Comparison · 13 material differences
Institute of Directors vs TEC Canada
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026 Professional association
Jordiferrer · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Institute of Directors
Practising executive and non-executive directors in the private, public and third sectors in the UK, plus aspiring directors and directors based overseas
Peer advisory
TEC Canada
Canadian CEOs, presidents, owners and senior executives, sorted into four programme tiers by role and company stage
What the records say
- Role or title: Institute of Directors: IoD member tier: "For practising executive and non-executive directors or equivalents in the private, public and third sectors"; TEC Canada: TEC CEO: CEOs, presidents, owners and leaders of large enterprises.
- Geographic restriction: Institute of Directors: International tier: "For practising executive and non-executive directors or equivalents based overseas"; TEC Canada: Canada.
- Annual dues: Institute of Directors: £494 a year; TEC Canada: Not publicly disclosed. TEC Canada quotes pricing only after an application, and says the figure depends on which programme the applicant qualifies for. Third-party estimates differ sharply: an executive-coaching firm puts CEO membership at roughly $1,500-$2,000+ CAD a month, while the Peer Resources directory gives $2,820-$13,000 a year across TEC/Vistage tiers. Neither is an organisation disclosure..
Side by side
| Institute of Directors | TEC Canada | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Peer advisory |
| Founded | 1903 ("The IoD has been at the heart of business since its formation in 1903. The Royal Charter, awarded in 1906, charged the IoD with promoting free enterprise, lobbying government and setting standards for corporate governance.") | 1985 (TEC Canada's own history page: "The TEC Canada story began in 1985, when Dr. Lynn Tanner brought the peer advisory model to Canada." The underlying TEC format dates to 1957 in Milwaukee.) |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | Calgary, Canada |
| Geographic footprint | Regions and branches across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, plus an international membership tier and international events; the members' premises and workspace are at 116 Pall Mall, London | Canada: Chairs listed in fourteen regions from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada; members also get access to the Vistage global network |
| Members | 20,000as of September 2026 | 1,600as of May 2026 |
| Chapters | The IoD organises members into regions and nations (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) and Special Interest Groups rather than numbered chapters; no chapter total is published. | 14 |
| Primary audience | Practising executive and non-executive directors in the private, public and third sectors in the UK, plus aspiring directors and directors based overseas | Canadian CEOs, presidents, owners and senior executives, sorted into four programme tiers by role and company stage |
| Typical member | Practising executive and non-executive directors or equivalents, ranging from start-up founders to directors of multi-million pound businesses and senior civil servants. Associate membership covers aspiring directors, former directors and those who work closely with directors; a student tier covers students. | Members are chief executives, owners and senior executives of Canadian companies across a wide size range, from small-business owners in the TEC Small Business programme to leaders of large enterprises in TEC CEO. TEC Canada publishes no revenue or headcount threshold and no member demographics. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | IoD member tier: "For practising executive and non-executive directors or equivalents in the private, public and third sectors"Uses the post-nominal MIoDverified September 2026 · source ↗ | TEC CEO: CEOs, presidents, owners and leaders of large enterprisesverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | International tier: "For practising executive and non-executive directors or equivalents based overseas"Also uses the post-nominal MIoDverified September 2026 · source ↗ | CanadaChairs are listed only in Canadian regions.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Prospective members choose a tier and join online; there is no interview, sponsor requirement or financial vetting. A free registration option gives access to sample resources without membership. Corporate memberships are arranged by contacting the IoD directly. | Prospective members apply through the Becoming a Member page. TEC then matches the applicant to a programme and a specific group based on organisational size, stage of development and competitive landscape, and discusses cost at that point. There is no published sponsorship or nomination requirement. |
| Selectivity | Not applicable in the usual sense: membership is open to directors, aspiring directors and those who work closely with directors, and the IoD publishes no acceptance rate. Selectivity applies to the separate Chartered Director qualification rather than to membership. | Not publicly disclosed. TEC describes careful matching rather than selection against a threshold, and publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | £494 a yearIoD member tier (UK directors): "£494 year / £44.46 month (fixed 12 month period)". Monthly instalments are available for full membership only.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. TEC Canada quotes pricing only after an application, and says the figure depends on which programme the applicant qualifies for. Third-party estimates differ sharply: an executive-coaching firm puts CEO membership at roughly $1,500-$2,000+ CAD a month, while the Peer Resources directory gives $2,820-$13,000 a year across TEC/Vistage tiers. Neither is an organisation disclosure.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Fees are published openly. The IoD is an HMRC-approved professional body, so UK members may be able to claim tax relief on the fee where membership is essential for their job and the employer did not pay it. Training and qualifications, including the Chartered Director programme, are charged separately. | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 |
| Membership term | Annual, with monthly instalments available for full membership over a fixed twelve-month period | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Regional and national events, online events, Special Interest Group events and signature events including the Director of the Year Awards | Monthly group meetings plus a monthly one-to-one session with the Chair; expert speaker sessions and an annual national member conference |
| Peer forums | No confidential peer forums; members join Special Interest Groups and regional communities, and can be matched through IoD Mentor Connect | Confidential peer advisory groups of non-competing members facilitated by a TEC Chair, an experienced former executive who also coaches members individually |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed. Members are subject to the IoD Code of Conduct for Directors and member rules made under the Royal Charter. | Group meetings are described as confidential; trust is one of TEC Canada's four stated values |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Clubhouse premises | Forum-based, Chapter-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Not documented |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Not documented | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Not documented |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | No |
| Investment discussions | No | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Institute of Directors · TEC Canada