Charles Davis Feb 22, 2017:

@Jorge If he is the sole director, as it appears, I think you must be right.

Jorge Merino (asker) Feb 22, 2017:

@Charles, @Robert I asked client to define clearly what Mr. NN does. I have the feeling that he is the equivalent to the General Manager or CEO of the company. Let's see...
Thank you all, I really enjoy reading your complete and grounded comments.

Charles Davis Feb 22, 2017:

It's administrador único in Spain too, by the way.
As for whether "director" really is the right word here, I'm less sure than I was, but I think Jorge is the best person to judge. It sounds like one of those many cases that makes our lives so difficult, where the structures and concepts don't altogether match.

Robert Carter Feb 22, 2017:

@Charles Thanks, yes, that was my feeling too, that he's the sole director (administrador único [Méx.]). I'm not sure how they phrase the "sole" part, but it would clearly seem to translate as "director" in Paraguay, according to your reference.
My initial problem with Robin's entry is that it seemed to me to confuse executive and non-executive positions, but it's understandable in any case because the lines are so blurred in the UK.

Robert Carter Feb 22, 2017:

continued...2 But, just to back up your point, if they use the term "directores" in Paraguay to refer to the members of what here in Mexico we call the "consejo de administración" (administradores), then I'd say "directores" is correct, at least for Paraguay.

Charles Davis Feb 22, 2017:

@Robert "The director" is quite straightforward (to understand, not necessarily to translate): a UK company must have at least one director, but one is enough:

"To set up a private limited company you need to register with Companies House. This is known as ‘incorporation’.
You’ll need:
- a suitable company name
- an address for the company
- at least one director
- details of the company’s shares - you need at least one shareholder
- to check what your SIC code is - this identifies what your company does [...]"
https://www.gov.uk/limited-company-formation/setting-up

"Your company must have at least one director. Directors are legally responsible for running the company and making sure company accounts and reports are properly prepared."
https://www.gov.uk/limited-company-formation/appoint-directo...

That's why I thought my reference to the directorio being "unipersonal o colegiado" in Paraguay might be relevant.

Robert Carter Feb 22, 2017:

continued... There is a strong parallel here with the structure of government, which tends to separate the political cabinet from the management civil service. In the United States, the board of directors (elected by the shareholders) is often equivalent to the supervisory board, while the executive board may often be known as the executive committee (operating committee or executive council), composed of the CEO and their direct reports (other C-level officers, division/subsidiary heads).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_directors#Two-tier_sy...

Robert Carter Feb 22, 2017:

@Charles That's right, but the corporate structure is different, at least here in Mexico it is, and it appears to be the case elsewhere. From what I can tell, it's only in the UK where the line seems to be fuzzy as to whether a director is executive or non-executive. In the US, for example, there is a clear distinction between a director ("administrador") and a chief officer ("director" in Spanish). That's where the problem lies with Jorge's source text. I can't tell what "Mr. NNN is the director of the company" is supposed to mean.

Two-tier system[edit]
In some European and Asian countries, there are two separate boards, an executive board for day-to-day business and a supervisory board (elected by the shareholders and employees) for supervising the executive board. In these countries, the CEO (chief executive or managing director) presides over the executive board and the chairman presides over the supervisory board, and these two roles will always be held by different people. This ensures a distinction between management by the executive board and governance by the supervisory board and allows for clear lines of authority.
continued...

Charles Davis Feb 22, 2017:

@Jorge Eso no es del todo cierto (quiero decir lo que dices del "Board of Directors"). Algunos de sus miembros suelen ser ejecutivos de la empresa; pero en cualquier caso responden ante los accionistas y los representan: "In a stock corporation, the board is elected by the shareholders and is the highest authority in the management of the corporation."
Hay "inside directors" y "outside directors" (o "independent directors"):
Typical inside directors are:
A chief executive officer (CEO) who may also be chairman of the board
Other executives of the organization, such as its chief financial officer (CFO) or executive vice president
Large shareholders (who may or may not also be employees or officers)
Representatives of other stakeholders such as labor unions, major lenders, or members of the community in which the organization is located [...]
An outside director is a member of the board who is not otherwise employed by or engaged with the organization, and does not represent any of its stakeholders."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_of_directors

Jorge Merino (asker) Feb 22, 2017:

@ Charles Como indica Robin, el "Board of Directors" estaría compuesto por los directores de áreas, es decir, está dentro de la organización funcional de la empresa. Pero este no es el caso en Paraguay y muchos otros países por estos lados. El "Board of Directors" o "Directorio" está compuesto por los representantes de los accionistas, y no tiene una función ejecutiva, es decir, está fuera de la organización.
Como bien apunta Robert, la diferencia puede estar entre "administradores" y "directores"...

Charles Davis Feb 22, 2017:

Continuación Puede haber un solo director o varios:

"El Directorio, ya sea unipersonal o colegiado tiene las más amplias facultades para dirigir y administrar todos los negocios y bienes de la sociedad"
http://www.oei.org.py/licitacion/files/ESTATUTO_80030077-7. ...

Aquí tenemos la composición del directorio de una empresa paraguaya, con cinco "directores titulares" y tres suplentes (2.1, en pág. 5):
https://www.interfisa.com.py/media/informe-anual-de-gobierno...

Creo que los "directores" de una sociedad paraguaya, en el sentido de miembros del directorio, equivalen a los "directors" en una sociedad británica, en el sentido de miembros del "board of directors".

Charles Davis Feb 22, 2017:

@Jorge En las sociedades británicas, "director" puede referirse a dos cosas distintas: por una parte, un miembro del "Board of Directors" (un "company director"), y por otra, un gerente de área (sales director, human resources director, etc.). Los segundos no son necesariamente "directors" en el primer sentido, y normalmente no lo serán

Parece que ocurre lo mismo en las sociedades latinoamericanas. En tu país, por ejemplo, las sociedades tienen un directorio, cuyos miembros se llaman directores:

"La administración de la sociedad anónima esta a cargo de un directorio, integrado por uno o más directores, generalmente nombrados en número impar para evitar empates, designados por asamblea ordinaria o en el acto constitutivo (artículos 1079 y 1102 Código Civil)."
Sebastián Balbín, "El directorio de las sociedades anónimas en el derecho paraguayo"
http://www.pj.gov.py/ebook/monografias/extranjero/civil/Seba...

(Continuará)

Jorge Merino (asker) Feb 22, 2017:

@ Robin Aquí hay una referencia de las responsabilidades de un "Director" en el Reino Unido bajo la "Companies House Act 2006":
http://thebusiness.duedil.com/ukcompany-directors-3633/
No parece referirse a los "directores o gerentes de áreas" que conocemos en LatAm...