An inside director is an individual who sits on a board of directors and who also is employed by a company. An individual who works as a company's chief financial officer (CFO), for example, and who makes big picture decisions along with major shareholders is consider an inside director since he or she also represents the needs of management. To become an inside director, it is essential to earn a degree in a field such as management or finance, though in many situations it might make more sense to earn a degree in a field related to your industry. A person who wants to become an inside director also should plan on working for a number of years within one organization and moving up into the highest levels of management. It is worth noting that inside directors also can describe sales professionals who oversee sales to clients who already are enrolled in or subscribed to services.
When inside directors sit on boards of directors, they commonly are some of the top decision makers in an organization. Whereas a number of directors solely represent the needs of shareholders, inside directors commonly represent the needs of management and concentrate on factors such as employment and investments that can help an organization to grow. Inside directors commonly are professionals who have spent long careers in their companies and have strong understandings of regular operations, as well as the goals of long term strategies.
To become an inside director, it is essential to prepare yourself to become a top professional in a certain industry. This means that you should choose a field in which you already are trained or for which you would like to train and to earn necessary degrees or certification. For example, if you would like to work in the bioengineering field, you should takes classes in engineering and chemistry. It also is a good idea to take management courses and to gain leadership experience.
An individual who would like to become an inside director needs to prove that he or she is fully dedicated to a company and also is a valuable asset to it. Many people who become inside directors had been early developers of organizations. To become an inside director is to become a decision maker who decides how a company may progress well into the future and also to make decisions regarding an organization's market value.
Inside directors who act as sales professionals, on the other hand, tend to be high level sales managers who have experience with customer relations. They specialize in developing marketing strategies for individuals who already are using services provided by an organization. An individual who would like to become an inside director in sales should earn at least an associate's degree in business or a related field and to get at least five years of sales experience.