Jobs as a chief executive officer can be found in the private, public, or nonprofit sectors. A person can be the CEO of a private company, such as a bank or an insurance company, a public institution, such as a school or a government agency, or a not-for-profit organization, such as a charity foundation or a community based organization. The job description for a chief executive varies industry and job type, and some may even include different job titles, such as president, superintendent, or governor.
A chief executive officer (CEO) may be hired and appointed to a specific position, or she or he may be elected a group of stakeholders. Entrepreneurs who start their own company or nonprofit organization can appoint themselves as CEOs. The primary responsibility of a chief executive officer, regardless of the type of job she or he holds or how she or he got there, is to ensure that all of the organization’s goals are met through the use of carefully planned strategies, effective management of other key executives and staff members, and overall strong leadership.
Chief executive positions also include those in charge of a company’s technological advancement. While this is a fairly modern chief executive officer job description, chief information officers are in charge of an organization’s technological functions. This includes the hiring, training, and management of key information technology employees, as well as the selection of technological tools and equipment required to maintain the company’s technological competitiveness.
Top executives in the public sector are frequently appointed to these positions after campaigning for them and being elected public citizens or other constituents who have the right to vote within the group. School superintendents, city mayors, governors, and other democratically elected government leaders are examples of these types of chief executive positions. All chief executive positions are subject to intense competition and accountability, and public-sector CEOs are frequently replaced when performance targets are not met.
Other titles for chief executive jobs include executive director, chief information officer, chief financial officer, chief administrator, and administrative director. The official title of a CEO may differ depending on the industry and the organization for which he or she works. These jobs, in all cases, necessitate strong leadership skills, visionary abilities, powerful decision-making abilities, strong communication skills, and a keen sense of knowledge in managing all major and minor details of an organization.