His or her mission is to provide the financial results expected by the shareholders.
The Chief Executive Officer has operational roles. He is the boss. He is nominated and terminated by the Board of Directors which defines his power. His objective is to satisfy the stakeholders which are the customers, the shareholders, the employees and the communities. He delegates some of his responsibilities to his main reports. He is often the chairperson of the Board of Directors. He makes sure that the company enforces its various legal obligations. His role varies greatly from company to company given the broadness of his responsibilities. He keeps the shareholders, the financial markets and the media current about the genuine situation of the company.
The Chief Executive Officer has strategic roles. He makes sure that the company has the right strategy and has the resources to execute it. He identifies the most promising markets. He proceeds to the acquisitions and sales of activities in the best interest of the shareholders. He optimises the organization and the processes. He focuses on the long term, when the Chief Operating Officer is more focused on the daily executions. The Chief Executive Officer heads the Executive Committee.
The most common titles covering the responsability of Chief Executive Officer or CEO include President - Chairman of the Management Board - Chairman of the Board and Managing Director - or - Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer-.