DIRECTOR, in commercial polity, a person who has the management of the affairs of a trading company: thus we say, the directors of the India-company, South sea-company, &c. See COMPANY.
The directors are considerable proprietors in the stocks of their respective companies, being chosen by plurality of votes from among the body of proprietors. The Dutch East-India company have sixty such directors; that of France, twenty-one; the British East-India company has twenty-four, including the chairman, who may be re-elected for four years successively. These last have salaries of 1501. a-year each, and the chairman 2001. They meet at least once a week, and commonly oftener, being summoned as occasion requires.