Executive roles we search for
Every executive role we search for, grouped by function, with a page on how each search runs. The list covers chief executives, the C-suite, vice presidents who run a function, board directors and interim leaders.
How leadership teams are built
Leadership teams rarely grow in a straight line. A founder-led company often hires a VP of Finance or VP of Sales first, adds a COO when the founder can no longer run every department, and brings in a CFO before a raise, a sale or an audit. Private equity ownership tends to change the CEO and CFO in the first year. Public companies plan CEO succession years ahead and refresh their boards against a skills matrix.
The search changes with the level. For a vice president, the questions are about running the function well today. For a chief officer, references and interviews dig into decisions made with incomplete information, relationships with a board or owner, and results over several years. For directors, independence, committee experience and time commitments come first.
General management
Chief Executive OfficerSets strategy, allocates capital and leads the executive team, reporting to the board and its chair.PresidentRuns day-to-day operations and the company P&L beside a CEO or founder, often on a path toward the top job.Chief Operating OfficerSecond-in-command running plants, supply chain or customer delivery so the chief executive can focus on investors and growth.Division PresidentLeads one business unit or region with full P&L responsibility, answering to the group CEO or COO.
Finance
Chief Financial OfficerOwns financial reporting, treasury, capital raising and investor relations, working closely with the CEO and audit committee.Chief Accounting OfficerHeads the close, technical accounting, SEC filings and SOX controls, and manages the relationship with the external auditor.VP of FinanceCovers accounting, cash, board reporting and fundraising support, often as a growth company's first senior finance hire.VP of FP&ABuilds budgets, forecasts and the long-range plan, partnering with operating leaders on margin and unit economics.
Technology
Chief Technology OfficerOwns product architecture, engineering teams and build versus buy decisions, and answers technical due diligence when investors or acquirers look closely.Chief Information OfficerRuns internal systems such as ERP, infrastructure, cloud hosting and IT operations, plus the vendor contracts that keep the business working.Chief Information Security OfficerLeads cybersecurity, incident response, identity controls and third-party risk, and reports cyber exposure to the board audit or risk committee.VP of EngineeringHires engineering managers, sets release cadence and keeps a growing software team shipping reliably alongside the CTO's technical direction.
Revenue and marketing
Chief Revenue OfficerPuts sales, customer success and renewals under one forecast, with ownership of pipeline, quotas, sales compensation and the CRM.Chief Marketing OfficerBuilds brand, demand generation, product marketing and communications, and shows what each marketing dollar returns in pipeline or sales.Chief Commercial OfficerSets pricing policy, grows share with key accounts and leads sales and business development in manufacturing, distribution and healthcare companies.VP of SalesCoaches sales managers and reps, designs territories and quotas, and runs the weekly forecast that tells leadership where the number will land.
Operations and supply chain
Chief Supply Chain OfficerPlans demand, sources materials and moves product from supplier to shelf while keeping inventory and landed cost in check.VP of OperationsRuns sites, plants or service lines day to day, owning throughput, quality, safety and the managers who deliver them.VP of ManufacturingLeads plant managers, OSHA safety, quality certification and capital projects across one or several production sites.Chief Procurement OfficerSets sourcing strategy, negotiates supplier contracts and controls company spend through category management and purchasing systems.
People, legal and risk
Chief Human Resources OfficerShapes executive pay with the compensation committee, plans CEO succession and owns talent, culture and organization design.General CounselAdvises the CEO and board on legal exposure, manages litigation and outside law firms, and often serves as corporate secretary.Chief Compliance OfficerBuilds policies, training, investigations and hotline reporting that keep regulated companies within HIPAA, SEC, FINRA or AML rules.Chief Risk OfficerAgrees exposure limits with the board and oversees credit, market, liquidity and operational exposures, stress testing and model validation.
Product and strategy
Chief Product OfficerSets the roadmap, leads product managers and designers, and answers for whether shipped features get adopted and paid for.Chief Strategy OfficerRuns strategic planning with the CEO and board, frames portfolio choices and keeps acquisition and partnership options moving.Chief Digital OfficerBuilds ecommerce, apps and direct-to-consumer channels inside established companies and grows the revenue they carry.VP of Corporate DevelopmentSources acquisition targets, builds valuations, manages diligence with bankers and counsel, then hands integration plans to operators.
Board and interim leadership
Independent Board DirectorBrings outside judgment to strategy, risk and CEO oversight, filling a defined gap in the board's skills matrix.Audit Committee ChairLeads oversight of financial reporting, internal controls, internal audit and the external auditor on behalf of the board.Interim CEOSteps in within days after a sudden departure or crisis, stabilizes the company and hands over to a permanent successor.Interim CFOCovers the finance seat for a set term, keeping the close, cash and lenders on track or readying a sale.
Tell us about the role
Send the title, the reporting line and when you need the person in place. We will reply to set up a call about the brief and how the search would run.
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