An Australian director for Swiss and European companies.
For Swiss, German and other European groups establishing or running an Australian subsidiary.
Swiss and European groups tend to expect a high standard of governance from their subsidiaries, and the Australian company is no exception. An Australian proprietary company must have at least one director who ordinarily resides in Australia (s 201A Corporations Act 2001), so most groups appoint an independent local director alongside their own executives.
What European groups usually ask us
- How the Australian board fits with group governance, approvals and reporting
- Director IDs for directors based in Europe, and how to plan the timing of the set-up
- Whether the Australian company needs to lodge financial reports with ASIC, which depends on its size and the relief available to foreign-controlled companies
- Reviewing and signing board resolutions promptly across the time difference
- What stays with the group and local advisers, such as payroll, tax and day-to-day management
Experience with European groups
Annalise Robertson was Corporate Counsel and Company Secretary for the Australian entities of Munich Re, the German-headquartered global reinsurer, and now sits on the boards of Australian subsidiaries of European groups. Reservoir Legal is also a member of the Australian Swiss Chamber of Commerce.
How we help
We act as a director of your Australian company, with the same legal duties as any other director. We review and sign board documents, keep oversight of Australian governance and compliance, and are your local point of contact, whether you are setting up in Australia or replacing a local director. See what the role involves and how an appointment works. For company set-up, Reservoir Legal's guide to setting up in Australia covers the steps.