Anyone involved in the affairs of a company may be considered a director even if they are not appointed. [Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 9 — definition of "director")]. It is usual for a prospective director to sign a consent form.

To be a director a person must be:

Certain criminal offences involving dishonesty also disqualify a person from holding office in a company for a period of 5 years.

A company must have at least one director. If a director is automatically disqualified for any reason or dies, the company no longer has anyone to manage its affairs. In the case of disqualification, a personal representative such as the trustee in bankruptcy may appoint an alternate director. In the case of the death of the sole director, the executor may appoint a new director [Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 201F].