New director general of the Institute of Directors Miles Templeton has voiced his commitment to developing professional standards and training on his first day in post.

Mr Templeman, who has over 30 years business experience, said that as a serving non-executive director he understood that board members need training as much as other employees.

Setting out his agenda for the 55,000-strong IoD he said: "The establishment of professional standards and the development of the IoD's training courses has been dramatically enhanced over the past five years and I am determined to see that trend continue."

Mr Templeman added that he wanted to broaden the scope of the IoD to establish it as an international centre of excellence and "the number one body for director development internationally".