Managing Director CV Examples & UK Templates

As managing director, you are the captain of a company. You take to the reins, ensuring that the business delivers on its promises and reaches its targets. This multi-faceted role requires industry prowess, business acumen, and determination. Since this is one of the highest possible positions in any company, only the most talented and experienced professionals need apply. 

If you’ve had a long, illustrious career, you may wonder how to share your value with the hiring manager. Showcasing all of your strategic accomplishments and innovative practices on a one or two-page CV is certainly a tall order. Miss the mark, and you could find that you have ruined your chances of career progression before you’ve even started. 

The first step in your success is crafting a manager director CV that hooks the reader’s attention. In the following guide, we will take you through the steps you must follow.

CV guide for a managing director CV

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This CV guide and corresponding managing director CV example will cover the following:

• How to write a managing director CV
• Choosing the right CV format for a managing director
• How to add your contact information
• Using summaries
• Adding your managing director experience
• Listing education and relevant experience
• Picking the right CV design/layout
• What the managing director job market looks like, and what salary you can expect

How to write a managing director CV

Before you even write a word of your managing director CV, you need to know what elements to include. The standardised structure looks like this:

• The CV header
• The CV summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The CV skills section
• The education section

Managing director jobs are highly sought after. You already know that a standard CV won’t cut it. You need a tailored application if you want any chance of getting to the next phase of the hiring process. You aim to show how you will drive the company forward should you land the role. With that in mind, let’s discuss how you could shape your managing director CV. 

• Put the spotlight on the results you’ve achieved. You will have an impressive results roster if you have held managing director positions before now. What did you do for previous companies? How did your business know-how shape their future?
• Add statistics and numbers. There’s no room for being vague here. When you are writing a managing director CV, you need to use everything in your arsenal. That means adding evidence to your claims. Wherever possible, add relevant data to support your CV.
• Understand the company vision. Before you get started on your managing director CV, you need to do some research. You should know the business inside and out ahead of applying for this role. Ensure that your application aligns with the future goals of the business and the overriding company vision. Be as explicit as you can with this one.
• Create a visually appealing design. The content of your CV is what matters the most. However, you don’t want there to be any barriers for the hiring manager. For that reason, you should choose a CV template that is professional and easy to read.
• Optimise your application. It’s important to use a selection of keywords in the body of your application to get past the CV scanning software. Missing out on this crucial step could end up costing you an opportunity. Take the time to tailor your CV first.

Choosing the right CV format for a managing director

Now that you have an overview of what your managing director CV should include, let’s discuss the structure. It's a real bonus to get the format right from the start. 

As a general rule, we suggest using the reverse chronological format. This is the standard structure for most CVs. To get it right, you start with your most recent accomplishments at the top of the page and then work your way back in time. If you have previously held a range of top company positions, you should use this approach when writing your managing director CV. 

However, there will be times when other CV formats are more appropriate. For example, if this is the first time you have applied for a position of this level, you may want to use a skills-based CV format instead. This approach emphasises your talents over your work experience. 

Check out the selection of CV templates in our CV builder to help you correctly format your document. We also have a rainbow array of CV examples using each format as well. 

Regarding the look of your managing director CV, it’s smart to keep things plain and easy. Using a simple layout is a great place to start as this puts your content front and centre.

Include your contact information

Much like your business card, your header contains your contact details. Ensure that you get this element of your CV right from the start. That way, you will be easily contactable.

It’s vital that the hiring manager can quickly access the information that they need. As such, you should include the following details in your header section.

• Full name & title. Include your first and last name plus the title of the advertised role.
• Professional email address. Use a professional email address that you check regularly. If in doubt, select one that has your name in it.
• Phone number. Similarly, you should list a phone number where you can be reached. Check whether there is an answer phone message and ensure it is suitable for work.
• Location. You don’t need to give your entire address on your CV. Instead, you can simply list your town or city and the county in which you live.
• LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn page should be up to date and active as a managing director. Make sure that you include a link to it in your header.

Don’t include:

• Date of birth: You should not let the hiring manager know how old you are. In the worst-case scenario, this could lead to potential age discrimination.
• Personal details: There is no reason to include your marital status, details of your family life, or your passport number on a professional CV.

Make use of a summary

Your summary is where you introduce yourself professionally to the reader. You don’t have much space to play with here. Generally, this section is no longer than 2-3 sentences. It’s vital that you convey the most important information in this short and sweet blurb.

If you have ever written an elevator pitch before, the process of writing a summary will be familiar to you. Put simply, it’s all about getting right to the point and sharing why you are right for the job. Keep in mind that the hiring manager only has a few seconds to spare here. 

Consider what your unique selling proposition is and lean on that. When you write your summary well, it can be the very thing that helps you stand out from the crowd. What is it that you have that other professionals may be lacking? Be as specific as you can. 

To save yourself precious space, avoid using “I” or “I have” at the start of your sentences. This is a waste of words. You can omit them entirely and instead get right down to business. 

Including some choice action verbs is a simple way to make your summary sound more dynamic. Don’t be afraid to throw in the odd power words, such as pioneered, spearheaded, delivered, or excelled. Now is not the time to be coy about your achievements, after all. 

