Directorate

You’ve probably heard of a mysterious “board of directors” that hangs out at the top of the food chain in organizations, colleges, and companies of all stripes and colors. The board of directors are the heavyweights that meet secretly behind doors (okay, not really secretly, but they might as well be) to make decisions affecting the company or organization.

Well, a directorate is basically just finance-speak for “board of directors.” Directorates are a common organizational force in public companies, where shareholders vote on board members, who then call the shots.

Directorates can also be found in the government, like the U.S. Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. Directorates bring some democratic-ness to organizations and companies, sort of...those who hold the money (the shareholders) hold the keys to who gets to be on the mysterious board of directors. But that’s just how politics rolls, whether in government or out of it.