{"id":203117,"date":"2021-03-03T16:34:20","date_gmt":"2021-03-03T03:34:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/?p=203117"},"modified":"2026-02-02T14:37:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T01:37:37","slug":"founder-director-shareholder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/startups\/founder-director-shareholder\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Difference Between a Founder, Director and a Shareholder in NZ?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When founding a company, it is common for you to be both director and shareholder of that company. Being a founder, a director and a shareholder are not all the same thing. You need to ensure you understand the distinction between each role, as each role comes with different rights and responsibilities. This article explains the difference between a founder, director and shareholder. It also identifies some issues to look out for when acting in the capacity of more than one of these roles.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These concepts are only relevant to you if you operate your business via a company.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I’m a Founder, Director and Shareholder in a Company<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is common for a founder of a company to be both a director and shareholder of that company. Even if you are not the founder of a company, you may be a director and a shareholder. Each of these roles comes with different rights and responsibilities. If you fail to comply with your responsibilities while performing a role, then you risk:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n