The Top 20 C Level Titles [with Descriptions]

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Rob Kelly

Co-Founder and CEO at Ongig

I am a 3-time CEO, author and proud father of my preemie baby Maverick! We created Ongig to transform your job descriptions to boost quality candidates and diversity. Ongig supercharges your job pages through video, images, chat, social sharing, microsite creation and much more. Jobs can be more easily found through Artificial Intelligence-based job search and all pages are Mobile and SEO- optimized. Ongig also analyzes the text of your JDs and our pro copywriting team will rewrite your job descriptions. Early clients of Ongig include Salesforce, Yelp, GoDaddy, Verizon, Intel & Autodesk. Request a demo if you'd like to chat about partnering!

CEO vs President?

Some get confused about the use of CEO vs President in a job title. A few tips::

Most small companies (under 100 employees) have just one: a CEO or President (not both)
If a CEO and President both exist at a company, the CEO is the more senior of the 2
Some large companies have both a CEO and President for succession planning purposes (the President is often the next in line for the CEO position)
Other large companies have multiple business units and have a CEO running the entire organization and a President for each business unit. The business unit might be geographical (e.g. President, Asia Pacific).

CEO vs COO?

Others wonder what the difference is between a CEO and COO. Some tips:

The CEO is senior to the COO
CEOs and COOs tend to co-exist at larger companies (e.g. 100+ employees)
The CEO is often the external voice of a company (speaking at events or to investors; being quoted in press releases, etc.)
The COO handles the more administrative part of the business (Legal, Finance).
The COO position is often a precursor to becoming CEO

President vs the COO

How about the President vs the COO: who’s more senior? It depends on the company and how they are organized. Many companies have both the President and the COO at the same level, reporting directly to the CEO. In succession planning it is often the President and COO who are trying to be promoted to CEO.

C-Level Titles Candidates Search for the Most

Here’s a pie chart of the most commonly searched C level job titles in Corporate America. In other words, these are the titles that job seekers type in on Google (e.g. “CIO Jobs”, “CEO Jobs”, etc. I don’t know why CIO beats CEO in job searches. Maybe CEOs are more accustomed to being called by a recruiter (vs. Googling for their jobs). .

C-Level Titles Search for the Most (Gov’t, Healthcare, Academic, Non-Profit)

And here are the C Level job titles job seekers search for outside traditional for-profit organizations:

Pie chart of top 25 c level job titles with government jobs

Disclaimer: The charts above and list below are focused on C Level job titles. I do not list other corporate executive titles such as managing directors or executive VP positions that report to the C Suite.

The 20 Most Common C Level Titles (Corporate)

Below is a list of the 20 most common C Level job titles. The first, the CEO, runs the show. The rest are the most common senior executive titles and usually, but not always, report to the CEO. A General Counsel, for example, sometimes reports to the COO. And the Chief Technology Officer might report the Chief Information Officer.

In each case, I point out the title that candidates search Google for the most. If you’re looking to recruit people for this position, this will help you with search engine optimization (SEO). For example, you want to use CEO (not Chief Executive Officer) and CIO (not Chief Information Officer).

CEO

A CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is the highest top-level executive position within a for-profit organization. A CEO is responsible for choosing and executing the strategic direction for the company. They are also typically the public face of the organization when it comes to communication with employees, customers and shareholders. The CEO reports to the board of directors (and the board is run by the chairperson).

# of Google Searches per Month: 1,800

President

The President is often the highest-ranking position at a small business (one without a CEO) or the #2 position at larger enterprises (usually reporting to the CEO). The president role may also include responsibility for a business unit or other segment of a company (e.g. President of Asia Pacific).

# of Google Searches per Month: 150

COO

A COO, or chief operating officer is responsible for the day to day operations of the company. A COO is usually the second-highest-ranking executive in a company, reporting to the CEO, or #3 if there is a position of president. As important as the CEO is to the outside of the company, the COO is to the inside of the company.

