董事
dǒngshì · HSK 7
member
🏢👔 dong = supervise + shi = affairs — one who oversees affairs
董 means to supervise or direct, 事 means affairs or matters. A director is literally the person who supervises affairs — the one steering the board's business.
事 — hand 又 holding a banner/tablet on a pole
Originally a pictograph of a hand (又) grasping a pole or ceremonial banner used by an official, depicting the act of conducting court business. From this it came to mean 'affair, matter, business, service.' It shares an ancient origin with 史 (scribe) and 吏 (official).