C-suite

Which roles make up the C-suite?

The core set is the chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO) and chief operating officer (COO). Most mid-sized and large organisations add a chief technology or information officer (CTO or CIO), and increasingly a chief people officer (CPO or CHRO). Beyond that, the tier expands with the business model: chief marketing, revenue, product or risk officers where those functions carry enough weight.

What is the difference between the C-suite, executives and the board?

The C-suite runs the company; the board governs it. Directors set strategy boundaries, appoint the CEO and hold management accountable, while C-suite executives own day-to-day decisions and results. "Executive" is the broader word: many organisations have executives (general managers, state directors) who sit below the C-suite tier.

Why does C-suite composition matter to HR?

Whether people decisions get made with data depends heavily on whether the person accountable for them sits at the top table. Organisations with a chief people officer in the C-suite treat workforce risk the way they treat financial risk: measured, reported and owned. Where HR reports two levels down, people problems tend to surface only after they have become expensive.