Many business professionals are driven by ambitious career aspirations and don’t get deterred easily from pursuing their dreams, regardless of the obstacles they have to move past. If you aspire to an executive position, you might have at least a vague idea about the challenges of getting there. Although difficult, becoming a business executive is not impossible. Find a position from the list below that fits your skills and interests.
1. Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Chief executive officer is the most well-known and prestigious executive position in business. The CEO is responsible for everything that happens in a company since he is the person who establishes the big-picture strategy, hires the executive team, allocates resources, and represents the company in media.
With ample skills in strategic thinking and problem-solving, the CEO decides the direction of the company and has the authority to make substantial changes if he sees it necessary. This includes firing and hiring people or redirecting the budget to new expenses. With great freedom comes, however, great responsibility for the CEO.
2. Chief Operating Officer (COO)
In a world where business and globalization go hand in hand, the chief operating officer, also known as a director of global operations in multinational companies, has a fundamental role in the success of a company. Taking into consideration shifting political, social and economic climates, he makes sure that the company can run its operations successfully in the chosen markets.
A chief operating officer or director of global operations is a position that comes with a lot of responsibility and well-defined tasks such as planning budgets, increasing productivity, segmenting operations, and maximizing profits. You can read more about the skills and education required for this position.
3. Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
Chief marketing officer is a relatively new addition to the executive team that occurred as a result of the growing impact of marketing on business success. Naturally, the chief marketing officer manages and supervises all marketing operations, establishes a marketing strategy and ensures his strategy is implemented accordingly.
If you’re passionate about marketing, CMO is a great position to seek as it comes with great creative freedom. You will develop a unique strategy to position products and services on the market and you will be tasked with finding original ways to attract consumers.
4. Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Chief financial officer is a position for people with a background in finance and accounting who are great with numbers. The CFO handles everything related to money, including creating budgets and overseeing expenses. He is also responsible for the general financial health of the company.
The CFO is the person who knows whether a loan is a good idea and which of the company’s products or services are most profitable. He supervises the accounting department and knows where the money is coming from and where it’s going in the company.
5. Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Chief technology officer is not a very well-known position, but it’s common in certain types of companies and organizations. As the name implies, the CTO handles anything technology-related, such as analyzing and integrating new tech solutions that match the company’s profile.
Although responsible for buying technology, the CTOs must justify each expense and demonstrate how it can strategically impact the operations of the company. They will supervise the implementation of new technologies and assume responsibility for their success.
