Our History

The Chartered Governance Institute is the premier global qualifying organisation for professionals aspiring to become a Chartered Secretary and or a Chartered Governance Professional and qualifies people who have roles as company secretaries, governance advisers, risk managers, compliance managers, non-executive directors and more.

View all the Presidents of The Chartered Governance Institute

1891

Established in 1891 in London when it was formed by 18 company secretaries as 'The Institute of Secretaries of Joint Stock Companies'.

1902

The Institute grows to 1,500 members and the Royal Charter is granted. The members of The Chartered Institute of Secretaries of Joint Stock Companies and other Public Bodies are known as Chartered Secretaries.

1909

The first overseas branch is established in Southern Africa.

The Australian Institute of Secretaries of Joint Stock Companies and other Public Bodies is established independent of the London body.

1914

The Australia branch is formed in Melbourne called ‘The Chartered Institute of Secretaries’.

1916

Women are admitted.

1920

About half a dozen Chartered Secretaries who had graduated in the UK, meet in Montreal and form a 'group'. At this time, the Institute had Bye-Law 10 which permitted ‘distinguished professionals’ who had reached a certain level in age and experience to be admitted into Fellowship without further examination.

1928

The Institute in London moved to a Livery Hall purchased from the Worshipful Company of Curriers. This building was destroyed during an air raid in 1940.

1937

The New Zealand Division is founded. The branch had an initial membership of 39, and the first Chairman was G.W. Hutchison, CMG, FCIS, a prominent Auckland citizen, with N. R. Chapman, FCIS being the first Honorary Secretary.

1949

The Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries (HKICS) is established.

Various groups independent of the body established in London under Royal Charter were set up in Sydney and Melbourne between 1909 and 1924 and eventually merged in 1949 as the Australian Division of the Institute.

1959

The Malaysian Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (MAICSA) is founded in as an affiliated body to the Institute.

1961

The CGI Singapore Division is formed and operates as a committee under the Chartered Secretaries Institute of Singapore [f.k.a. the Singapore Association of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (SAICSA)].

1970

The Institute merged with The Corporation of Secretaries.

1971

The Institute changed its name from The Chartered Institute of Secretaries to The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe (ICSAZ) is incorporated by an Act of Parliament through the Chartered Secretaries (Pvt) Act.

1981

The ICSA absorbed The Institute of Local Government Administrators.

1988

The Canada Division Council agrees to allow members in Bermuda to choose between remaining on the London registry or transferring to that of the Canadian Division, as many students in Barbados and other Caribbean islands were studying courses provided by Canadian Division and therefore taking the Division’s examinations.

1992

The Institute implements governance changes that established the UK, Republic of Ireland and the Associated Territories as a Division as well as members in overseas Divisions acquiring the right to elect members to Council.

The United Kingdom (UKRIAT) succeeds in having the position and role of the Company Secretary included in the ground-breaking Cadbury Report.

1996

The first female President Joan Bingley is elected.

2013

A special resolution of members of Chartered Secretaries Australia Ltd to change its name  to Governance Institute of Australia Ltd. is approved. New postnominals of FGIA (for Fellows), AGIA (for Associates) and GIA(Cert) for Certificated members adopted.

2014

The New Zealand Division adopts the new name ‘Governance New Zealand Inc.’.

2018

The worldwide membership votes to change the Institute’s name from The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) to The Chartered Governance Institute (CGI).

2019

The new name ‘The Chartered Governance Institute’ comes into effect.

The Division known as the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Associated Territories (UKRIAT) adopts new name ‘The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland’ (CGIUKI).

The Canada Division adopts the new name ‘The Chartered Governance Institute of Canada’ (CGIC).

2020

The Southern Africa Division adopts the new name ‘The Chartered Governance Institute of Southern Africa’ (CGISA).

2021

The Hong Kong Division adopts the new name ‘The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute’ (HKCGI).

The Zimbabwe Division adopts the new name ‘The Chartered Governance and Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe’.