Do I need any special skills or qualifications to be a director?
There is no legal requirement for any qualifications except in certain specific businesses (eg investment companies).
Almost anyone can be a director, including both individuals and other limited companies. Exceptions include the company's auditor, people who have been disqualified from acting as a director by the courts, and undischarged bankrupts (who would need permission from the court).
There is no maximum age limit for directors but there is a statutory minimum age limit of 16. Any attempt to appoint an under-age director is ineffective, although an under-age individual can still acquire liabilities if he acts as a director (or as a shadow director - see question 19) before he is 16.
There is also an obligation for every company to have at least one natural person serving as a director - companies that have only corporate directors are not allowed (except for companies whose boards were made up wholly of corporate directors on 8 November 2006, which have until 2010 to comply).