You can find adaptable managing director example summaries below:   

Outline your managing director work experience

As a managing director, your work experience section should speak volumes. However, as a word of caution, you only have to detail 10-15 years of experience here. While you may have worked in the sector for decades, the hiring manager only needs to know about your most recent positions. 

Outline the company name, location, position, and the dates you served to start things off. Below, you should use a bullet-point structure to share your highest accomplishments. Focus on the results that you generated for the business and how they impacted its bottom line. 

One of the mistakes that applicants tend to make when writing this section is simply listing their duties. In this high-level role, there will be some tasks that are a given. However, stating the obvious will get you nowhere fast. For example, there’s no point writing the following: 

• “Prepared annual business plans”
• “Liaised with company stakeholders”
• “Provided strategic advice”

These duties are integral to your role, but they don’t tell the hiring manager anything about you. You can instantly improve these bullet points by adding more context, like this: 

• “Prepared annual strategic business plans to successfully lower operational costs by 8% each year”
• “Liaised with 25+ company stakeholders and delivered quarterly reports.”
• “Provided strategic advice leading to a 5.3% boost in efficiency and 4% more global sales in 2023.”

Can you see the difference? Take a look at the managing director employment history CV sample below:

How to write a managing director CV with no experience 

You need business experience to become a managing director. However, it may be the first time you are applying to become a managing director specifically. If that is the case, you will likely have held similar roles, such as business and operations manager or other senior positions. 

Gear your CV toward the transferable skills you honed in your former positions. It may be wise to look at the core responsibilities of the managing director role and see where there is overlap. This approach will help you highlight the core competencies you already possess. 

If you are a board member or hold a similarly respected position, now is the time to mention it. Your professional CV needs to tell a compelling career story and position this role as the next chapter. Despite the fact that you lack direct experience, you may still land the interview.

Include the relevant key skills that make you a great managing director

To land this position, you need to have a robust set of hard and soft skills. It’s not simply about experience. You need to have the right persona to become an innovative managing director. 

Hard skills relate directly to the role and tend to rest on your business acumen. For example, these may include strategic planning, operational efficiency, profitability analysis, and financial management. Consider which are applicable to the role at hand. 

Soft skills dictate how you work and, in particular, how you lead. Examples include visionary leadership, effective communication, agile working, and conflict resolution.

Our CV builder uses the power of AI to generate a selection of key skills for your application. You can also add your own skills, too. 

Here’s what the skills box looks like in our CV template for managing directors. 

Include the core competencies you have that are also listed in the job advert. In addition, you may want to accentuate the following talents: 

• Leadership skills. Let the hiring manager know what your leadership style is so that they understand how you plan to drive the company forward.
• Communication skills. From presenting to employees to liaising with stakeholders, communicating is certain to be an integral part of this position.

Detail your education & relevant managing director certifications

The education section of your managing director CV needs to stand out. When you are going for this senior position, hiring managers will expect you to have excellent qualifications. As before, you should use the reverse chronological order when listing your certifications. 

While there are many different routes to becoming a managing director, most have a bachelor’s degree in an associated field. Let’s take a look at the qualifications you may list: 

• Bachelor’s degree. Degrees in related subjects, such as Business, Management, Finance, or Economics, are preferred.
• Master’s degree. You may have furthered your studies by gaining an MBA (Master of Business Administration), for example.
• Institute of Directors (IoD) certificate. Becoming part of the Institute of Directors (IoD) and gaining the associated qualification is a savvy way to get ahead. This certificate gives you an overview of governance and directorship.
• Training and memberships. You may also have training from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) or the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
• Industry-centric certificates. Depending on the industry you work in, you may have certificates that align. For example, manufacturing or healthcare qualifications.

Pick the right CV layout and design for a managing director CV

Now that you understand what to write, let's talk about the design of the CV. Since you’re going for a top position, your CV style has to reflect that. Avoid anything flashy or gimmicky. Instead, opt for a stylish and classic look that allows your skills and experience to take centre stage. 

Use a modern font, include plenty of white space, and don’t include imagery. Our CV templates make the whale process a cinch. Simply choose from our library of professional layouts now. 

Managing director job market and outlook

Managing director vacancies don’t come up often. For that reason, these high-level positions are typically hard to come by. Often a professional will have worked within a business for a matter of years before they get appointed to this top leadership role. 

Currently, in the UK, there are 5.6 million businesses, and the number is rising steadily. Whether you are looking to go for a managing director role within your business or you’re applying to a new company, it’s vital that you create a stellar CV. While this will not be the only thing that lands you this position, it’s important to get the basic application package on point.

What type of salary you can expect as a managing director

Let’s talk about what kind of money you can expect to make. Since this is one of the highest positions in a company—behind C-level executives—the money you take home will reflect that.

As a managing director, you can expect to earn an average of £98,092 per year. However, your salary will depend largely on the industry you are in and where in the UK you live. 

Full text adaptable managing director resume example

Key takeaways for building a managing director CV

When you’ve set your sights high, your application package needs to hit the mark. Building a managing director CV that wins interviews can be challenging. However, so long as you do your research and optimise your document, you should be off to a great start. The more boxes you tick along the way, the more likely you are to have a shot at landing this high-level job. 

Get started now by using our CV builder. We take all of the hard work out of creating a flawless application that will wow hiring managers.