What is right below ceo

An individual that holds an executive title within an organization plays a significant part in an organization’s decision-making. They can make key decisions concerning a company’s finance, marketing and recruiting strategies. These positions can be known as a C-suite or C-level role because the names of the job titles start with the letter C, which refers to the word "chief" that shows up at the beginning of each job title. 

This article will discuss what executive titles are in corporations, best practices when searching for jobs with these titles and FAQs about executive titles. 

Leadership titles include a role that significantly impacts the future of a company. Generally, any major decision related to a company’s strategy must be approved by someone holding an executive title before it can be executed. They usually come together to meet and establish goals that can help the company expand its resources, to build better products and hire more staff members. Employees can earn one of these roles if they move up within the company or if they’re hired from outside of the organization. 

Here are a few examples of common executive titles:

  • Chief executive officer (CEO)
  • Chief operating officer (COO)
  • Chief information officer (CIO)
  • Chief marketing officer (CMO)
  • Chief financial officer (CFO)
  • Chief technology officer (CTO)

Chief executive officer (CEO)

A CEO is the primary representative of the organization. They meet and render advice from other C-suite executives on future decisions regarding the company. They mainly report to the board of directors, and they can have various career paths before working in this role. However, they’ll need to have a track record of making long-term choices that achieve measurable results. 

Chief operating officer (COO)

A COO is an executive representing the human resources department and is right below the CEO on an organizational chart. They ensure the swift execution of operations, so employees can perform in their positions effectively. Their responsibilities include overseeing recruitment practices, training methods, payroll, administrative and legal services. 

Chief information officer (CIO)

The CIO is the head of information technology for a business. One of the common career paths for a CIO is to start as a business analyst and work higher-level roles within the organization. In their pursuit to be a CIO, they learn how to code using different computer programming languages and implement project management strategies to improve the company’s efficiency. They’re one of the important voices when discussing risk management and financial activities. 

Chief marketing officer (CMO)

A CMO is one that manages all marketing functions that help promote a company’s products and services. One of the essential skills they have is product development, where they know how to improve the functionality of a product to entice customers to keep buying it in the future. Also, they’re adept with technological platforms that can reach potential leads and customers via social media. However, they must possess advanced knowledge of increasing exposure to your product in a brick-and-mortar environment.

Chief financial officer (CFO)

A CFO oversees all financial transactions that a company makes. They review the organization’s cash flow, and they formulate the financial budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Additionally, they assess the value of investments through a cost-benefit analysis, which helps the company take calculated financial decisions with a high earnings potential. Some of the positions that you can work at to position you for this role include a financial analyst or an accountant. 

Chief technology officer (CTO)

A CTO is accountable for the research and development practices that fit the company’s technological framework. They review the short-and-long-term technological demands of the company and make the necessary investments to meet and exceed the objectives generated by the CEO. They differ from the CIO because the CTO focuses more on carrying out the strategy, whereas the CIO is using their skills to give the company financial value from technological investments. 

Read more: How to Grow Your Business

Best practices when searching for jobs with these titles 

Check out the list of best practices the next time you look for a position with an executive title: 

  • Understand your next career move
  • Create a strategic plan 
  • Update your professional networking and personal website 
  • Speak to an experienced human resource professional 

Understand your next career move

If you’re looking to become a C-suite executive, you need to research companies that fit the criteria of the job you’re looking for. Try to narrow down industries you’re passionate about and see if a company in that industry aligns with your core values and competencies. 

Create a strategic plan 

Make a plan to apply to C-suite roles in a certain industry. You’ll be busy working in your current role, so it’s important to devote some time during each day to your job search. You can make plans to go to networking events and perform other activities that expand your professional network. 

Update your professional networking and personal website 

A C-suite executive or an applicant for a C-suite position should have an updated professional networking and personal website that showcases their career path. You should connect with professionals interested in C-suite roles and with hiring managers, so they can see your experience on your profile. A personal website should expand on your life story and how you navigated your career path. 

Speak to an experienced human resource professional

An experienced professional in human resources stays updated on hiring trends in the industry they work in. Choose to speak with a hiring manager with relevant experience that’s connected to your prospective employers. Make sure to ask questions about how you can stand out, so you can be called in for an interview.

