software company and had 
to be the sales person, techie, lead consultant, MD, purchaser etc.

It is also possible that the title could be a high or middle ranking 
manager (directing as defined in a dictionary – to manage or 
control) as opposed to a company officer with legal duties (director 
defined in company law) but this would be (to my experience) an 
unusual title in the business world but I have seen it used in the 
public sector.  For example in the Office for National Statistics 
there are (was?) divisional directors. 

PGR