What is the C-Suite?
C-suite is the description of the highest hierarchical level for a company’s officers. “C” is the abbreviation of the chief and is the international job title of company leaders. There are numerous officers with C-level positions.
How is the C-Suite Organized?
The most common officers in C-level positions are;
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
CEO is the highest-ranking officer in an organization who is responsible for the overall activities of the company. CEO reports to the board of Directors and lead corporate strategies’ implementer.
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
CFO is an overall company head in regards to regular management operations and is the finance minister in an organisation. CFO undertakes all financial matters and has a summary of the financial state of a company.
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
CMO is the head of sales and marketing of a company and understands customers and clients. The main roles of CMO are ensuring appropriate advertising measures, market-driven pricing, and optimal distribution in addition to undertaking market research customer service and other more.
- Chief Operation Officer (COO)
The COO undertakes operational business management. COO ensures the work processes are being completed effectively.
- Chief Technical Officer (CTO)
CTO also called Chief Technology Officer. The CTO is the head and technical director of a company and is a major responsibility is ensuring the proper functioning of the IT infrastructure. The Position is also known as Chief Information Officer (CIO), which is why the terms are often used interchangeably.
When both CTO and CIO concurrently exist in a company, the CTO is usually subordinate to the CIO.
Other C-Level Positions
The C-level employees types and number depend on the company size and the managements imagination. For instance, some companies have a CXU (Chief Experience Officer) whose responsibility is a holistic customer or employee experience. Some abbreviations are ambiguous: CLO can mean Chief Learning Officer, Chief Legal Officer or Chief Logistic Officer. Also, abbreviation does not always have three letters. For instance, the Chief Human Relations Officer (CHRO) and the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), the head of IT security, have four-letter abbreviations.