# of Google Searches per Month: 450 (COO); 400 (Chief Operating Officer)

CFO

A CFO, also known as a chief financial officer, is responsible for managing the books and records for a company as well as financial reporting and statutory compliance. A CFO ensures business decisions and organizational strategy are made based on reliable financial criteria.

# of Google Searches per Month: 1,100 (CFO) and 250 (Chief Financial Officer)

General Counsel

The chief lawyer of an organization is typically called the General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer (CLO). Their primary focus is on corporate governance, regulations, protecting intellectual property and handling litigation. A General Counsel often uses outside law firms to support their priorities.

# of Google Searches per Month: 1,000

CIO (Chief Information Officer)

The chief information officer (CIO) is responsible for Information Technology (IT) strategy to support an organization’s goals and objectives. A chief information officer usually manages a team of IT specialists responsible for maintaining the day-to-day IT operations.

# of Google Searches per Month: 2,500 (for “CIO”); 350 for “Chief Information Officer”

Note: The acronym CIO is also used to describe the Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Investment Officer (see below).

CHRO

A CHRO, also called a chief human resources officer, is responsible for designing overseeing all human resources functions. A CHRO leads talent acquisition, employer branding, talent management and, sometimes diversity and culture initiatives.

# of Google Searches per Month: 150 for CHRO; 150 for Chief Human Resource Officer; and 100 for Chief Human Resources Officer

Chief Diversity Officer

A chief diversity officer, or CDO, is a leader in an organization who develops, manages, and supports diversity and inclusion strategies. A chief diversity officer typically leads any diversity and inclusion initiatives. They may also be responsible for overseeing employees complaints about harassment or discrimination and developing culture change.

# of Google Searches per Month: 200

CTO

A chief technology officer, commonly called a CTO, manages a company’s technology solutions. A CTO works directly with other executives to implement new technology solutions and solve problems related to technology within an organization. A CTO is a forwarding thinking executive that sets goals and decides how technology factors into key business decisions. The CTO often reports to the CEO in smaller companies or the CIO or COO in larger companies. Sometimes, the CTO is also the Head of IT.

# of Google Searches per Month: 600 (CTO); 200 (Chief Technology Officer); Chief Technical Officer (20)

Chief Marketing Officer

A chief marketing officer, also known as a CMO, is responsible for setting marketing goals and objectives for an organization. The primary role of a chief marketing officer is to manage branding, advertising and public relations.

# of Google Searches per Month: 400 (Chief Marketing Officer); 250 (CMO)

Chief Revenue Officer

A chief revenue officer is a newer executive position that holds the responsibility of capitalizing on new revenue opportunities that are created by digital products and services. A chief revenue officer is tasked with connecting the sales, marketing, and customer relationship management teams and processes within an organization to create the ideal customer experience.

# of Google Searches per Month: 300 (CRO); 80 (Chief Revenue Officer)

Chief Compliance Officer

A chief compliance officer, known as a CCO, is responsible for streamlining compliance processes like policy management, risk assessments, regulatory change management, and case investigations. The chief compliance officer oversees compliance in an organization and ensures their company remains in compliance with policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.

# of Google Searches per Month: 300

Chief Security Officer

A chief security officer, commonly known as a CSO, is the leader of a department that is responsible for information security and corporate security. A chief security officer is tasked with maintaining the physical security and safety of a company’s facilities, assets, and employees.

# of Google Searches per Month: 250 (CSO); 100 (Chief Security Officer)

Chief Investment Officer

A chief investment officer (known as CIO in the investment world) is the executive managing the oversight of investments at a company, organization, or institution. They are typically in charge of managing and allocating a company’s portfolios. The chief investment officer at a mutual fund hedge fund, for example, is in charge of maximizing the fund’s return on portfolio assets.

# of Google Searches per Month: 200

Chief Risk Officer

A chief risk officer is an executive whose role is to identify, analyze, and mitigate internal or external risks for an organization. The chief risk officer makes sure the company complies with government regulations and reviews factors that could damage a company’s investments or business units.

