Board of directors (bestyrelse)
The bestyrelse (board of directors) is a company's supreme governing body: it sets strategy, appoints the executive board, and supervises day-to-day management. An A/S must have a board (or supervisory board); in an ApS it is optional.
The figures behind the term
Source: companydata.dk, CVR and annual reports, updated 28 October 2026
The board is elected by the general meeting and bears overall responsibility for the company's organisation and adequate capital resources. In an A/S the board must have at least three members, and the majority may not simultaneously serve on the executive board.
Board seats as a data point
Board seats are public in CVR and map out a network: who sits with whom, across which companies? Experienced board members with successful companies behind them are a positive signal, while overlaps between the board, the owners, and bankrupt companies can be the opposite.
Frequently asked questions
When must a company have a board of directors?
A public limited company must have a board or a supervisory board with at least three members. For a private limited company a board is optional, and most do not have one.
How many members sit on a Danish board?
The median among companies with a registered board is shown on this page. It counts the members currently registered, not former ones.
What is the board responsible for?
Overall management and supervision of the executive board, including making sure bookkeeping, asset management and capital resources are sound.
Related terms
Executive board (direktion)
The direktion (executive board) is a company's day-to-day management, one or more directors registered in CVR who run daily operations. Every Danish limited company must have one.
Public limited company (A/S)
An aktieselskab (A/S) is a Danish limited company with share capital of at least DKK 400,000 and a requirement for both an executive board and a board of directors (or supervisory board). Only an A/S can be listed on a stock exchange.
Power to bind (tegningsregel)
The tegningsregel (power-to-bind rule) is the provision in a company's articles of association determining who can enter binding agreements on the company's behalf, e.g. 'the company is bound by one director' or 'by the entire board'. It is public in CVR.
Bankruptcy quarantine (konkurskarantæne)
Konkurskarantæne (bankruptcy quarantine) is a ban the bankruptcy court can impose on a person who conducted grossly irresponsible business in a bankrupt company. The ban means the person, typically for three years, may not participate in the management of limited-liability companies.