What does a chief executive officer do?

A chief executive officer is the overall head of the company's operations. Chief executive officers are responsible for making corporate decisions that would define the company's performance in the market. A chief executive officer must display exceptional leadership and decision-making skills to create business growth and development strategies. The chief executive officers also provide a regular business update to the board regarding the company's status. They should also be able to identify business opportunities and create long-lasting, professional relationships with business partners and other organizations.
Chief executive officer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real chief executive officer resumes:
- Manage the bidding process by reviewing all RFP and preparing responses.
- Manage complex Google, Facebook, SEO/Content, drip email, behavior base emails, and so much more.
- Manage and grow Instagram accounts of large and small businesses as well as individual accounts such as models and singers.
- Design, execute, and manage the construction and d cor of store location and seasonal windows of old store location.
- Develop an IP within the e-Gaming & mobile-gaming world that can achieve ad revenue greater than Google or Facebook potentially combine.
- Source and manage contractors for frontend JavaScript development.
- Lead start-up company establishing the business model, strategic direction, financial model, technology infrastructure and operational processes.
- Develop websites for rapidly expanding corporations using PHP, HTML, and CSS.
- Customize the selected WP theme and deploy website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Design new system base on PHP, MySQL, JavaScript for client to order online all they want.
- Develop system reporting to effectively implement and monitor the ongoing healthcare regulatory compliance, performance improvement and marketing strategy.
- Develop popular online VoIP bandwidth calculator, BandCalc.com, in JavaScript.
- COO of a full service mortgage and chattel manufacture housing finance company.
- Founded an internet marketing firm after self teaching HTML/CSS programming and Photoshop.
- Code PHP image search program to return queries from database in chronological order.
Chief executive officer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Chief Executive Officers are proficient in Healthcare, Patients, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Management skills.
We break down the percentage of Chief Executive Officers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Healthcare, 13%
COMPANY SYNOPSIS: Behavioral HealthCare, Incorporated (BHI) since 1994 serves as the BHO for the Colorado Medicaid.
- Patients, 10%
Established a durable medical equipment / respiratory equipment company providing respiratory and durable medical equipment to patients in Northeast Florida.
- Patient Care, 8%
Managed day-to-day operations* Accountable for planning, organizing and directing the hospital to ensure quality patient care and financial integrity.
- Customer Service, 8%
Refined customer service automation to reduce staffing needs and increase customer satisfaction without completely isolating the consumer from live representatives.
- Financial Management, 6%
Directed the financial management of the facility through budgeting review and implementation of facility wide quality assurance and program evaluation plans.
- Oversight, 5%
Overhauled the organizational structure and implemented a department-level team management model to improve oversight and line accountability for programs and services.
"healthcare," "patients," and "patient care" are among the most common skills that chief executive officers use at work. You can find even more chief executive officer responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a chief executive officer to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "top executives must be able to convey information clearly and persuasively." Chief executive officers often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "initiated and implemented a new management information system, upgraded communication/telephone/computer system which improved business operations. "
Leadership skills. Many chief executive officer duties rely on leadership skills. "top executives must be able to shape and direct an organization by coordinating policies, people, and resources.," so a chief executive officer will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways chief executive officer responsibilities rely on leadership skills: "oversee day-to-day business operations while providing leadership to a global workforce. "
Problem-solving skills. chief executive officer responsibilities often require "problem-solving skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "top executives need to identify and resolve issues within an organization." This resume example shows what chief executive officers do with problem-solving skills on a typical day: "reviewed financial and non-financial reports to devise solutions or improvements. "
Time-management skills. Another common skill required for chief executive officer responsibilities is "time-management skills." This skill comes up in the duties of chief executive officers all the time, as "top executives do many tasks concurrently to ensure that their work gets done and that the organization meets its goals." An excerpt from a real chief executive officer resume shows how this skill is central to what a chief executive officer does: "maintained an aggressive production schedule to bring new product development in on time and under budget. "
The three companies that hire the most chief executive officers are:
- Acadia Healthcare16 chief executive officers jobs
- LifePoint Health16 chief executive officers jobs
- SCA Health16 chief executive officers jobs
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Chief executive officer vs. Vice president & general manager
A vice president and general manager's role is to implement policies and regulations while overseeing the business operations. Typically, it is their primary responsibility to devise training programs that would produce more efficient workforce members, create new strategies to boost sales and customer satisfaction, and participate in budget and goals creation. They mainly report to high-ranking officials such as the president and board members. Furthermore, a vice president and general manager may perform clerical tasks such as preparing progress reports and presentations, managing schedules, and responding to correspondence.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between chief executive officers and vice president & general manager. For instance, chief executive officer responsibilities require skills such as "healthcare," "patients," "patient care," and "financial management." Whereas a vice president & general manager is skilled in "business strategy," "project management," "product line," and "continuous improvement." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Vice president & general managers really shine in the media industry with an average salary of $172,642. Comparatively, chief executive officers tend to make the most money in the start-up industry with an average salary of $183,901.On average, vice president & general managers reach similar levels of education than chief executive officers. Vice president & general managers are 0.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 2.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Chief executive officer vs. Vice president
Vice presidents are usually considered the second-in-command in the organization, depending on the organization structure. They take over when the president is unavailable to fulfill duties. They may also represent the organization in external events and other official functions. They are important members of the boardroom, and their opinions are usually sought after as well. Vice presidents are usually poised to follow the president's footsteps in the organization, especially if the president is nearing retirement. They also make urgent and crucial decisions when the president is not available to do so. Vice presidents must have strong business acumen, decision-making skills, and professionalism.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, chief executive officer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "patient care," "financial management," and "strategic partnerships." Meanwhile, a vice president has duties that require skills in areas such as "project management," "client relationships," "loan portfolio," and "process improvement." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Vice presidents earn a lower average salary than chief executive officers. But vice presidents earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $159,773. Additionally, chief executive officers earn the highest salaries in the start-up with average pay of $183,901 annually.In general, vice presidents achieve similar levels of education than chief executive officers. They're 4.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 2.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Chief executive officer vs. Senior vice president-operations
Senior Vice Presidents for Operations are top management employees who oversee the company's operations. They report to the company's Chief Executive Officer or roles equivalent to such. They are expected to be very familiar with everything related to the company, such as its products, services, and production activities, among others. As such, they would be able to create strategies that would elevate the performance of the company. They are heavily involved in the decision-making related to the different departments in operations. Senior Vice Presidents for Operations manage different departments related to operations. They ensure that all factors in operations contribute to the company's success.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a chief executive officer is likely to be skilled in "healthcare," "patients," "patient care," and "financial management," while a typical senior vice president-operations is skilled in "svp," "project management," "process improvement," and "operational risk."
Senior vice presidents-operations make a very good living in the manufacturing industry with an average annual salary of $174,554. On the other hand, chief executive officers are paid the highest salary in the start-up industry, with average annual pay of $183,901.senior vice presidents-operations typically earn similar educational levels compared to chief executive officers. Specifically, they're 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Chief executive officer vs. Group vice president
A group vice president is primarily in charge of implementing an organization or group's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission. Most of the time, they directly report progress to the president and assist in carrying out new programs and protocols that optimize the overall business procedures. Their responsibilities also include researching new business opportunities, developing solutions on organizational issues, setting goals and objectives, overseeing the performance of the workforce, and monitoring the workflow to ensure efficiency and growth.
Types of chief executive officer
Updated January 8, 2025