# of Google Searches per Month: 150

Chief Strategy Officer

A chief strategy officer, also known as a CSO, is an executive who creates and implements short term and long term strategic goals and change management activities for a company.
A chief strategy officer might include the following job duties:

Collaborating with other executives for strategic initiatives
Communicating organizational goals
Determining areas of improvement or growth
Managing marketing research initiatives and teams
Analyzing competitors and data
Acquiring new companies (Some Chief Strategy Officers have Corporate Development reporting into them)

# of Google Searches per Month: 100

Chief Innovation Officer

A chief innovation officer is responsible for identifying, developing, and launching new products and services for an organization. A chief innovation officer also builds and grows an organization’s innovation capabilities, both internally and externally, to make the brand more desirable. The chief information officer develops and manages plans to differentiate the company in the market, provide unique value to customers, and help build long-term relationships with customers.

# of Google Searches per Month: 70

Chief Research Officer

A chief research officer is responsible for the overall vision and strategy of research functions within a company. These include data science, data analytics, and survey research. The duties of a chief research officer include:

Leading research initiatives and making recommendations for marketing solutions
Improving processes for research methods
Following innovations in data visualization and market research trends
Supporting product development teams
Present internal and external research for their industry

# of Google Searches per Month: 10

Chief Engineer

The chief engineer position responsible for the engineering department at a company. Chief engineering duties include approving project designs, assigning engineers, and technicians who comply with safety and structural standards during a project.

# of Google Searches per Month: 200 (Chief Engineer); 200 (Chief Engineers);

New, More Modern C-Suite Job Titles

There are many new C-level job titles created over the last 10 years. They include:

Chief Data Officer & Chief Data Scientist (Visa and Standard Chartered Bank both use the Chief Data Officer (CDO) title.)
Chief Digital Officer
Chief Digital Transformation Officer
Chief Experience Officer (CXO)
Chief Listening Officer
Chief Culture Officer
Chief Happiness Officer (Google had a “Chief Happiness Officer” position (also known as Jolly Good Fellow) filled by Chade-Meng Tan. 72 companies are listed on LinkedIn as having a Chief Happiness Officer).
Chief Trust Officer or CTRO (shout-out to @CristinaAmpil for sending us this C level job title)

.@RobKellySF You've got a comprehensive list here, but you missed the #Chieftrustofficer #CTrO https://t.co/sMUWtQdgLX
— Cʀɪsᴛɪɴᴀ Aᴍᴘɪʟ (@CristinaAmpil) April 19, 2021

AdAge reports that:
“Chief experience, customer, growth, brand, purpose and other officers are grabbing boardrooms chairs, sometimes replacing or leapfrogging CMOs.”
source: AdAge

C Level Job Titles Used in Non-Profit, Health, etc.

The job titles outside of traditional corporations vary.

For example, non-profits typically call their CEO an Executive Director:

Executive Director

An executive director is a job title used more commonly in non profit organizations. The executive director is appointed by the board of directors and is a leader of the organization. An executive director works closely with the board of directors to develop strategic plans, and they are responsible for the culture of their organization. An executive director is also responsible for overseeing budget and marketing efforts for an organization.

# of Google Searches per Month: 1,300

And healthcare facilities often have these 2 key C Level positions:

Chief Medical Officer

A chief medical officer is a licensed physician who oversees clinical operations at a health institution. A chief medical officer is tasked with being the liaison between doctors and healthcare executives. Other duties for the chief medical officer include:

Hiring, training, and evaluating physicians
Implementing cost-effective and efficient medical policies
Creating and enforcing clinical guidelines for smooth delivery of healthcare services

# of Google Searches per Month: 400

Chief Nursing Officer

A chief nursing officer, commonly known as a head nurse or Chief Nurse Executive, director of nursing, or vice president of nursing, oversees hospital operations that impact the quality of nursing. A chief nursing officer is also responsible for budget development, staff management and regulatory compliance. They often report to the COO.

# of Google Searches per Month: 200

The Longer List of C Level Titles

Editor’s Note: There are so many more chief officer titles than the 20 I have above. So, I’m going to start to keep a longer list of titles below in alphabetical order (for quick reference). I wonder how big this list will get!

