CEO, Director, Vice President, Managing Partner: These job titles all signify some degree of leadership, but it can often be hard to discern the hierarchy and levels of responsibility underpinning each title. The same job can have a different job title depending on the company, industry, location, and organization size.
Executive job titles help delineate an organization's structure and the reporting workflows of its staff. They also help teams understand who is in charge of what. The CMO, for instance, is the head of marketing; the CFO is responsible for finance.
Here are some key executive job titles and what they mean.
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Chair of the Board
The Chair of the Board (COB) heads the Board of Directors. This person is elected by the Board and is at the top of the organization’s hierarchy. The COB is tasked with making big-picture decisions, leading the organization’s executives, and establishing the company's corporate culture. Sometimes, the Board will elect the CEO as the COB as a show of faith.
CEO
The CEO is the organization’s Chief Executive Officer. The CEO oversees the entire executive team, often known as the C-level executives (the “C” is shorthand for “Chief”). CEOs make major decisions that impact the company's growth and success. They oversee operations, resources, and day-to-day business functions. CEOs are often chosen by the Board of Directors and shareholders, but at smaller ventures they can also be the founder or business owner.
COO
The COO is the Chief Operating Officer. Sometimes, the COO is called the “Vice President of Operations.” The job involves managing the day-to-day administration of the organization. This person often acts as the right-hand man or woman to the CEO. The COO could oversee production, sales, marketing, human resources, or all of the above.
“In some firms, the COO job is to be internally focused, while the CEO is externally focused. In other firms, the COO's mission is focused on a specific business need,” described The Balance.
CFO
The CFO, or Chief Financial Officer, oversees the business’s finances. This is a major role that involves everything from financial reporting to overseeing the company's capital structure or deciding where to invest small business earnings. Financial forecasting, budget preparation, and overseeing debt repayment are just a few activities that the CFO would oversee at a small business.
Other C-suite titles
Large companies may have many leaders with C-level job titles, including:
- CMO: Chief Marketing Officer, the person in charge of the business’s marketing and advertising activities.
- CIO: Chief Information Officer, the person in charge of the business’s information technology and data security.
- CCO: Chief Commercial Officer, sometimes known as the Chief Business Officer (CBO), is the person in charge of the business’s sales team, strategy, and success.
- CHO: Chief Human Resources Officer, sometimes known as the Chief Talent Officer, is the person in charge of the business’s human resources and recruiting teams.
- CTO: Chief Technology Officer, the person in charge of research, development, and technology at the company. While the CIO is primarily concerned with the business’s technology tools and platforms, the CTO is in charge of strategic planning and using technology and innovation to boost revenue.
- Chief Content Officer: This is a newer role, as social media and digital marketing have increased the importance of content marketing. The CCO works with the CMO to oversee content and channel optimization, brand consistency, segmentation, and analytics.
The C-suite leaders are considered the highest level of the organization (unless there is a Board of Directors). Other executive job titles are close to the same level as these C-level positions, but don’t have “Chief” in the name. For instance, President, Partner, Chair, and Superintendent are other titles that can be found at the top of the org chart.
In some firms, the COO job is to be internally focused, while the CEO is externally focused. In other firms, the COO's mission is focused on a specific business need.Dawn Rosenberg McKay, The Balance
President
To make things more complicated, some companies prefer to use “President” instead of COO.
“The president of a company is often the same position as a COO of a company,” wrote Indeed. “They report directly to the CEO and work closely with them to provide the organization with strategy, vision, and financial management.”
Often, a President is more hands-on than a COO, but this depends on the company's size and industry.
Vice President
Vice Presidents either rank directly below the C-suite executives or just under the President's level. This title usually specializes in a particular area of expertise, e.g., Vice President of Marketing or Executive Vice President of Recruiting. There could be different levels within the vice president role, too, starting with Executive Vice President at the top, followed by Senior Vice President, Vice President, and Associate Vice President. This position is considered middle management, as women and men in this role handle specific aspects of running the company and directly manage the workforce.
Directors and Managers
Except for the Director of Operations, Directors and Managers sit directly under the Vice President level and work with teams, partners, and individuals to keep the business running. Managers are responsible for leading employees to be productive, aligning day-to-day tasks with business objectives, and serving customers across various business operations.
Some companies ask Managers to report to Directors who specialize in a particular business area (e.g., the Director of Sales oversees the Sales Manager).
The exception is with the Director of Operations, a unique position. This type of Director is responsible for the company's profitability and growth. They collaborate across departments to improve processes and break down business silos. This position will report directly to the COO, if the company has one. Alternatively, this role can cover the responsibilities of a COO if the organization doesn’t have that particular role.
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Emerging executive roles in the tech industry
The explosive growth of companies in Silicon Valley has created the need for new executive roles that cater to specific technological advancements and business needs. For instance, the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) oversees artificial intelligence–related initiatives, including research, development, and implementation.
Many of these roles are being added to the executive suite at non-tech companies, too. For instance:
- Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): Protects the organization's digital assets from cyber threats.
- Chief Innovation Officer (CIO): Fosters innovation and new product development.
- Chief Data Officer (CDO): Manages data governance, quality, and analytics.
- Chief Compliance Officer: Ensures the business meets all external legal and regulatory requirements, as well as enforces internal policies.
The importance of C-suite collaboration
Collaboration and teamwork among the C-suite leads to a more effective, agile, and successful organization. To some degree, the influence of the C-suite depends on how the organization is structured. A flat reporting structure, for instance, decentralizes decision-making and requires collaboration at all layers of the organization; a rigid hierarchy makes it imperative that C-suite leaders make decisions together.
A well-coordinated C-suite can develop a clear, shared vision for the company's future, ensuring everyone works toward the same goals. Consistent messaging from the C-suite helps to build trust with employees, investors, and customers. And, perhaps most importantly, C-suite collaboration can foster cross-functional teams better equipped to develop innovative solutions.
How executive titles differ in startups vs. established companies
Startup companies tend to be less formal, more fluid when it comes to org charts and executive titles. While a new venture is getting off the ground, executive roles are more fluid. Individuals wear multiple hats and take on responsibilities as the company changes. It’s only as a company matures that executive titles come to define clear roles and a fixed organizational structure.
“In new businesses, the founders have the freedom to create not just the business models and operating structures but also unique job titles to support their vision,” wrote Indeed. “Startup founders also determine if their businesses will follow a hierarchical structure—one that would benefit from traditional job titles—or another approach, like a flat structure, where nontraditional job titles make more sense.”
There is often an inflection point during a business’s lifecycle where it becomes necessary to create clearly defined executive roles. The more complex the company’s operations, the more important focused, specialized leadership becomes.
Executive compensation structures: Salary, equity, and bonuses
Executive compensation refers to the combination of salary, benefits, and financial bonuses offered to those in leadership positions in return for their work and expertise. Leadership often gets a more complex package that includes a combination of financial and nonfinancial incentives. This includes:
- A fixed yearly base salary.
- Benefits, usually a combination of insurance and perks (such as a gym membership).
- Short-term annual incentives—bonuses—that are based on meeting KPIs.
- Equity compensation for individuals who work for more than three years in the business.
The breakdown of an executive compensation package looks different at each company. However, there is a formula that you can use as a benchmark. “Salary constitutes 30% of total compensation, bonuses another 20%, benefits about 10%, and long-term incentives (equity) of the compensation about 40%,” wrote JP Morgan.
Usually, these packages are offered to C-suite level executives and other senior or executive Vice Presidents. The goal of these packages is to motivate leadership to execute the company’s growth strategy and hit performance targets. Design your incentives in a way that rewards your leaders for contributing to the company’s success.
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