Executive titles FAQs

Here’s a short list of FAQs that you may ask when searching for an executive job at a corporation: 

What are some executive titles that I should be looking for in my job search? 

Some of the executive titles that you can apply for include a CEO, CFO, COO, CTO, CMO and CIO. You should carefully research these positions to see which one matches your skillset. 

What is the best advice I can use to apply for a C-suite position? 

The best advice you can adhere to is having a plan to enact your job search. Knowing your plan gives you a clear understanding of the steps you need to take in getting the job you want. 

In corporate management structures, the CEO is the highest ranking officer and visionary, while the president is more responsible for day-to-day management decisions and strategies. In simple terms, the CEO makes a promise to the company, setting a long-term vision. The president of the company keeps that promise and manages the company to make that vision a reality.

While there are many different ways a corporate structure is set up, the basic corporation is headed by a board of directors. The CEO is the highest ranking officer with direct responsibility for the management of the company, and answers to a board of directors. Board members are elected by the shareholders, and may be either senior officers in the company or people independent of the company. The board is responsible for establishing corporate management policies and giving input on big-picture decisions. Quite often, but not always, the CEO also serves as chairman of the board of directors. The president is second in command after the CEO (or first in command if there is no CEO), and also usually fills the role of the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Responsibilities

The CEO of a company is responsible for the overall strategy, vision, and financial well-being of a company. In a publicly traded company, the CEO often also acts as chairman of the board, as he/she is responsible for integrating the board’s decisions into the operations of the company. John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of networking giant Cisco, speaks on the roles of a CEO in this video:

The president is responsible for more of the hands-on implementation of corporate goals into the actual workforce. The president is also required to report back to the board on company activities (and then the board reports to shareholders). In smaller corporations, the CEO may also fill the role of president.

Other Roles

In addition to company-facing responsibilities, the CEO also often acts as the head salesman, and is responsible for making pitches to high-profile customers, making sales presentations, and announcing new products or services. The CEO is the public face of the company, and may interact with local communities through community events, chamber of commerce meetings, etc.

The president, in the quest to implement the vision and goals established by the board and CEO, must use effective metrics and measure the performance and efficiency of employees. Presidents also tend to play a larger role in human resources decisions, and managing detailed financials like travel reimbursements and company compliance with laws and regulations.

Power

Particularly in American corporations, CEOs are often extremely powerful and entrenched in their position. As a growing private company transitions to a corporate structure, it is common for the owner to taken on the role of CEO, play a large part in establishing a board of directors, and to establish him- or herself as chairman of the board. In the U.K. and much of Europe, codes of best practice strongly discourage this setup. CEOs usually have the power to make binding decisions for the company without prior approval from the board of directors, and CEOs may fire or hire for any position directly in the company.

Presidents, on the other hand, generally act more as top-tier managers with power over personnel, but lack the power to single-handedly alter the course of the company or manage other executive officers. This is, however, a generalization, and power dynamics vary among different corporations.

Examples

Presidential roles vary according to firms and corporate structures. Below are some examples of the roles in presidential titles of reputed firms:

  • In 2007, Bear Stearns and Morgan Stanley had two presidents each, reporting to one CEO (who also happened to be chairman of the board). Warren Spector and Alan Schwartz presided at Bear, while Robert Scully and Zoe Cruz presided at Morgan. Each president was basically a co-COO overseeing half the firm's business divisions, but there was no official title of COO.
  • Lloyd E. Reuss was President of General Motors from 1990 to 1992. He was the right hand man of Chairman and CEO Robert C. Stempel, and became president on Stempel's insistence that he be on named the company president. Stempel put him in charge of North American operations, but the board was not happy with this decision and showed their displeasure by not granting Reuss the title of COO.
  • Michael Capellas was appointed President of Hewlett-Packard for a smooth transition into its acquisition and integration of Compaq, where Capellas used to be the Chairman and CEO. Capellas served only six months as president. After his departure, his former role of president was remained unfilled, since the executives who reported to him started reporting directly to the CEO.

References

  • Wikipedia:President (corporate title)
  • Wikipedia:CEO

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