The long list:

Chief Academic Officer — head of operations in an academic facility
Chief Accounting Officer – head of accounting
Chief Actuary — head of actuary team (typically in the insurance field)
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) — head of daily operations; sometimes called COO
Chief Advocacy Officer — leads advocacy programs such as government relations. This position sometimes advocates for the customer.
Chief Amazement Officer – company founder or C-level exec. Mike Malloy holds this role at Rock Central.
Chief Analytics Officer — head of data analysis
Chief Architect — head of an architectural firm
Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (Chief AI Officer)– Head of all AI initiatives (e.g. Luyuan Fang holds this role for Change Healthcare)
Chief Audit Executive — head of auditing activities
Chief Brand Officer — head of a brand’s image
Chief Business Development Officer — head of new business opportunities
Chief Business Officer — head of financial goals and resources
Chief Clinical Officer – head of operations at a medical clinic
Chief Clinical Information Officer – head of information at a medical clinic
Chief Commercial Officer — head of sales, marketing and business development; sometimes called CCO
Chief Communications Officer — head of communications, PR or public affairs
Chief Compliance Officer — head of compliance and risk management
Chief Content Officer — head of content creation
Chief Corporate Development Officer — leads the company’s inorganic growth, strategic partnerships and business development, intellectual property and corporate operations. Peter Meechan holds this role at CloudBees
Chief Country Executive — Oversight and accountability for one country’s strategy, operations and business execution. Kirk Robinson holds this position at Ingram Micro.
Chief Creative Officer — head of design and creative strategy
Chief Credit Officer — head of budgeting and risk analysis
Chief Culture Officer — head of organizational culture
Chief Customer Officer — most often the leader of the customer success team in a SaaS (software as a service) company
Chief Data Officer (CDO) — in charge of data science, analytics
Chief Design Officer — head of design aspects (graphic, product, experience, packaging, etc.)
Chief Development Officer (CDO) — head of construction, development, and licensing
Chief Digital Officer — head of data and online technology
Chief Diversity Officer — head of diversity, inclusion, and belonging
Chief Engineer — head of engineering
Chief Events Officer — head of events strategy and objectives
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) — head of strategic direction
Chief Experience Officer — head of product and service experiences
Chief Finance Officer (CFO) — head of finance
Chief Futurist — executive who guides the vision and future of a company. Neal Stephenson (author of Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon) held this role at Magic Leap.
Chief Gaming Officer — head of game development
Chief Geek — CTO. Robert Sarkes hold this role at GEEK911.
Chief Growth Officer — head of organizational growth and profitability
Chief Happiness Officer — head of human resources and employee experience
Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) — head of talent and human resources
Chief Impact Officer — the first instance we heard of this was Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, taking on this role at the coaching and mental-health firm BetterUp on March 23, 2021. And CanvasMe announced they’d hired a Chief Impact Officer (Jen Groover) Jan. 31, 2022.
Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer or Chief Inclusion Officer — head of diversity and inclusion programs
Chief Information Officer (CIO) — head of IT
Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) — head of cyber security
Chief Innovation Officer — head of new product development and launch
Chief Inspiration Officer — head of operations. Jeff Snyder holds this role at Inspira Marketing Group.
Chief Investment Officer (CIO) — head of company investments
Chief Joy Officer — Symphony Talent (recruiting agency) hired Debbie Tuel as their Chief Joy Officer to focus on “promoting a more dignified hiring experience for candidates and building technology recruiters love to work in.”
Chief Knowledge Officer – head of knowledge management practices
Chief Learning Officer — head of training and learning management
Chief Lending Officer – head of lending in a financial institution
Chief Listening Officer — head of internal and external communications
Chief Marketing Officer — head of marketing
Chief Medical Officer — head of health organization or facility
Chief Merchandising Officer — head of buying and selling in retail
Chief Nursing Officer — head of nurses in a medical facility
Chief of Security — head of security
Chief of Surgery — head of surgery in a medical facility
Chief Operations Officer (COO) – head of day to day operations
Chief Patent Counsel or Chief Intellectual Property Counsel — head of intellectual property
Chief Patient Experience Officer — head of patient experience in a medical facility
Chief Play Officer — CEO at a toy or game company
Chief People Officer — head of human resources and people management
Chief People & Culture Officer – head of HR and culture programs
Chief Privacy Officer — head of privacy law and regulation enforcement
Chief Probation Officer — head of adult or juvenile probation programs
Chief Process Officer — head of business processes
Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) — head of procurement processes
Chief Product Officer — head of product-related activities
Chief Quality Officer — head of quality control
Chief Reputation Officer — head of brand management or public relations
Chief Research Officer — head of research and development
Chief Resilience Officer — head of partnerships and vision for a city or government group
Chief Restructuring Officer — head of restructuring efforts or bankruptcy management
Chief Revenue Officer — head of new revenue opportunities
Chief Risk Officer — head of risk management and security
Chief Scientific Officer — head of scientific research
Chief Security Officer — head of information and corporate security
Chief Services Officer — head of processes development
Chief Solutions Officer — head of development and delivery of business solutions
Chief Sourcing Officer — head of executive search firm
Chief Strategy Officer — head of strategic goals and change management (sometimes includes corporate development (M&A))
Chief Supply Chain Officer — head of supply chain and inventory
Chief Sustainability Officer — head of environmental programs
Chief Talent Officer — head of hiring and human resources
Chief Technology Officer (CTO) — head of technology or engineering
Chief Transformation Officer — head of change and growth
Chief Underwriting Officer — head of underwriting and risks in a financial institution
Chief Visibility Officer — head of performance; popular in retail
Chief Visionary Officer — head of company vision (music mogul Jay-Z holds this position at Parent Company, a cannabis business).
Chief Web Officer — head of web presence
Editor in Chief — head of a newspaper or magazine company
Executive Director — head of non-profit organizations
General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer — head of legal
President — head of small business

