CEO, COO, CMO, CFO, CIO, CTO, CCO and CDO

CEO, COO, CMO, CFO, CIO, CTO, CCO, and CDO refer to a number of senior positions and managerial functions in a company.

Although these are abbreviations of terms in English, in many cases they refer to traditional positions whose descriptions already existed in the Spanish language. However, globalization and the expansion of remote work have made such terms become a standard in the business world.

What is CEO?

It is the abbreviation of Chief Executive Officer and corresponds to the position of executive director of a company, or to the highest position within an organization.

Generally, it is a position occupied by the owner of the company or, failing that, by someone who represents their interests. In the latter case, the business owner is probably occupying the position of president or chief executive officer ( chairman ).

Functions of the CEO of a company

The functions of a CEO are highly dependent on the size and needs of the organization. In startups and SMEs, the CEO can take on some essential tasks for the operation of the company, such as financial management or relationships with suppliers.

However, the larger the organization, the CEO’s functions tend to be less technical and more strategic. In this case, an executive director is responsible for:

• Create or, failing that, ensure the mission, vision and business values.
• Make decisions about the long-term operation of the company.
• Being the ambassador or visible face of the organization before employees, business partners, clients and the media.
• Ensure compliance with the strategies and goals set.

See also:

• Difference between mission and vision .
• Types of leadership.

What is COO?

They are the acronym for Chief Operating Officer or director of operations. This is a position that requires full knowledge of how the company works, since it is a direct link between the CEO and the leaders of each department. In addition, the COO can represent the CEO if necessary.

Functions of the COO of a company

Generally speaking, a director of operations is responsible for:

• Supervise all the phases of elaboration of a product or service.
• Define and implement the standards or protocols to be followed for the efficient operation of the organization (production, administrative, communication protocols, etc.).
• Define the phases of the production process.
• Resource management.
• Financial control.

What is CMO?

It is the abbreviation of Chief Marketing Officer or marketing director who is the head of the marketing area of ​​the company. Its main objective is to rely on marketing and advertising strategies to generate higher income for the organization.

Functions of the CMO of a company

The chief marketing officer is responsible for:

• Define sales objectives and monitor their fulfillment.
• Supervision of traditional and / or digital marketing strategies of the company.
• Analysis of trends, new niches and business opportunities.
• Strengthen ties with customers / end users.

What is CFO?

They are the acronym for Chief Financial Officer, the head of the company’s finances. In Spanish it would be the finance director.

Functions of the CFO of a company

The CFO is responsible for:

• Define the financial objectives of the company in the short, medium and long term.
• Analyze investment, savings or debt options.
• Define strategies to optimize the organization’s resources.
• Implement measures to reduce costs without affecting productivity or efficiency.
• Report to the CEO and shareholders on the financial status of the company.

What is CIO?

It is the position of Chief Information Officer or information director. In many Latin American organizations it is also known as IT Manager or IT manager and its main function is to ensure the operation of the company’s technological resources.

Roles of the CIO of a company

An IT manager is responsible for:

• Manage all the tangible and intangible technological resources of the organization (software, hardware, infrastructure, own developments and specialized human resources).
• Analyze and propose to the CFO technological resources or solutions that help improve the productivity of the company in terms of production or management.
• Supervise the maintenance of the IT infrastructure.
• Implement IT-based methodologies that help optimize processes.

What is CTO?

It is the abbreviation for Chief Technology Officer or chief technology officer and it is a recent position that has emerged in response to the high demand for specialized profiles in the technology area. In fact, in companies that do not have a CTO, their functions are executed by the IT manager or CIO.

Functions of the CTO of a company

The Chief Technology Officer has among his responsibilities:

• Implement and supervise technological solutions that improve the flow of information in the company.
• Lead the engineering team of the IT department.
• Propose technology-focused solutions for different departments.

What is CCO?

It is the abbreviation for Chief Communications Officer or communications director, who is responsible for the company’s relations with the media.

Typically, this profile works closely with the Chief Marketing Officer or CMO and the CDO or Digital Communications Officer. However, in small businesses, it is possible for a single person or department to group all three functions.

Functions of the CCO of a company

The person responsible for communications is responsible for:

• Implement the internal and external communications strategy of the company.
• Monitor the proper use of the graphic identity of the company.
• Involve the company in events or activities that contribute to raising its visibility.
• Create and maintain links with the media.

What is CDO?

It refers to the Chief Digital Officer or digital director, a specialized profile that has emerged from the need for organizations to have a presence in the digital world, especially on social networks.

In a small company, the CDO position is filled by the community manager , while in an SME it is probably the role of the social media manager .

Functions of a company’s CDO

The digital director is responsible for:

• Supervisar al community manager.
• Create or implement digital strategies aimed at increasing conversion (sales).
• Design or implement protocols for different scenarios in the digital world.
• Evaluate the news of the web or social networks to optimize the digital presence of the company.