How to Check a Company Director in the UK
Why Check a Company Director?
Before entering into a business relationship, it's prudent to check who you're dealing with. Director checks are a standard part of:
- Supplier due diligence - verifying the people behind a company before awarding a contract
- Investment decisions - assessing the track record of founders and management
- KYC and compliance - meeting regulatory obligations for anti-money laundering
- Recruitment - verifying a candidate's claimed directorships
- Competitor intelligence - understanding who leads competing businesses
What Information Is Publicly Available?
Companies House holds the following information for every company director:
- Full name - as declared on the appointment form
- Date of birth - month and year only (day is protected)
- Nationality
- Occupation - self-declared, so accuracy varies
- Country of residence - country only, not full address
- Appointment date - when they became a director
- Resignation date - if they've left the company
- Other directorships - all current and recent appointments
The director's full home address is held by Companies House but is not publicly visible. Only their service address (which can be the company's registered office) is shown.
How to Search for a Director
Companies House Direct Search
- Go to Companies House
- Click "Search for an officer"
- Enter the person's name
- Review the results - note that common names will return many results
The search returns all current and historical directorships for matching names. You can filter by date of birth (if known) to narrow results.
What to Look For
When reviewing a director's profile, pay attention to:
Number of active directorships: Some people legitimately hold multiple directorships, especially in corporate groups. However, an individual listed as director of dozens of unrelated companies may be a nominee director or company formation agent.
Pattern of company dissolutions: If a person has a history of companies being struck off or dissolved, particularly with outstanding debts, this is a significant red flag.
Industry consistency: Do their directorships make sense together? A director of both a construction company and a software company might be diversified - or might be a nominee with no real involvement.
Timeline: Look at when companies were formed and when the person was appointed. Were they the founding director, or brought in later?
Disqualified Directors
The Disqualified Directors Register is a crucial check. Directors can be disqualified for:
- Allowing a company to trade while insolvent
- Failing to file accounts or returns
- Fraud or dishonesty
- Breaching competition law
A disqualified person cannot act as a director for the duration of their disqualification (typically 2-15 years). If someone is found acting as a director while disqualified, it's a criminal offence.
Persons with Significant Control (PSC)
Since 2016, companies must also declare their Persons with Significant Control - individuals who:
- Hold more than 25% of shares
- Hold more than 25% of voting rights
- Have the right to appoint or remove a majority of the board
- Otherwise exercise significant influence or control
PSC data is public and can reveal the true ownership of a company, which may differ from the directors listed.
Using NewcoHunter for Director Research
While NewcoHunter focuses on discovering new companies rather than detailed director checks, our company profiles include director information from Companies House. When you find a new company through our search, you can see its directors and follow through to their full Companies House profile.
This is particularly useful for B2B sales teams who want to personalise their outreach - knowing the director's name and background helps craft a relevant message.