molthemackem
Striker
It is a legal requirement under Company Law. The common practice you stated is alluding to Shadow Directors who run the business from behind the scenes. These make decisions that affect the business operations, again, that is contrary to Company Law.it is not a legal requirement, but it is common practice...
Dependent on the number of shares, there is an equation %, held by an individual/individuals, a Small Holder Director could be appointed but this is very rare and have very little say. Many larger Companies do this as a governance issue.