His or her mission is to represent the interest of the shareholders of the company.
The Director is usually elected by the shareholders. Some directors might be elected by the employees. The director participates in each meeting of Board of Directors of the company. He meets with the main executives. He elects and terminates the Chief Executive Officer and the Chairman of the Board. Some directors have specific assignments through Committees dedicated to the governance, the financial statements or the compensation of the key executives.
The Director has strategic roles. His or her responsabilities have increased following some financial scandals such as Enron. He advises and controls the performance of top management. He often facilitate new alliances and large deals with customers or partners. He brings his experience on new markets or his expertise in new fields of investigation for the company.
The most common titles covering the responsability of Director or Member of the Supervisory Board are Independent Director - Non-Executive Director - Director, Employee Representative or Member of the Board.