Funny C-Level job titles

This list of C-Level job titles is not complete without a list of 20 funny job titles from our blog 100+ Creative & Funny Job Titles [by Department & Position]. Enjoy!

Chief Cheerleader (CEO)…Mid America Motorworks
Chief Digital Evangelist…Vala Afshar, Salesforce
Chief Ego Operator (Any executive)
Chief Future Officer or Chief Futurist (An executive who guides the vision and future of a company)
Chief Guru…Ed Popielarski, QTA Machine
Chief Happiness Officer (Customer Experience)…Google had a “Chief Happiness Officer” position (also known as Jolly Good Fellow) filled by Chade-Meng Tan. 72 companies are listed on LinkedIn as having a Chief Happiness Officer).
Chief Happiness Slayer (Any executive)
Chief Heart Officer (HR Executive)…VaynerMedia
Chief Listener (CEO)
Chief Ninja (CEO)…Seth Priebsatch, – SCVNGR CEO
Chief of Idea Stalling (Any executive)
Chief Pillow Officer (CEO) …Pillowpacker Inflatable Travel Pillows CEO uses this funny job title
Chief PlayMonster (CEO)…Bob Wann, PlayMonster LLC
Chief Play Officer (In charge of playing/testing toys)…ToysRus
Chief Troublemaker (CEO)…Matrix Group
Dr. No (CFO)
Head of Out of Touch (Any executive)
Master of Coin (CFO)…Tesla’s finance chief, Zack Kirkhorn recently took on this new title
President and TeaEO (CEO)…Honest Tea
Technoking of Tesla (CEO)…Tesla co-founder and CEO, Elon Musk, recently took on this new title

Which C-Level job titles did I miss?

Please ping me in the comments below if you know of a C-level title that I’ve missed in this article. Thanks!

Why I wrote this?

Ongig’s job description software recommends the best C Level job titles as well as job titles for any department. Please check out Ongig.com to learn more. The title you use for your JD can make a huge difference in how many applicants view and click your job posting.

February 4, 2020 by Rob Kelly in Job Titles