Chief Executive

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Definitions

  • a principal executive: as
a : the president of a republic
b : the governor of a state

CEO

Description

A chief executive officer (CEO) or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer (executive) or administrator in charge of total management of an organization. An individual appointed as CEO of a corporation, company, organization, or agency reports to the board of directors.

Responsibilities

The responsibility of the chief executive officer is to align the company, internally and externally, with their strategic vision. The core duty of a CEO is to facilitate business outside of the company while guiding employees and other executive officers towards a central purpose. The size and sector of the company will dictate the secondary responsibilities. A CEO must have a balance of internal and external initiatives to build a sustainable company.

  • For emerging entrepreneurs, their acting position as a CEO is much different than that on the corporate level. As oftentimes other c-level executives are not incorporated in small operations, it is the duty of the CEO (and sometimes founder) to assume those positions.

In many states, when an organization incorporates it is necessary to specify individuals in the role of President, Treasurer, and Secretary with the proviso that the person nominated as President cannot also hold the position of Treasurer. But often a person can be specified as Secretary/Treasurer.

In many non-profits, there is a gross confusion between the Chair of the Board (sometimes referred to as the President of the Board), the Secretary of the Board (also confused with the Secretary of the corporation), and then a Board often times creates the position of Treasurer.

Boards should not have Presidents or Treasurers, but Boards and Corporations both need Secretaries. (The source of the word is neat - keeper of the secrets.)[1]