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.
The figures behind the term
Source: companydata.dk, CVR and annual reports, updated 28 October 2026
The executive board handles day-to-day management and represents the company externally within the limits of the power-to-bind rule. In an ApS the executive board can be the supreme governing body; in an A/S it is appointed by the board of directors and must follow its guidelines.
A director's registration history
Entries into and exits from executive boards are registered in CVR with dates. A person's full management history, which companies, when, and how they fared, is therefore public and used in credit assessment and due diligence.
Frequently asked questions
What does the executive board do?
It runs the company day to day and is registered in CVR with names and start dates, so anyone can see who represents the company.
Must an ApS have an executive board?
Yes. A private limited company must have at least one registered director, while a board of directors is optional.
Can the same person be both a director and a board member?
Yes, but in a public limited company the majority of the board must consist of people who are not directors of the company.
Related terms
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.
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.
Private limited company (ApS)
An anpartsselskab (ApS) is a Danish private limited company where the owners are liable only for their contribution. It is Denmark's most common company type and requires share capital of at least DKK 20,000.