The Financial Times NED Network

University of Leeds Business School

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Leeds University Business School, part of the University of Leeds, runs the Exceptional Non-Executive Director (NED) Programme on its Leeds campus. The programme is for people with executive-level experience who want to develop the skills to serve as a non-executive director. It starts with two face-to-face days on campus, followed by a three-month placement with a high-growth small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) that includes at least three board meetings. An online webinar is held halfway through the placement and a final day on campus closes the course. Sessions cover legal responsibilities, financial literacy for NEDs, best practice on boards, situational leadership and how investment panels make decisions. It runs twice a year, with each cohort lasting four to five months. The fee is £2,800, and places are limited in each cohort. Participants receive a certificate and can apply to join a national NED network. The September 2026 cohort is full, and registration is open for February 2027.

VirtualNonExecs

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VirtualNonExecs is a UK membership network for non-executive directors (NEDs), chairs and board advisors, founded by Ian Wright in 2019. It connects members with companies, private equity and venture capital investors, family offices and founders looking for board members. Subscribing for access to posted board roles is free, and a paid Networker Pro upgrade adds a profile review, fee benchmarks and weekly board introductions. Organisations can use its HiringZone search service, which shortlists chairs, NEDs and fractional advisors from the network for a fixed fee agreed up front, and aims to produce a first shortlist in under five days. DealZone shares off-market capital raises and business sales with members. With Cranfield School of Management it offers the Non-Executive Directors Essentials Programme, an online, self-paced course of 8 modules and 24 short lessons covering governance and directors' duties, board finance, board effectiveness, the role of the chair, artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability. It is stage one of the Cranfield NED pathway, awards a verified Cranfield digital badge on completion, starts on enrolment with no fixed dates, and access does not expire. Membership prices and HiringZone fees are not published on its public pages. The Non-Executive Directors Essentials Programme costs £1,999 plus value added tax (VAT), or £1,499 plus VAT for Networker Pro members, and is provided by Cranfield Management Development Ltd, a subsidiary of Cranfield University. It states it has more than 30,000 members. Leonard Curtis, a professional services group, announced in November 2024 that it had acquired a majority stake. The company, Virtualnonexecs Limited, was incorporated in 2017 and took its current name in July 2019. Ian Wright is founder and chief executive, and Gary Cain is managing director.

Winmark NED Network

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Winmark NED Network is the non-executive director (NED) network run by Winmark, a London-based membership organisation for C-suite executives, founded in 1997. Members meet at evening sessions in London and can attend masterclasses that carry continuing professional development (CPD) points. Winmark's Board Leadership Certificate is a series of four half-day masterclasses, one of them on moving from executive to non-executive roles. They are free to full members and cost £300 to £1,000 for non-members. It also offers NED and board mentoring, four two-hour sessions over a year for £5,000 plus VAT. Membership fees are not published. With the Financial Times Board Director Programme, Winmark co-published How to Become a Successful Non-Executive Director (third edition, 2024).

Association of Chairs

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The Association of Chairs is a London-based membership charity for chairs and boards of charities and non-profit organisations, incorporated in 2012. It serves chairs, co-chairs, vice-chairs, aspiring chairs and trustees of non-profits of any size, and states that it has over 1,700 members. Membership gives access to member-only resources, chair support and mentoring, free events and webinars, Chairing Essentials or Board Essentials training, an online community and regional and sector groups. Events and training run online and in person. It also runs Chairs in Need, a support service, and publishes a free guide, A Chair's Compass, written by co-founders Ros Oakley and Ruth Lesirge. For 2025 to 2026, individual membership costs £70 a year where the organisation's income is under £5 million and £140 above that. Board membership covers the whole board and costs £175 to £495 a year depending on income, with 15% off a three-year sign-up and a limited number of bursaries. It gives its charity number as 1154293 and is a company limited by guarantee. Liz Lowther became chief executive in June 2025.